Do Massages Have Real Health Benefits?

Go looking for proof that a massage will improve your health, and you’ll have no trouble finding research to back you up. From easing muscle soreness after exercise to reducing stress, dozens of studies—stretching back several decades—have linked massage with real physical and psychological benefits. One Australian study found that a 10-minute muscle massage after a workout could reduce soreness by 30%. A separate review study on massage found that levels of the stress hormone cortisol dropped 31% following a rubdown, while levels of feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin increased roughly 30%.

You don’t even have to shell out cash for a stranger to perform your massage. Research on different forms of self-massage, including foam rolling, have found that giving yourself a good kneading can reduce muscle soreness and improve pain symptoms, even among people with osteoarthritis. In fact, pain reduction—along with depression relief—is one of the benefits that research has most consistently linked to massage, says Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami.

Some of her work has shown that massage may improve immune system function in people with breast cancer and leukemia, along with reducing their physical and emotional pain. Asked how massage could provide so many health perks, Field says several fMRI studies have shown that massage increases blood flow in areas of the brain associated with mood and stress regulation.

“Pressure receptors under the skin, when stimulated, increase vagal activity,” she says, referring to the vagus nerve, a major component of the human nervous system that plays a role in autonomic functions like heart rate, breathing and digestion. Increased activity in the vagus nerve could have—among other benefits—a meditation-like calming effect, which would explain the drop in cortisol and other stress-related symptoms.

When you bump your elbow or knee and experience pain, your first instinct is to rub the pain site, Field says. This plays into something called the “gate theory” of pain, which theorizes that your brain is unable to fully register painful stimuli when related touch receptors are activated. “This is another way pain might be alleviated by massage,” she says.

In terms of improving immune function, she says the hormone and nervous system shifts that take place following massage may protect the immune system’s natural killer cells—a type of white blood cell that fights off viruses and helps prevent tumor growth.

But all of this is controversial. Some review studies have found only weak evidence that massage offers pain-reducing benefits. Also, when it comes to proving a massage is good for you, there’s one big hurdle Field and other researchers have trouble clearing: it’s almost impossible to design a massage study that eliminates the placebo effect. After all, there is no sugar-pill version of a massage that could be compared to a “real” massage in order to tease out the treatment’s non-placebo effects.

But most people only care if—not how—massage works. While the latter is really a question for medical researchers, the existing evidence indicates that, for a range of health conditions, it does. (Some studies on preterm infants have even shown massage can promote vagus activity and markers of growth.)

Maintaining Health and Beauty Through Spas

Most women would agree that beauty is not just a matter of outer looks but also inner beauty. This is what is usually referred to as the holistic approach to looking at beauty. A lot of local or imported cosmetic brands may help women look younger, but recently there has been a growing trend of many women turning to traditional treatments that use less chemical materials. Chemical materials are often found to have longer-term destructive effects on the skin rather than making one’s face fresh.

Recently, a number of spas have sprung up also offering a wide range of health and beauty treatments. A spa is a beauty and health center which utilizes water as the basic ingredient and source of energy, offering rejuvenation of both body and soul. A spa can be pampering, rejuvenating, nurturing, caring, and calming. It also can be so relaxing, both physically and more importantly, spiritually. A spa can help you improve fitness, detoxify, commune with nature, and learn about nutrition. At a spa, you can regain your inner balance and manage stress, enhance feelings of tranquility and well being, and heal.

Indonesia has been famous for its spices for hundreds of years, originally for culinary purposes, but more recently for maintaining health and beauty. These traditions are cultural heritages handed down from one generation to the next. Natural ingredients such as cloves, cinnamon, potent leaf, roots and many others are the main material of Indonesian traditional cosmetics. Mustika Ratu and Sari Ayu are two well-known brands which offer a plethora of traditional herbal recipes. There are approximately 200 spas scattered across Indonesia, the second largest number of spas in any one country after the US. The best-known Indonesian spa treatment is traditional massage or aromatherapy. Indonesian massage usually uses traditional herbal cosmetics, for example: luluran. The purpose of this kind of massage is to lighten the skin and make it look much fresher.

Indonesian spa treatments normally offer also traditional drinks made of herbs and roots, known locally as « jamu ». Most Indonesians believe that jamu is a powerful remedy to alleviate light ailments such as fatigue, headaches, aching bones or a chills.

As the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta also offers the full range of traditional health and beauty treatments. Many hotels offer spas with their own tailor made treatments, for example the Cempaka Hotel in the heart of Central Jakarta, near the trade centers of Senen and Mangga Dua. Gaya Spa and Salon (located on Jalan Wolter Mongisidi No.25), Zanadu, Puri Ayu (owned by noted beautician Martha Tilaar) and Thalia Le Spa are among the more noted of the city’s spas.

Puri Ayu offers facial treatments, manicure, pedicure, and body treatments including herbal medicines. The spa treatments, ingredients and facilities here are arranged to be used according to the stages of life beginning from birth, and all follow traditional Javanese philosophies.

All the Reasons to Go to the Spa Right Now

“Exercises, healthy food, relaxing and good sleep are the fundaments of a healthy lifestyle” – this statement most of us have heard on more than one occasion. In our opinion all of that sounds fantastic but is missing one vital thing, two hours a week at the Spa! Read on to find out why.

As one of the fastest growing new industries on the market today, the business of wellness is no exception. Medical Spas are the emerging trend and demonstrate a growing desire to rejuvenate one’s youth and sustain a healthy Wellness lifestyle. Much of the popularity of these facilities can be attributed to the “Baby Boomer” generation. As a large percentage of the population grows older, they begin to look for non-traditional ways to hold onto their youth—or at least the feeling of youth. Nevertheless, with the support of trendsetters, celebrities, and sports superstars the youngest generations are beginning to understand that taking care of their bodies today will slow down the aging clock of tomorrow. 

No matter how they are defined “Baby Boomers”- described in U.S. as people born between 1946 and 1964 – and in Australia as those born between 1946 and 1961 the sheer size of this aging demographic is having an outsized impact on the world. Consider this: By 2030, when the first boomers reach 84, more than 20 % of Americans population will be over 65. However, in today modern word we have a lot of possibilities to improve the quality of our life and live a healthier and longer one. According to The Global Wellness Tourism Economy study, wellness-obsessed Baby Boomers, who are retired/retiring, and possess the income to travel, have for years represented the core spa traveling demographic—they are an “explorer” generation looking for new wellness spas, travel destinations and ways to relax while living healthy lives. 

Health and wellness spas also called destination spas, where you can start a healthy lifestyle with exercise, spa cuisine, and relax. This is the best choice if you’re looking to make some healthy changes in your life while keeping up with a professional career. Traditionally, resort spas offer spa treatments « a la carte ». They focus on relaxation, aromatherapy, and wellness. According to Aromatherapy Associates, aromatherapy is moving in a brand new directions, and the power of scent is increasingly being used for its strong therapeutic qualities. The calming orange blossom and lavender scents that often waft through spa lounges and treatments rooms have been part of spa and wellness experiences for years. Taking its roots from India, Egypt, and China – where fragrant plant oils were used for religious, cosmetics and medical purpose. Now, aromatherapy is playing a great role in the treatment of pain, as a mood enhancer and in sleep therapy. Aromatherapy consists of using only natural oils extracted from a wide array of plants. As a spa client, you can now receive customized treatments based on how you feel. This new trend is exciting and personal. Imagine going to a spa and receiving a treatment with essential oils based on your immediate needs and desires? To achieve the client’s intention, the therapist will carefully select essential oils and techniques, music, and offer health recommendations. Wonderful!

In 2017, we’ll see an even greater focus on Medical Spas and beauty treatments. Medical Spas have become a billion dollar a year industry. Because the industry offers clients minimally invasive medical procedures in a relaxed, spa-like environment, instead of having to go to a doctor’s office, Medical Spas have become the choice for many. Trendy and chic spas have been opening up all across the country. The Medical Spa concept is the natural blending of advanced skin care with the body and facial rejuvenation services in the relaxing atmosphere and convenience of a day spa. Before Medical Spas, the only access to these body and facial rejuvenation services was through a doctor’s office. All spas offer spa services like massage, body treatments and facials. Massage, for example, is far more than an indulgence. It has numerous health benefits: calming the central nervous system; improving blood circulation and helping the body get rid of waste products. Regular massages can keep you feeling your best and improve the quality of your life. 
Medical Spas specialize in procedures like laser treatments and very popular injectables. Lasers treatments address a variety of conditions, including unwanted hair (laser hair removal), uneven pigmentation, and broken capillaries or spider veins. Although, most spas offers both high-tech and natural skin treatments like acupuncture rejuvenation.

Differences Between a Sauna and a Turkish Bath

They’re two of the oldest spa treatments around. They’re also both steam based, and were each designed to help you cleanse and purify your body. Sounding pretty similar so far, right? Yes, there’s no denying that saunas and Turkish baths have some major common ground; but while you’d be forgiven for thinking that they’re essentially the same, they actually have three pretty huge differences. Read on to learn what they are – you’ll be a bathing guru in no time.

Though both are ancient, the roots of these two rituals couldn’t be more different. Turkish baths came, unsurprisingly, from Turkey. Based on ancient Greek and Roman bathing practices, the style was invented as a means of ritual purification. Noticing its cleansing properties, it quickly grew in popularity through the Ottoman Empire. The rest – as they say – is history. Saunas, alternatively hail from Finland – and came about for entirely different reasons. To offset the chilly climate, people threw water on hot stones to produce steam and warm up their houses. It was not so much a ritual, but a method of survival. This practice quickly became a tradition and spread like wildfire through Europe, as others quickly began to see the benefits.

Though similar in their effects, saunas and Turkish baths adopt subtly different methods of detoxification. Where a sauna uses high temperatures, dry heat and low humidity to make your body shed its toxins, Turkish baths offer higher humidity and lower temperatures for a more languid purifying experience. Simply put: saunas focus more on steam, whereas Turkish baths focus more on water.

Both rituals have their own distinguished visual style and offer quite different overall experiences to the keen spa-goer. A sauna is often very private, its small quarters emanating a typically Finnish feel with wooden walls, benches and stone stoves. Its tranquil ambience is only made stronger by low lighting and warm tones – a perfect, speedy escape from a long and hectic day. Turkish baths, conversely, are more on the ornate side. Expect to see lavish marble basins and walls, crafted stone benches and gold taps lining the bath’s edges. These areas often adopt brighter lighting, too, helping you to soak in all the building’s gilded glory. Further, Turkish baths are much bigger than a common sauna – a visit to one can take up the entire afternoon. After getting your steam treatment, you can venture into other rooms to relax, get massaged and cool off: a perfect way to get out with a friend or while away a long, languid Sunday. In a sauna, however, do all the detoxifying in the steam room’s single space, making it arguably more suited to someone seeking a quick, detoxifying fix after a workout or in the middle of a hectic schedule.

Turkish Bathroom Benefits for Your Health

In the Arab world, Turkish baths (hammams) are visited weekly by much of the population. Although poorer people depend upon public baths for basic bathing, hammams are valued by all social classes for deep skin cleansing and exfoliation.

Sitting in a hot, dry sauna or hot, humid steam room offers a number of health benefits. These include:

  1. an elevated body temperature, which works as a fever would to boost immunity by increasing white blood cell production
  2. heavy sweating, which helps eliminate toxins, chemicals and other impurities from the skin
  3. increased heart rate, blood circulation and metabolic rate
  4. looser, relaxed muscles after exercise
  5. relief for stress, tension and high blood pressure
  6. sense of mental well-being and rejuvenation.

Steam rooms, steam baths and steam showers offer the added benefit of steam inhalation, which helps alleviate congestion, inflammation, and coughing brought on by allergies and other respiratory conditions. Steam inhalation loosens mucous and other secretions, and helps reduce spasmodic breathing. Natural, holistic and alternative medicine practitioners have long recommended saunas and steam rooms as detoxification treatments and to promote mental well-being. They are also used to treat pain and inflammation, as well as a variety of medical conditions such as skin problems, asthma, bronchitis, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, and muscle and soft tissue injuries.

Although a 30-minute session in a sauna or steam room is safe for most people, prolonged exposure to high temperatures and steam may cause faintness, dehydration, overheating and even rare sudden death in some people. Pregnant women, very young children, and those with cardiac problems, low blood pressure, diabetes, and other health conditions should use saunas only under the advice of a physician. The use of alcohol, drugs and some medications may also increase risk to some people.

Myths and Truths About Skin Care You Don’t Know

MYTH: You don’t need sunscreen if you’re wearing makeup that has SPF.

While studies show that the sun helps your skin produce vitamin D, you still need to wear a good sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays, according to Skincancer.org. These sunscreens are sometimes labeled “multi-spectrum” or “broad spectrum,” as well. Also, most people mistakenly think that SPF numbers are an indicator of the number of minutes you can stay in the sun if you wear them. That’s also not the case — and also, Consumer Reports said that SPF only tells you something about UVB protection, and has nothing to do with UVA. Instead, an SPF 30 sunscreen should keep your skin from getting a sunburn about 30 times longer than it would without that sunscreen.

When you’re having a bad break out, you’ll try just about anything to make it go away. I know this because I’ve done it — and you probably have, too. Rather than try out these hacks for yourself only to find out they don’t work — here are nine unhelpful skincare myths that you need to stop believing. Although wearing makeup with SPF can be helpful, it should be a single layer in your multi-pronged sun protection strategy — not your face’s only line of defense against the sun’s harmful rays.

SPF protection only edges up incrementally with higher numbers. SPF 15 blocks approximately 93% of UVB rays, while SPF 30 blocks 97%, SPF 50 blocks 98%, and SPF 100 only blocks 99%, according to Consumer Reports. No matter which level of protection you choose, you’ll still need to reapply it every two hours to stay protected — or more frequently if you get wet or sweat a lot. Finally, you should ideally wear sunscreen every single day — not just when it’s sunny. You can’t see UVA or UVB rays — they’re not in the visible light spectrum. Basically, any day you’re awake is a good time for SPF to help protect your skin from premature aging and prevent various types of skin cancer.

MYTH: If you have oily skin, you won’t show signs of aging as quickly.

Whether your skin is oily or dry doesn’t affect aging as much as sun exposure, pollution, and your smoking habits, according to Good Housekeeping. Dry skin doesn’t cause signs of aging — but can enhance them once they’re already there because that plump, moisturized look is so often associated with looking youthful.

MYTH: « Squeaky clean » skin is the goal.

Maintaining your skin’s moisture barrier is the key to healthy skin that feels and looks good — and using harsh products that strip away your moisture barrier does exactly the opposite of that, according to Real Simple. Instead, opt for gentle cleansers that lift away dirt, oil, and makeup — but don’t leave your skin feeling dry and tight.

MYTH: Drugstore products aren’t worth your time and money.

If you love a certain brand because of its scent or packaging, that’s one thing — and you definitely should do you. That boutique price, however, doesn’t automatically make a product better quality. No matter where you buy it, according to StyleCaster, active ingredients are what matter — and depending on what works for your specific skin, you can find some amazing things in drugstores.

Effects of Indian Head Massage and Benefits

Indian head massage, more commonly known as Champi in Hindi, is a term for an alternative form of massage therapy. Basically, this head massage is designed to manoeuvre the energy flow by massaging the head, neck, and face. The main purpose of an Indian head massage is to free the energy channels of negative energy that are believed to be the origin of ailments. The Indian head massage has been practiced in the west and is an Ayurvedic form of healing and relaxation used most commonly in Asian countries. This type of massage is mostly done by masseurs, head massagers, and hairdressers to combat daily anxiety and strain.

The procedure for an Indian head massage, which reduces tension build-up around the neck and shoulders, is as follows. The head massage ideally starts on the back and neck, working on all the muscles and pressure points, giving you quick relief from tension and stress.The same technique is then applied to the scalp. This further relaxes and stimulates your body. This technique not only augments the circulation and oxygen flow but also stimulates hair growth and revitalises brain cells. The massage ends up at the face, massaging all the right pressure points to help reduce headaches and sinusitis issues.

Various techniques are used for giving an Indian head massage. One common techniques is the Malish practice, which addresses the back, neck, scalp, and face areas and is focused on various pressure points. This type of treatment lasts for 45 minutes to an hour. Another way to experience an Indian head massage is to purchase a tingler head massager. A tingler head massager helps massage pressure points and sensitive nerve endings on the head and the neck. This tingler head massager is made from copper that acts as a conductor working on the electrical fields of your head cells. The tingler head massager is known to help treat headaches.

There can be some side effects associated with the Indian head massage. At times, you may experience fatigue and drowsiness or muscle pain. Sometimes, you may also experience an increased urge to urinate due to the elimination of body toxins and waste materials. However, these side effects may not last for more than an hour, after which you will undoubtedly feel revived and in high spirits.

Indian head massage should be avoided if you have gone through a recent head, neck, or back surgery, or if you have a history of thrombosis, embolism, or spondylitis. On the other hand, the Indian head massage is good for people with high or low blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. Doctor’s recommendations are a must. You should not have alcohol at least five hours before going for the head massage.