If you’re a member of the 0.1%, there’s a new must-have accessory this summer: a hyperbaric oxygen chamber. Novak Djokovic took one on the back of a lorry to the US Open in 2019, Cristiano Ronaldo shelled out £15,000 to have one installed at his Cheshire mansion last year and it’s said Justin Bieber sleeps in his. It’s all part of the latest biohacking trend, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which delivers pure, pressurised oxygen to the body to increase cellular and tissue oxygenation. As a result, the body is able to work more efficiently and heal and recover faster — hence the treatment’s popularity amongst the sporting elite. Now there are clinics popping up all over London.
One such clinic is NUMA in Marylebone, opened in October. Founded by former NHS consultant Dr Nur Ozyilmaz in the basement of a smart terraced house just off Baker Street, it’s a pleasingly zen space, with soft lighting and Neom fragrances pumped through the air. Dame Kelly Holmes is a regular, and often posts about her sessions. I’ve been invited to try out a session of my own, to see what all the fuss is about. NUMA’s HBOT chambers work in two ways: first by creating a pressurised environment, then by delivering almost 100 per cent oxygen through a specialised mask. “In normal atmosphere pressure, we breathe 21 per cent oxygen, and the rest is a concoction of other gases,” explains Dr Ozyilmaz. “With HBOT, when we pressurise the environment the oxygen dissolves faster and better, and it dissolves right in the plasma, which is what makes the treatment so effective.” HBOT has been used since the 1950s, when it was first applied to treat difficult wounds, and is now used for a wide range of ailments like head traumass, inflammatory bowel diseases and, most recently, long Covid.
Dame Kelly Holmes is a regular at NUMA, and often posts about her sessions
After Dr Ozyilmaz checks my heart rate and ear membranes — particularly prone to pressure-related damage — I’m led to my chamber. NUMA boasts eight mono-chambers, which look like space-age pods straight out of a sci-fi movie. After I clamber in and lie down, a technician seals me in. Despite the fact that most of the top of the chamber is a transparent glass panel, I still feel a bit panicky when I’m locked in. A hissing sound fills the chamber as the technician brings me to the optimum air pressure, and my ears start popping like they do going up in a plane. Then it’s time to put the mask on. Covering my entire nose and mouth, it looks uncannily like the mask Bane wears in the Batman films; breathing through it, I sound like Darth Vader. At first, I find it hard to exhale, but I soon get the hang of it and breathe normally. There’s a tablet in the chamber, which I flick on to a Netflix show. The hour session flies by, punctuated only by short oxygen breaks every 20 minutes where I remove the mask, to avoid oxygen toxicity (while rare, it can cause serious side-effects).
After the session, I feel a little woozy, but also energised and alert. HBOT is known for blowing the mental cobwebs away, and long Covid patients swear by it for helping to ease brain fog. “There are studies about how it improves mental capacity and cognitive skills, and we have a lot of people from financial backgrounds who come for that,” says Dr Ozyilmaz. Ultra-high net worth individuals are also flocking to the chambers to experience their anti-ageing benefits, with HBOT known to stimulate collagen. Top cosmetic surgeons have started sending post-op patients to NUMA and have been staggered by the results, with one saying HBOT can cut the six-week healing process for a facelift down to just two weeks.
Naturally, that doesn’t come cheap. A single session at NUMA costs £160 for 60 minutes and £240 for 90 minutes. For those recovering after a facelift you’d be looking at a week of daily sessions, while long Covid patients usually require 20. Of course, the ultimate way to enjoy HBOT is in the comfort of your own home, and the rich have now started installing chambers for around £90k.
“But it’s not a panacea for everything,” says Dr Ozyilmaz. “I’m worried about HBOT being a trend and people trying to buy beds on eBay. You can have seizures in these chambers! I certainly wouldn’t treat myself at home.” As for whether I’d try it again, the jury’s still out — while I slept extremely well that night and awoke feeling refreshed, I can’t say I really felt any difference as the day wore on, though you need multiple sessions for the full effects. But if I find myself signing up for a triathlon or a facelift, I know where to go afterwards.
