How Do Body Wraps Work?

Body wraps are a well-loved spa service because they provide benefits such as toning, tightening, weight loss, cellulite reduction, pain relief, detoxification and much more. Perhaps you’ve never done a body wrap or maybe you’re a body wrap fanatic, but do you know exactly how they work?  As we’ve discussed in previous blogs there are quite a few types of body wraps available today. Spa professionals may choose to offer multiple body wraps or body treatments within their facility, so it is important to understand how they provide the benefits they do! If you’ve done some exploration of the wonderful world of wraps you may have come across what we refer to as traditional wraps as well as wraps that warm up your body with infrared. How do body wraps work? The level of effectiveness depends on the type of body wrap you choose. With wraps that use herbs and minerals, the herbs are the ‘active ingredient’. These traditional body wraps often include a topical product applied to the body before it is tightly wrapped. Recipients of traditional body wraps often notice inch loss, however, those inches typically return after a meal or beverage. When it comes to infrared body wraps the top performer is the infrared heat. Infrared wraps are effective because infrared heat can penetrate the body, relieving pain, increasing blood flow, boosting the metabolism and breaking up fats and toxins that are released through intensified perspiration. Because of the scientifically backed benefits they can provide infrared body wraps are a whole different breed of spa service! They utilize the power of calming infrared heat to provide real wellness results. For this concept to make sense it is helpful to have a grasp on how infrared works. Infrared heat warms the body without heating the air around us. This allows the gentle rays to penetrate our bodies, rather than only the skin. As the infrared rays penetrate the body, they break up fats and toxins, releasing them through the sweat gland and normal bodily functions. How does this happen? While you’re in an infrared wrap, your body absorbs the infrared heat. As the absorption process takes effect water molecules in your body start to vibrate. They vibrate to the point of bursting and that is when they expel toxins, fats, cholesterol and other impurities through your sweat glands and bodily functions. Besides infrared heat itself, what makes an infrared body wrap work especially well? FIT Bodywrap’s Clinical Director, Dr. Aaron Flickstein has utilized infrared in a variety of ways and says infrared exposure is most effective as a full body wrap because the participant is fully immersed. The infrareds proximity to the body while in the wrap is unparalleled, participants can comfortably relax with infrared rays penetrating both the front and back of their body. Furthermore, participants can achieve multiple benefits in one, or a series of sessions. Benefits such as pain relief, relaxationand detoxification are often noticed after one session while weight loss, cellulite reduction and skin rejuvenation may require a series. There is a great deal of innovation that goes into the creation and construction of infrared wraps. Factors such as effectiveness, safety, participant comfort and reliability are at the top of the list. For instance, military grade sensors, commercial grade materials and a computerized controller make for a safe and effective body wrap unit. Most infrared systems, including the FIT Bodywrap system utilize a controller to send heat to the wrap itself. Infrared heat has been used in the wellness realm for centuries, even NASA has used infrared generating panels in space suits successfully and the technology is now available for public use. So, are they effective? Yes. Safe? Yes. Easy to use and results driven? Yes, and yes! As we’ve covered, body wraps work by enveloping the body and providing wellness benefits. Now that you know how they work, check out our related blogs below to dive even deeper!