Do you want to know an easy way to soothe your irritated voice, hydrate it directly
and reduce vocal fold swelling so that you can continue singing even if your voice doesn’t
feel great?
If your voice is feeling under the weather or if you just want to keep your voice healthy
for many years to come, you should be using a vocal steamer.
In this video, I am going to tell you why you need to use a steam inhaler.
You will also learn why Mabis steam inhaler is my preferred personal steam inhaler and
I will show you a neat little trick to get even more steam for a better effect.
So, make sure to watch until the end.
Hi! It’s nice to see you again.
For those who are here for the first time, I am Katarina from How 2 Improve Singing and
here on this channel, I share tips on how to use your voice in a healthy and efficient
way.
So, if you are new here, consider subscribing to my channel and hitting that bell notification
below this video so that you don’t miss any of my videos.
And I am curious to know if you’ve ever considered using a vocal inhaler or if you
use one.
Leave me a comment below, I would love to hear from you.
Steam inhalation is a widely used method to get relief from cold or flu symptoms.
It’s also called steam therapy and it uses warm water vapor to loosen dry and thick mucus
from nose, throat and respiratory system.
Here are some of the known steam inhalation benefits: it decreases inflammation of the
throat, it liquefies thick mucous secretions that are easier to remove either from your
nose or your throat, it reduces coughing and it dilates blood vessels, which helps healing.
But did you know that steaming has many benefits for the health and function of your voice?
It is actually a very easy and effective way to keep your vocal instrument hydrated.
So, I recommend steaming to singers and voice users on a regular basis.
Steaming is the only method of hydrating the vocal folds directly.
When you drink water or any other liquid, the water does not come into contact with
the vocal folds.
And it takes hours and days to hydrate internally when drinking water.
But when you inhale steam, the water droplets come into direct contact with the vocal folds
and hydrate them immediately.
Well hydrated vocal folds vibrate smoothly and more efficiently.
It takes less pressure to set them into vibrations, so that means that you need to use less effort
when producing a sound.
Also, well hydrated vocal folds change their shape more easily than dehydrated vocal folds.
And when we sing, we need to change the shape of the vocal folds on a continuous basis.
And here is another benefit: hydration makes the mucus covering the vocal folds thin.
And I am sure you can imagine that thick mucus is something no singer or professional voice
user wants.
So, as you can see there are many benefits to steaming your voice.
Here are a few examples of when singers can use a vocal steamer:
- To rehabilitate a tired, overused or injured voice; steaming is an excellent method to
help healing - To reduce vocal fold swelling, for example
when you experience hoarseness - To rehydrate a dehydrated vocal instrument
quickly and easily - To relieve symptoms of allergies, sinus
infections, cold, flu, head and chest congestion or other infections
- To keep a vocal instrument hydrated in dry climates or during the winter season when
homes are heated and the indoor air becomes dry.
I made another video about voice care in winter, you can check it out here for more tips.
- But singers and voice users can use a personal steam inhaler on a regular basis as a preventative
measure, even if they do not suffer from any vocal or health problems.
And this is what I strongly recommend to keep your voice in a great shape.
Inhaling steam as a treatment option is not a new idea.
It dates back to ancient Egypt, which is known for its bath houses and steam rooms.
And you’ve probably heard about, seen or even experienced steaming over a boiling pot
of water or steaming in a hot shower or bath.
Well, today we have another option: personal steam inhalers.
And in this video, I am going to tell you about my favourite steam inhaler Mabis.
Here are 5 reasons why I like this particular steamer:
#1.
It’s easy to use, and I will show you how to use steam inhaler shortly, including a
trick that will produce even more steam.
#2.
It’s a portable vocal steamer so it is a good steam inhaler for singers who travel
for their gigs.
It’s not the most portable steam inhaler but it’s small enough to fit it into your
luggage and travel with it.
#3.
It’s safe.
When you are inhaling steam from a pot of boiling water, you need to be very careful
not to burn yourself.
This danger does not exist with this personal steam inhaler.
#4.
It’s a good value for the money.
It’s around 30$ US or 50$ CAD at the moment.
There are cheaper inhalers but they are not as powerful as Mabis steam inhaler.
And of course, there are more expensive ones but this inhaler does everything you need.
#5.
It’s efficient.
It produces quite a bit of steam and it takes only about a minute to heat the water and
produce steam.
Ok, so let’s look at the unit together.
This is how to use Mabis steam inhaler: It’s quick and simple.
Just add a little bit of water to the inside heated water compartment.
You really need only very little water to produce enough steam for 5 to 10 minutes.
This is about 25 ml.
Here is another compartment for adding essential oils.
You can actually buy different steam inhaler essential oils.
But if you are starting with steaming, I recommend using just water because some people may be
sensitive to certain types of essential oils, and water is safe and effective.
And here is a little trick that I promised – instead of essential oils, put water or
even saline water into this compartment for even more steam.
Then plug it in and wait for about 1 minute until the steamer will generate steam.
Inhale either through the nose or the mouth.
If you want to reduce dry or thick mucus from your nose, breathe through the nose.
Otherwise, you can breathe through the mouth or alternate breathing through the nose
and mouth.
Now, once the steamer is ready, instead of slouching
over the steamer, align your body well so that you can inhale deeply.
When you are hunched, you are not able to take full breaths.
You don’t need to put your face too close to the mask, because the steam gets hotter
the closer you are.
Steam for about 5 to 10 minutes twice a day for best results.
Added bonus?
Your face gets steamed too, your pores get a natural cleanse and your skin will glow!
So, what do you think?
Would you consider using a vocal steamer for singers?
I will leave a link in the description below so that you can check out the Mabis steam
inhaler.
Or if you know about other inhalers that you prefer, let me know in the comments below.
Also, if you want to learn which vocal behaviours to avoid to keep your voice healthy for many
years to come, click this link or a link in the description below and get a free vocal
hygiene handout.
In my next video, I am going to explain vocal fatigue.
What it is and how to take care of a tired voice.
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when a new video is live.
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Thank you for watching and I will see you in my next video.