The pursuit of optimal health and wellness has been hardwired into human nature long before Herodotus mused about the Fountain of Youth. And while people have been tinkering with their bodies for centuries—mixing potions, creating elixirs, and testing the limits of longevity—modern biohacking takes this to a whole new level. A term first coined in the ’80s, biohacking offers a way to rewrite the biology rulebook, whether you want to lose fat, boost immunity, or recover faster. Why accept the cards you were dealt when you can reshuffle the hand? Here’s how and where to hack your biology in San Diego:
Cryotherapy | Infrared Spa | Red-Light | PEMF | Compression | Salt Therapy | Body Sculpting
Cryotherapy in San Diego
San Diegans are unapologetic warm-weather junkies, and even a one-degree drop under 65 will send parkas flying off hangers and make sun-bathers pack up shop. So the idea of climbing into a cryo-chamber that’s four times colder than an ice bath may not sound appealing at first to a city full of open-toed heliophiles. Nonetheless, cryotherapy has gained immense popularity over the last few decades as a way for athletes to recover from pain and inflammation and improve physical performance, as well as lighten mood, tighten skin, prevent diseases, and more.
San Diego Cryotherapy
Located just north of the 8 near SDSU, San Diego Cryotherapy offers everything from full-body treatments between -200 to -250 degrees Fahrenheit and localized cryo (or spot treatment) to Cryofacials. The center also offers treatments such as an infrared sauna, Rena EMSculpt, and celluma light therapy.
All My Cryo
All My Cryo first began when founder Michelle Mendez sought holistic alternatives to modern medications for her rheumatoid arthritis and took a deep dive to find alternative methods of treatment. With her new knowledge of healing modalities, she opened All My Cryo which offers countless cryotherapy options to help anything from injury recovery, improved sleep and libido to slimming to sculpting the face and body. It also offers limited-time specials, such as four sessions for only $60.
Livkraft
Set up as a luxury wellness clinic in the heart of La Jolla, Livkraft offers monthly, quarterly, or annual memberships for wellness services such as whole body cryotherapy or cryotherapy facials, or longevity medical services like IV therapy, restorative massages, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). The latter involves being placed in a pressurized chamber to increase oxygen intake to the body.
FIT Athletic
Voted Best Gym by our readers for the 2024 Best Of San Diego awards, Fit Athletic is a gym that does it all: fitness and pilates classes, personal training, stretch therapy, and even fun member-only events like comedy nights or nightclub parties. Its three locations in Little Italy, East Village and Mission Beach also offer whole-body and facial cryotherapy treatments, so you can achieve your fitness and recovery goals without an extra commute.
Chiltonic
For North County San Diegans, Chiltonic is an Encinitas-based cold-therapy center that uses the Cryobuilt Everest Peak electric cryotherapy chamber—a reportedly safer and more effective chamber than other nitrogen gas chambers. Treatments only last between 3 and 20 minutes.
Infrared Spa Therapy in San Diego
Gone are the days where saunas were just steamy rooms at country clubs filled with wrinkly, half-dressed golfers. Now, infrared spas use infrared light to heat the body directly using radiation, rather than heating the air around you, for a more effective and detoxifying sweat sesh. Not only this, but due to its long wavelengths, the infrared light penetrates through to the muscles and nerve system, helping with joint and muscle pain.
Pure Infrared Sauna Studio
Pure, with locations in Solana Beach and Bankers Hill, features a True Wave full-spectrum infrared sauna designed to maximize detoxification, with an optional 30-minute salt therapy or red-light session add-on for only $10. The spa also offers plenty of other treatments, including contrast therapy, compression therapy, PEMF, halotherapy, chromotherapy, and mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy for a full-body reset.
Livkraft
Not only does Livkraft in La Jolla offer several cryotherapy services, it also has individual infrared sauna suites for releasing 20 percent of toxins and 80 percent of water held in the body. In fact, Livkraft recommends an infrared sauna right after cryotherapy for increased blood circulation. Each sauna is also equipped with temperature control, Bluetooth, and an iPad so you can catch up on your favorite show while detoxing.
Chill N Out
We’re sorry to report you won’t find any animal fries at Chill N Out. What this cryotherapy studio does have, however, are state-of-the-art infrared saunas, with reported benefits like improved skin clarity, increased metabolism and circulation, weight-loss, and immune system support. Either drop in for a $30 session, or bundle your infrared sauna experience in a package or monthly membership with other biohacking services.
Engel Health & Wellness Center
If you’re looking to reap the benefits of infrared light without sitting in a sauna—or need targeted relief of joint and muscle pain—Engel Health & Wellness Center offers Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) using a precision hand-held infrared device. The wellness center, located near Mission Bay, also offers spinal manipulation and custom orthotics.
Hifai Chiropractic
At the halfway point between Del Mar and Poway, you’ll find woman-owned Hifai Chiropractic, your one-stop-shop for all things pain-relief. Similar to Engel Health and Wellness, this clinic uses a hand-held infrared device to increase blood flow and help with nerve rehabilitation and inflammation.
Red-Light Therapy in San Diego
Similar to infrared spa therapy, red-light treatments use phototherapy to heal your body. Since red-light waves are shorter than infrared, this modality is used more for healing and rejuvenating the skin, rather than penetrating deep into the muscles. This is done by energizing the cells and boosting their production, as well as stimulating blood circulation and collagen production.
Real Deal Wellness
Just minutes from the heart of San Diego’s Asian food scene in Convoy, Real Deal Wellness offers its first red light therapy session—20 minutes of combined red light therapy and halotherapy (dry salt therapy)—free of charge. Perfect for recovering after indulging in one too many bao buns. The wellness center also offers unlimited access to all their services for only $99/month.
Deep Wave
A midday nap that reduces wrinkles and soothes pain? Sign me up. Deep Wave uses a StimLight Red LED Bed and anti-aging face panel for a relaxing session that leaves your skin glowing, your body relaxed, and you wondering why you didn’t try this sooner.
Art of Skin MD
A Solana Beach-based dermatology clinic, Art of Skin MD uses the Healite II phototherapy device, delivering target LED light therapy for rejuvenated skin. Opt for either the red light to boost collagen and reduce fine lines, or blue light to help with acne.
Pure Infrared Sauna Studio
If you want the most red-light exposure possible, PURE offers a 360 red light bed with a lid that you pull down over your body for complete body repair. Thanks to the machine’s efficiency (complete with 2,400 LED lights), the treatment only lasts 10 minutes, so you can squeeze in some self-care on your lunch break.
PEMF Therapy in San Diego
If you’ve been reading this list and thinking to yourself: a little cold plunge and some red lights? I need something stronger…a mini corporal earthquake, perhaps. Allow us to introduce you to PEMF Therapy, or Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy. This sends small pulses of energy to targeted areas of pain, supporting cell function for pain and inflammation relief, as well as aiding immunity, metabolism, sleep, depression, and anxiety.
Revitalize Wellness PB
Similar to most other biohacking services, all you have to do during a PEMF therapy session at Revitalize Wellness PB is sit back and relax in a comfortable seat while the machine does all the healing work. One session is only $40, and you can even add on PEMF SPaw therapy for your furry friend.
BioMed Health Center
If you’re unsure if PEMF therapy is right for you, BioMed Health Center in La Jolla takes the guesswork out of holistic care by offering consultation, blood tests, and tailored treatment plans to find what path is best for each patient. If not PEMF, the health center offers 23 other services to help your body recover and thrive.
San Diego Personal Training
Just a stone’s throw from the Torrey Pines Golf Course, San Diego Personal Training offers a full suite of training and recovery services. After a strenuous workout (or golf sesh), their PEMF therapy machine can help recharge your cells, speed up muscle recovery, and keep aches and pains at bay.
Compression Therapy in San Diego
There’s a lot of unwanted pressure to balance all of life’s stresses, from challenging work days to keeping your cool in I-5 traffic. But the pressure from compression therapy is one that your body will actually thank you for. By using compression boots and sleeves reminiscent of RoboCop, this unique therapy uses air pulses to promote blood and fluid movement, reducing swelling from chronic issues or minimizing soreness and injury from hard workouts.
Recovery Science Inc.
Located in Chula Vista, Recovery Science Inc. offers both Normatec and Air Relax compression stations, with a range of leg, feet, arm, shoulder, and even hip compression. Sit back in its zero-gravity chair, sip on some tea and catch up on your TV shows while the boots do their magic.
Cryo Republic
In addition to Cryo Republic’s Cryotherapy and Red Light therapy services, you can level up your recovery with the SLS3 Compression Boots for just $15. Whether you’re recovering from a surgery or simply a long run, you can customize the pressure settings to suit your specific needs.
Elevate Performance
Coronado is best explored by bike, with locals and tourists alike pedaling around the island. After a ride, head over to Elevate Performance—located at the heart of the island—for Normatec compression therapy, available by the session or at a discount with multi-session packs to help minimize post-pedal pain.
Halotherapy/Salt Therapy in San Diego
For some, salt therapy means devouring a double bacon, crispy potato, and cheese breakfast sandwich after a late night-out. For others, it’s halotherapy: a bio-hacking practice where inhaling microscopic salt particles released in a “salt cave” are believed to aid respiratory and skin conditions. Many swear by halotherapy’s ability to decrease inflammation, thin mucus, and improve breathing despite research on the subject still being limited. Then again, there’s no Mayo Clinic studies on a salty breakfast sandwich curing hangovers either—but we all know it works.
Omni La Costa Resort & Spa
Following a multi-million dollar renovation in 2024, Carlsbad’s Omni La Costa Resort & Spa unveiled a new golf course, hundreds of updated guest rooms, and… salt rooms. These tranquil spaces, lined with golden, salt-bedded walls, offer guests a rejuvenating escape, leaving skin glowing and breathing effortless.
The Healing Room
The Healing Room is a little haven of peace located centrally in the Bay Ho neighborhood, offering massage therapy, an infrared sauna, and a halotherapy booth. Respiratory relief can be achieved in only one 20-minute session of relaxing and deep breathing in… and… out.
Revitalize Wellness PB
Blasting saline up your nose? Miserable. Breathing in healing salt in a spa? Much better. At Revitalize Wellness PB, the salt room fits four, so you can bring friends, kids, or a partner to turn wellness into a family affair.
All My Cryo
All My Cryo’s halotherapy booth may be no bigger than a classic London phone booth, but size doesn’t matter when you’re soaking up salty air. A single-session runs $39, or save $100 when you purchase a bundle of 10 sessions.
Yu Spa
Yu Spa in Convoy has a room for every need: a Korean red clay sauna to help lymphatics, an ice room to tighten skin, and an even a yoni steam room for women (yes, those yonis). Its salt room, with floor-to-ceiling walls of glowing red and gold salt stones, feels like stepping inside of a giant Himalayan salt lamp.
Body Sculpting in San Diego
No matter how many crunches you do or how many times you order your Hodad’s burger with lettuce instead of a bun, some bits of stubborn fat just won’t budge. And while every body is a beach body, body sculpting offers a confidence boost by reshaping, removing fat cells, or tightening skin, without having to undergo painful surgery.
Cryo Republic
With a mix of Instasculpting (radio frequency toning) and Cryo Slimming (ultra-cold fat freezing), Cryo Republic helps you lose 2-3 inches in one session without any pain or sweat. Use the treatments to slim your waist, arms, neck, or legs, or opt for their skin-tightening facial that turns back the clock, à la Benjamin Button.
SDBotox
There are several body sculpting options at SDBotox, including CoolSculpting, Exilis (radiofrequency and ultrasound), EMO SculptNeo (electromagnetic energy), and Bodytite, a treatment offered exclusively at SD Botox using radio-frequency assisted lipolysis. In other words, there’s something for everyone looking to achieve their dream bod.
San Diego Body Sculpting
It’s no wonder that some of the best body sculpting in San Diego can be found at San Diego Body Sculpting, right off University Ave in Hillcrest. The clinic offers services such as laser lipo to eliminate fat deposits, followed by a full-body vibration and infrared sauna session. Also available are Sculpsure WarmSculpting, Cellutone for cellulite, and EMSELLA for pelvic muscle strengthening, to name a few.
San Diego Aesthetics and Med Spa
San Diego Aesthetics and Med Spa in La Mesa uses EvolveX for their body sculpting sessions to tighten, tone, and transform. If you’re looking for a little extra glow-up, their team of aestheticians and registered nurses likewise perform injectables (like Botox), laser, chemical peels, and more.
