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How do Extractions Work During a Facial?

January 18, 2011

Nobody wants to be pinched in the face but getting extractions during a facial immediately makes your skin smooth and clear. Oils, inferior skin care products and environmental toxins are just a few of the materials that clog pores. By removing blackheads and whiteheads, large pores appear smaller and skin is much healthier.

Note: performing extractions is not a DIY activity. If it is not done properly you can cause inflammation, continued breakouts, divots, and scarring. Leave it to the Estheticians at milk + honey to do it right. During a facial the skin is well-prepared for extractions. A pre-cleanse of Simply Jojoba by Inventive Eco-Organic removes make-up residue and prepares skin for CosMedix’ Pure Enzymes. These hungry enzymes made up of cranberries and lactic acid derived from yogurt, eat up dead skin cells. This product combined with a delicious steam treatment softens and hydrates skin. At this point your pores have been wined and dined and squeezing out their deep toxic secrets only requires gentle pressure. The milk + honey difference is we do our deepest cleanse after extractions, to wash away any residual dirt and oils. By ending with our Perfect Clay Mask, spirulina, aloe, and ocean earth clay work to hydrate and tighten pores.

Pain tolerance varies and the old adage about being thick-skinned holds true. Folks with thicker, more oily skin tend to feel less sensation during extractions while those with thinner, dryer skin tend to be more sensitive. Staying hydrated softens skin and helps your esthetician remove extractions.  milk + honey estheticians are pros at listening to your skin and can prescribe the appropriate products for your individual skin type.  You will leave with the perfect recipe to keep your skin clean and bright.

View milk + honey spa’s different facial options including our Signature Facial.

Massage, Wellness

Why Drink Water After a Massage?

January 6, 2011

Have you ever wondered why you are told to drink extra water after a massage? 

Your therapist is not honing a nurturing instinct or lecturing you on good health. When your muscles are manipulated during a massage waste materials and other toxins are released from the muscles and into the bloodstream. Just like when you exercise, massage, especially deep tissue or sports massage, dehydrates muscles and removes electrolytes. In order to help your kidneys and liver process and flush out these toxins, it is important to drink extra water. Water will help prevent unnecessary soreness, possible nausea, pain, and an overall sluggish feeling. Your body is happy to get rid of all the “junk” it has been storing but you need to help it along with extra H2O. Keeping your muscles hydrated regularly helps keep the tissue supple and healthy reducing tension and spasm.

How does drinking water after, and even before a massage, help prevent these symptoms? These answers lie in your body’s physiology.

Why are these toxins building up in the first place?

As your muscles activate for everyday function they produce waste that gets removed by the circulatory and lymphatic system (Be sure to check out our lymphatic massage to help keep your lymphatic system in top shape). Tight or knotted muscles can constrict, reducing blood flow to the area. This constriction inhibits your body’s ability to flush out waste and toxins, and causes them to build up in your muscles. Drinking water after massages helps to break up these pockets of toxins and remove them from your body. But what exactly are these toxins?

What toxins are released during a massage?

It’s often mentioned how water helps flush toxins out of your body, but what exactly are these toxins? 

The primary toxin associated with muscle soreness and fatigue is lactic acid. Lactic acid is a byproduct of anaerobic respiration, so when your cells need energy but there is no oxygen to produce it, they take this alternative route to produce what they need. It is the quick and dirty way to fuel your body, as it is not as efficient as aerobic respiration (using oxygen), and it produces the lactic acid byproduct which needs to be processed by your liver. As we mentioned before, the constriction of your muscles can reduce circulation, leading to less oxygen being available to your muscles. This can produce a negative feedback loop where your tighter muscles are producing more lactic acid, with no way to remove it. The presence of lactic acid in your muscles has been proven to cause water to flow out of your muscles, leaving them dehydrated and increasing your blood pressure.

Lactic acid isn’t the only toxin that can build up in your muscles. Salts (electrolytes) and phosphates, processed in the kidneys, and nitrates like ammonia, processed by the liver, can also build up in your muscles. Massages can help break up these pockets of toxins allowing your body to flush them out and send them for processing in their respective organs. You don’t want to overload your organs with a rush of toxins to process, that’s why you want to drink extra water after your massage. Drinking more water after a massage will help dilute the concentration of these toxins, making it easier for your body to process without overloading your organs.

What happens if you don’t drink water after a massage?

The simple answer is you might experience pain, fatigue, and what is commonly called the DOMS, or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, after your massage.  Here are some symptoms you may experience.

  • Reduced range of motion due to pain and stiffness 
  • Muscles tender to touch
  • Muscle fatigue
  • Short-term loss of muscle strength
  • Swelling in affected muscles

DOMS are typically experienced after high-intensity exercise, which can cause micro tears in your muscles. Your body responds to this by sending blood flow and nutrients to the area to heal, which in turn helps your muscles grow. Massages can lead to these same microtears, leading to similar symptoms. These symptoms usually appear 12 to 24 hours after your workout or massage. Drinking water after your massage will help your body heal faster and ease these symptoms, but how much water is the right amount?

How Much Water Should You Drink After a Massage?

water pitchers at milk + honey spa

 

There is debate about the actual amount of water that is considered the right amount. A good way to know you are hydrated is to make a point to drink your 8 glasses a day and if your urine is clear then, you are hydrated. If you are already a pro at staying hydrated, then go ahead and tack on an extra 3-4 glasses of water after a massage. Every body is different s

o you might have to test it out and see how much is enough for you. If the day after a massage you are stiff, feeling pain or fatigue, add on a couple more glasses the next go around. We would even reco

mmend drinking extra water before your massage, as hydrated muscles are easier to manipulate and work than dehydrated ones. Hydrate properly, and you will find your body feeling renewed and rejuvenated. You can sip it milk + honey style by adding cut citrus or cucumber to your glass.

Book an appointment today!

Cleanse your muscles of their toxins today at your local milk + honey spa. With our signature massages such as our deep tissue, swedish, or sports massages, and more options depending on your body’s needs! Schedule your appointment today!

Uncategorized

Give to Get – The Mutual Benefits of Massage

December 21, 2010

We all know the benefits of receiving a massage, less stress, decreased pain, strengthened immune system, and the list goes on, but few people know that massage is mutually beneficial, helping the giver as well. No, giving a massage does not offer exactly the same satisfaction as having warm oil knead away your aches and pains, but it has greater affects than meet the eye.

Dr. Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute in Miami, found that when parents of 20 children with leukemia gave their children a daily massage for one month, not only did the children’s health improve but the parents were less depressed and their white blood cell counts increased. In another study she found that elders who spent three weeks massaging infants had a decrease in stress hormones, less anxiety and depression, began more social activities, and went to the doctor fewer times.

Clearly the benefits of touch are not a one way street. Even petting a dog has been shown to lower blood pressure. People don’t pet their animals to just to give a pet a massage, they do it because it is relaxing and makes them feel good.

Another anomale is known as the “helper’s high”, a term coined by Arthur Brooks, author of “Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism.” Brooks asserts that when we do a charitable act for someone else, our endorphin levels rise, causing feelings of elation in the body. We get these same endorphins when we exercise, but the difference with the “helper’s high” is that simply mentally recalling the kind act, even hours after the fact, can cause another flow of endorphins. About helping others Brooks states, “There’s evidence that it helps people with their asthma, in cardiovascular disease, weight loss, and insomnia.”

By helping a loved one feel better through therapeutic touch, the giver is going to get back a borage of benefits. So next time your partner wants a back rub, you might enjoy knowing that you too are becoming healthier and happier. You can smile to yourself as your white blood cells multiply, your cortisol levels drop, and your partner thinks your are the most generous person in the world.

We even offer massage lessons here at milk + honey as part of our Massage 101 service.

Uncategorized

Oil vs. Lotion – The Great Debate

December 20, 2010

When given a choice during a massage between oil or lotion (or body butter), many clients wonder if there is a difference.

The first consideration is skin sensitivity. If a client has nut allergies or other skin sensitivities it is important to note that on the intake form. Many spas use nut oils or automatically incorporate essential oils into a service, so good communication will ensure the right product is used.

Oil is more emollient, offering the therapist more glide over the skin which is particularly good during Swedish massage (like milk + honey’s Lux Massage). Since it does not absorb quickly, it does not have to be applied repeatedly and is easier on the therapist. Oil is also beneficial in rejuvenating dry skin after a summer in the sun or a winter in heated rooms. That same luscious moisturizer may not be a great choice if a client has to return to the office or is going directly to a nice dinner.

Lotion, on the other hand (no pun intended), is often used specifically for therapeutic techniques including myofacial work or other structural integration techniques where more friction in needed. If a client is particularly hairy, however, lotion tends to get caught in the hair making it challenging for the therapist and possibly, uncomfortable for the client. Again, if a client wants to avoid feeling ‘greasy’, then lotion is the way to go.

At milk + honey, we offer a choice of oil or super-hydrating body butter in all of our massages. We recommend that you try them both and see what you prefer!

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