What’s Cooler Than Being Cool? How Icebox Is Harnessing the Power of Cryotherapy to Relieve Pain and Promote Better Health, Wellness and Skin Health

When Alia Alston, the founder and visionary behind the first U.S. brick-and-mortar cryotherapy chain Icebox Cryotherapy, first started her business, it was actually for personal, not professional, reasons. In fact, it was due to one of the most personal challenges someone can go through — an injury.

At 19, Alston suffered a car accident that left her with serious spinal issues and chronic pain. When her stepfather, a chiropractor, introduced her to a new trend sweeping Europe called whole body cryotherapy, Alston was blown away by the power of cold. But since cryotherapy was only available in professional and medical facilities, Alston decided to start a retail business to make the service more accessible.

Quickly, she realized she could change the lives of thousands by helping them look and feel their best in an upbeat, spa-like wellness studio, offering not only cryotherapy but also skin health services and anti-aging treatments. Since founding Icebox in 2012, the brand has proudly grown to 18 studio locations, with 16 under development.

Founder's vision

“Icebox is accomplishing what we started 11 years ago as the first brick-and-mortar cryotherapy studio in the country,” said Alston. “Each studio lovingly dedicates themselves to providing an enriching escape that instantly assists with pain management, overall wellness and skin health. It is such a meaningful mission that we are all on to serve our communities. It’s an incredible vision that I’ve devoted my life to.”

Years after Alston’s accident and subsequent neck injury, she began losing feeling on the left side of her body because of a pinched nerve and some damage to her spinal cord. While doctors were recommending surgery, Alston, who had an infant at the time, wanted to avoid it at all costs. She tried everything under the sun — hyperbaric chambers, acupuncture — and soon feared she was out of options. But when her stepfather told her about this new therapy companies like Nike and sports teams like the Dallas Mavericks were using for athletic recovery, Alston gave it one last try.

“I tried a treatment called whole body cryotherapy, which many athletes were using for recovery, and to my great surprise, it worked immediately,” said Alston. “I was able to relieve the numbness in my left arm and leg, and my pain significantly decreased. I knew that I had to share this with people just like me that were struggling and living with pain.”

When Alston decided to start the business over 10 years ago, there were no brick-and-mortar cryotherapy centers in the U.S. — the services were only available in professional and medical facilities. So, she set out to do things differently by creating modern studios that provided a lively atmosphere with highly trained staff, simplified services and the best experience in the industry.

Cryotherapy benefits

Cryotherapy was created as a contemporary update to the traditional, centuries-old ice bath or cold plunge experience. It involves exposing the body for three minutes to ultra-low temperatures, ranging from -200F to -256F. While the concept was originally designed as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory joint diseases, practitioners and patients soon found that whole body cryotherapy treatment had the ability to help with much, much more.

“Not only can it cut your athletic recovery time in half and reduce chronic and acute pain, but it can also help reduce inflammation, reduce stress, promote better sleep, release endorphins, improve circulation, increase collagen production and more,” said Alston. “You can really become the best version of you. We’ve helped people overcome addictions and avoid taking dangerous medications, for example, by providing them with a more holistic way to decrease their pain.”

At Icebox, guests can receive a one-time cryotherapy appointment or sign up to become a member with three different tier options depending on how frequently they plan on visiting the studio. As opposed to other competitors who might offer cryotherapy as an ancillary service, Icebox members can be confident that everyone on the team has a deep passion and knowledge for cryotherapy and all its health and beauty benefits.

In addition to cryotherapy, Icebox offers an innovative skin health program. This includes carefully curated facials incorporating innovative cold technology to improve the appearance of customers’ skin after just one treatment. “We wanted to offer the beauty benefits of Cryotherapy to our clients, but we wanted to make sure it was also effective. We believe in instant gratification and results-driven services. No fluff or misleading services that don’t work,” Alston said.

Icebox studios also exclusively offers a service called CryoTherma™, a new, non-invasive, innovative and versatile anti-aging treatment that integrates cold and heat technology to target localized fat, reduce cellulite and tone and tighten the skin. Icebox launched it after a year of testing and working closely with the manufacturer to curate the treatments for the best results.

There are also several unique enhancers available for members to add to their whole body cryotherapy treatment, such as localized cryotherapy that targets a specific area of the body to treat inflammation, compression therapy and red light therapy.

Industry leadership

“From athletic performance to pain management and overall wellness and skin health, Icebox delivers the best innovative cold therapy experience in the industry,” said Alston. “We’ve worked with the NFL, the NBA and other professional organizations, but Icebox is really for the general public. From age 12-65, we help our guests become the best version of themselves. We are the cold experts.”

In today’s post-pandemic world, self-care has never been more relevant and in-demand. According to a study done by Mindbody, 75% of Americans feel that wellness is more important than ever. Alternative healing practices like cryotherapy are also becoming more ubiquitous across the country as the dangers around prescription medications become more well-known. The $6 billion cryotherapy market, for example, is expected to nearly double in size by 2030.

“At the start of the pandemic, we learned rather quickly that we aren’t taking as good care of ourselves as we should,” said Alston. “The concept of self-help has become more important than ever. Cryotherapy studios are popping up everywhere, which is great because it is teaching more and more people about the benefits of this emerging trend.”

As the runaway leader and first-to-market in the cryotherapy category, Icebox is uniquely well-positioned to usher in this new era of self-care as it continues to change the lives of people who are in need of better options.

“The most rewarding part of this experience has been the ability to change lives,” said Alston. “People are moving again, discontinuing pain medications, avoiding relapses and hitting personal milestones. Those stories fuel us each day to keep working hard. Our goal is to inspire healthy, lasting transformations that empower individuals and their communities. With our cutting-edge solutions, Icebox continues to revolutionize its approach to wellness.”