The HOCATT, explained
HOCATT stands for Hyperthermic Ozone and Carbonic Acid Transdermal Technology. Ten therapies, one thirty-minute session — not stacked at random, but sequenced so each one sets up the next. Ours is the only HOCATT in the Baltimore area. First session $85, with Dr. Michele on the floor the whole time.
Your thirty minutes inside: the sequence
Minute 0 — the foundation. You settle in, the dome closes, and your head stays outside the chamber the whole time — face cool, breathing concentrated oxygen through a soft cannula. Steam and far infrared begin building gentle heat. Microcurrent, photon light, and aromatherapy switch on and run underneath everything that follows.
The opening act — CO2. Carbon dioxide enters the chamber and reacts with the steam to form carbonic acid. It's the preparation step: skin warms, pores open, and circulation to the skin rises.
The main event — ozone. Ozone, generated from pure oxygen, fills the chamber for the balance of the session. Because the carbonic acid phase came first, it meets skin that's warm, open, and well-perfused — which is the whole reason for the sequence.
Running throughout. Pulsed electromagnetic fields and ultrasonic cavitation run as programmed, layered over the heat while circulation is elevated.
Minute 30 — done. The session ends, you rinse off, and you're on with your day.
The ten therapies, one by one
- Ozone — generated on the spot from pure oxygen, dispersed into the steam, in contact with skin across the session; associated with supporting circulation and the body's own oxygen utilization. It deliberately goes last in the sequence, meeting skin the carbonic acid phase has already prepared.
- Oxygen — breathed through a soft nasal cannula with your head outside the dome; supports comfort, energy, and clear-headedness while you sweat. The same oxygen supply feeds the ozone generator.
- Far infrared — wavelengths that penetrate below the skin for deep, even warmth; supports circulation and muscle relaxation. Works with steam to build the session's hyperthermia.
- PEMF — pulsed electromagnetic fields associated with supporting cellular energy and recovery, run while heat has circulation elevated rather than on a body at rest.
- CO2 / carbonic acid — carbon dioxide reacts with steam to form carbonic acid, gently absorbed through the skin; associated with supporting skin circulation, with a distinctly calming feel. The opening act that prepares the skin for ozone.
- Microcurrent — gentle targeted frequencies associated with supporting lymphatic flow and muscle recovery, running underneath the heat phases.
- Hyperthermia — deliberate, controlled elevation of body temperature; an exercise-grade sweat while seated. Heat exposure triggers heat-shock proteins, the cellular repair machinery that is the subject of active research. Steam and far infrared create it together — it's the engine the other therapies run on.
- Photon light — colored light therapy running through the session; associated with supporting mood and relaxation.
- Ultrasonic cavitation — low-frequency ultrasonic waves targeting tissue; associated with supporting circulation and lymphatic movement in the areas they reach.
- Aromatherapy — essential oils carried in the steam itself, so every breath of the session carries the blend; relaxation and comfortable breathing from minute zero.
We describe what each technology does and how a session feels — not medical outcomes. We're a wellness retreat, not a medical provider: nothing we offer diagnoses, treats, cures, or prevents any disease.
Hours & booking
Open all seven days. Sunday 9am–7pm; Monday–Saturday 9am–3pm and 4pm–7pm.
Book at innerharmonyretreat.setmore.com or call (757) 968-2938. Every price is listed — no upsells, no pressure.
Inner Harmony Retreat, 1525 Aliceanna Street, Baltimore, MD 21231 (Fells Point). Look for the light blue door.