In the ever-evolving landscape of health and wellness, a fascinating technology is rapidly gaining traction: the Hyperbaric Oxygen Cabin (HBOT). Once primarily confined to treating decompression sickness in divers or severe medical conditions like chronic wounds and carbon monoxide poisoning, HBOT is now at the forefront of discussions in regenerative medicine and, more recently, the burgeoning longevity industry and biohackers.
But this surge in interest isn’t just hype; it’s driven by a growing body of research suggesting that saturating the body with oxygen, under pressure, can unlock profound healing and anti-ageing benefits which I’ve been super excited to explore. With millionaires, billionaires and A-listers alike, boasting the wonders or sleeping in hyperbaric cabins, I couldn’t wait to book a session to experience it for myself.
At its core, HBOT involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurised chamber, where the atmospheric pressure is two to three times higher than normal air. This increased pressure allows your lungs to absorb significantly more oxygen than at sea level. And the additional oxygen doesn’t just stay in your red blood cells; it dissolves perfectly into your blood plasma, reaching deep tissues and vital organs that might otherwise be oxygen-deprived due to injury, disease, or the natural ageing process. This hyperoxygenation triggers a cascade of physiological responses to the body that are deeply appealing to both the health and longevity sectors alike.
For the traditional health industry, HBOT’s benefits are well-established in treating a range of medical conditions. It’s renowned for its ability to accelerate wound healing, particularly in diabetic foot ulcers or radiation-damaged tissues, by promoting new blood vessel formation -angiogenesis- and enhancing the body’s natural repair mechanisms. Furthermore, it boasts potent anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effects, making it a valuable tool in fighting stubborn infections and reducing swelling. The increased oxygen also empowers white blood cells to more effectively combat pathogens, naturally bolstering the immune system.
However, it’s the longevity industry that is increasingly obsessed with hyperbaric oxygen cabins, and for good reason. Emerging research points to HBOT’s potential to directly impact the hallmarks of ageing at a cellular level. It’s not just hitting pause on the clock, but turning back time by years! Studies have shown that a series of HBOT sessions can lead to an increase in telomere length – the protective caps on our chromosomes that naturally shorten with age and are linked to cellular senescence. By preserving, or even lengthening telomeres, HBOT offers a tantalising prospect for slowing down cellular ageing. Moreover, it appears to reduce the number of senescent “zombie” cells, which accumulate with age and contribute to inflammation and tissue dysfunction.
Beyond these fundamental cellular changes, HBOT is being explored for its role in cognitive enhancement, which improves brain function by increasing oxygen delivery to areas that may be experiencing subtle hypoxia, and even promoting neurogenesis, the growth of new brain cells. Its anti-inflammatory properties are also key, as chronic low-grade inflammation is a major driver of age-related diseases.
By modulating cytokine production and enhancing antioxidant defences, HBOT helps to counteract oxidative stress, a significant contributor to ageing. These anti-aging effects position the Hyperbaric Oxygen Cabin as a fascinating frontier in the quest for people wanting to live healthier, longer and more youthful lives.
Dr Doris: Hyperbaric Oxygen Cabin
Nestled in the picturesque streets of Mayfair, London, Dr Doris Anti-Ageing Clinic boasts a custom-built hyperbaric oxygen cabin with anti-ageing lighting to provide two treatments at once. Whilst we all start off with the best intentions to keep up with treatments and focus on anti-ageing, finding the time to do so can be challenging with a hectic schedule and work-life balance. Half an hour here, an hour there, you suddenly realise that you don’t have several hours a week spare, every week, to maintain a routine and that’s where progress falls short.
With this in mind, the clinic have ingeniously combined infrared anti-ageing lighting within their hyperbaric oxygen cabin, along with wifi access, a phone stand and reclining chair should you wish to snooze, scroll your social media feed, listen to music, watch a movie or dial into a conference call for work – depending on the demands of your day!
With it being my first time in a cabin, I was briefed on what to expect, with an aeroplane ride being the most similar experience and sensation that I was asked to imagine. I was advised to visit the toilet prior to my one hour appointment, as once the cabin pressure rises the door cannot be opened until it falls low enough to release; although it isn’t locked, it has to decompress in order to be able to exit.
Comfortable and ready to begin, I was handed a headset much like a pair of headphones with a mic, which would deliver oxygen directly to my face. There was an air-conditioner-esque machine above my head, a screen to my side and various valves on the walls which looked like bolts and inlets. The cabin was surprisingly spacious and not claustrophobic or restrictive at all, and as I sank into the soft and sumptuous armchair, I was delighted to discover that it reclines so that I could lay down and bask in the anti-ageing infrared light as my session began.
As the cabin is cabin is soundproof, I was advised to communicate with a series of hand gestures and messages via text with the clinic staff who were the other side of the glass door operating the controls. I gave a thumbs up to signal that I was happy to begin, as well as respond to their texts on my phone when they routinely checked in with me to ask if I was ok and if I needed any assistance, for which I was fine.
The treatment begins with a gentle hissing sound from the air which is rather soothing and familiar, as it reminded me of going on holiday, looking up in a plane to seeing the air flowing in wisps onto the roof prior to take-off. The oxygen in the cabin isn’t visible, you can’t physically feel it and the only indication of it rising and falling is when you subconsciously swallow and feel your ears clear.
Unlike when I fly, my ears didn’t pop, ache or cause any hearing loss in the cabin, I just noticed a very gentle clearing of my ears when routinely swallowing, which indicated that the pressure was changing. Another thing that I noticed was how soft and healthy my skin felt, as the oxygen and infrared lighting turned my cabin a soothing and cosy shade of red, and as I emerged back into natural light my skin appeared noticeably more radiant to both sight and touch.
The screen beside me, titled Intelligent Oxygen Chamber System, displayed a countdown timer for my 1hr session, as well as statistics concerning the real time flow of oxygen, cabin pressure, humidity and temperature. I wore a vest top and leggings to my session, and removed my shoes as I snuggled up in the reclined chair whilst answering work emails to pass the time.
It was a very relaxing, calming and wonderful treatment to have, which seemed so simple for me to simply relax in a chair as my skin and internal organs were having the most beautiful reawakening as such important cellular changes were silently, and invisibly taking place. As the timer reached zero, the staff signalled to me that the pressure would drop before the door could be opened, which took a matter of minutes as I returned my chair to the upright position and signed off my final email. I then popped on my shoes, thanked the technician and returned to my day, feeling energised, revitalised and glowing from within.
To sit in a cosy cabin for an hour without so much as lifting a finger, whether you choose to work or relax, is the most simple action that has such monumental results for our overall health and longevity. I found it to be the most incredible experience and love how alive and youthful it’s made my entire body feel, despite living with chronic aches and inflammation from Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. After my treatment I slept beautifully at night, felt incredibly well rested, energetic and pain-free from the moment that I woke up, and had the most rewarding gym session. How amazing it feels to pursue optimum health and literally turn back time!
