Today we aren’t looking at a specific item but the general uses of face steamers and nebulizers. If you have favorite singers or influencers, I’m sure you’ve seen a GRWM (get ready with me) that shows some use of a steamer or nebulizer. What is the difference and why would you use one over the other? That’s the question I’m looking to answer today. Neither of these tools are exclusive and can be used with the other tools mentioned in earlier articles: Breather Voice—Tool Time 4, Vocal Trainer by Better Voice—Tool Time 3, Belt Box—Tool Time 2, and Sing Ring by OOVO—Tool Time. Much like everything that I have gone over, these tools deal with optional maintenance for good health and better vocalization. These devices also have outside uses from voice care.
Disclaimer: this is NOT an advertisement, and I haven’t been paid to review this product. I just love looking for things that can help my students and myself sing better.
The Face Steamer
A face steamer is a device that exposes your face to steam produced by heated water. This steam won’t be hot enough to burn, so there aren’t any physical issues. There are multiple methods of steaming from group (sauna) to individual (hot shower, face steamer devices). A few of the major benefits of steaming deal with general mouth topical hydration and loosening of mucus. The loosening is primarily evident in the nasal passages. For singers with allergies, steaming helps keep the nasal area moisturized and allows the mucus in the nose to not thicken as much. Thicker mucus can be a sign of infection, allergies, environmental irritants, and other issues that are not pleasant for singing. The topical hydration comes from the steam touching tissue inside the mouth and nose. There are also some potential intangible benefits like a sense of calm and extra focus on breathing. One note on steaming: while it does hydrate the inside of the mouth, the steam does not reach the vocal folds and will not topically hydrate them. This is where the nebulizer comes in.
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The Nebulizer
A nebulizer is a device that changes liquid into a mist that can be inhaled into your lungs. It can aerosolize whatever liquid you are looking to inhale. Many people have used nebulizers for asthma treatment and other diseases that live in the lungs. The difference with this and the face steamer is that the inhalation comes through the mouth rather than the nasal passages. It also turns the liquid into an inhaled fine mist that moves into the lungs and will topically hydrate the vocal folds if using isotonic saline solution. Study results shared in the Journal of Voice (Meenan 2016), that using a nebulizer (with isotonic saline solution) provided immediate relief for self-perceived dryness in the throat almost two hours after use. While it should not be done in lieu of drinking enough water, it does help in dry climates and environments that would typically make singers feel dry quicker.
Recommendations
I personally take hot showers and get some of the benefits of steaming every morning. If you have allergies or other irritation, I recommend steaming. I would recommend a nebulizer mainly for more intense singing events and dry climates. Note that you must use isotonic saline solution (0.9% saline) with a nebulizer. It must not be used for hydration purposes with any other kind of liquid. I have used both but always say to not rely on them. Hydrate well throughout the day and use these devices only if they help!
André Chiang, DMA, is a multi-genre baritone performer who Opera News described as “handsome of voice.” Some company credits include Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Opera Philadelphia, Portland Opera, Virginia Opera, the Glimmerglass Festival, Dayton Opera, OperaDelaware, and regional symphonies. Chiang was a part of the first cohort of the Pan American Vocology Association’s Recognized Vocologists (PAVA-RV) distinction, a 2018 National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Intern and holds office at the national and regional level with NATS and CMS. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Voice at Emory University, and Instructor of Voice at the Interlochen Summer Music Camp. For more information visit www.andrechiangbaritone.com and follow @Drechiang on Instagram.
