According to the National Cancer Institute, inflammation is a “protective reaction to injury, disease or irritation of the tissues,” and manifests as redness, swelling, pain and/or a feeling of heat in the affected area. There are two types — chronic and acute — and their long list of triggers includes everything from excess alcohol, sub-optimal diet and strenuous workouts to stress and autoimmune diseases such as as lupus. A chronic inflammation sufferer herself, makeup artist and My Zen Den founder Alexandria Gilleo understands firsthand how debilitating the condition can be. In addition to recommending books (including “Eat Right For Your Inflammation Type” and “The Inflammation Spectrum”) and encouraging clients to request blood work from their primary doc to detect markers for inflammation, Gilleo offers an array of red-light therapy and infrared sauna packages, along with wellness add-ons like dry brushing, liver juice and probiotics.
While red light therapy triggers a boost in cellular energy, which in turn stimulates anti-oxidant production and a reduction in inflammation, infrared sauna generates detoxification — and a subsequent drop in inflammation — through profuse sweating. “Every person is different, so I suggest trying both services,” says Gilleo. “I personally use both daily.”
To do her part to combat this on-the-rise ailment, Vargas, who splits her time between the East and West Coasts, couldn’t wait to offer hyperbaric oxygen therapy to her clients, particularly since O2 has long been a key element of her facials. “It’s all over LA right now, which is why I wanted to bring it to my NYC salon,” she says. “It makes sense that we have something that’s addressing the whole body.”
The 60-minute $150 treatment entails reclining, fully clothed, in the hands-free chamber, which is equipped with a Netflix-enabled iPad. So you can blast through an episode of “Bridgerton” while the chamber fills with oxygen, gradually boosting circulation, collagen production and elasticity in the body. Not bad for lying down on the job.
Article cited from NY POST