a note on steaming

Written By Nicky McGrath

Do you use a personal steamer for your voice? ME TOO.
And I love it. (But... there is a but..!)

There are so many reasons for steaming.

Feeling tired? Steam.
Voice not playing nicely? Steam.
Had a late night? Steam.
In a funky mood? Steam
Woke up? Steam.

You might be wondering why steaming is actually helpful.
The warm moist air that you inhale while steaming aids provides relaxation to the vocal mechanism while also loosening up the mucous that coats the vocal folds. This all helps to increase blood flow to the area.

BUT... Here are some hot tips (hehe… get it?!)

  • Did you know you need to give yourself a 1-hour break from singing afterwards? This is because the increase in blood flow to the vocal folds also increases the risk of vocal injury. We don’t want that. So just enjoy the mini-break.

  • Many personal steamers come with essential oils. While I love them, essential oils can be super drying and irritating for the voice. Stick to plain water.

  • Steam is hot. And it can burn. Wait for freshly boiled water to cool off a bit first.

  • While the steam feels oh so good, remember that you’re not actually increasing your hydration. The water from the steam is entering your windpipe (or trachea) and not your food pipe (oesophagus), so you’re not actually consuming the water. What you really want is systemic hydration, which is way more important. That means drinking little bits of water often to help your entire body to function optimally. Simply put, steam is good but drinking water and being well hydrated is better. I use a 1L water bottle that travels everywhere with me so I can monitor how much I drink.

A personal steamer is a cost-effective investment for singers looking to add to the voice care toolkit. I picked mine up from a pharmacy for about $10 and there are plenty on the market. An even cheaper alternative is to breathe in hot steam from a mug - easy peasy!

Happy steaming.

N xo


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