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Scar Tissue

How is a Deep Tissue Massage Different From Other Massages?

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When it comes to massages, there are a lot of options to choose from. For those that are new to getting massages, this can be incredibly overwhelming! One of the most common, a deep tissue massage, is often the first one people hear about. 

Here’s what you need to know about a deep tissue massage

With this massage, deep pressure is applied to any knotted muscles or aching areas of the body. Rather than doing this technique all over the body, a deep tissue massage is usually done in specific areas for the best results. 

While people tend to think that this type of massage will be very relaxing, it often will make you feel very sore for the next few days. Not to say that this massage is incredibly painful – however, it may be uncomfortable to some as the muscles are worked on. (We promise though, in the end, it’s worth it!)

Here are some of the benefits of deep tissue massage:

-Boosts healing
-Recovery from injuries
-Release muscle tension
-Breaks down scar tissue and adhesions

This is different from other massages. For example, a Swedish massage is usually what people think of when they imagine a massage – muscles relaxing, calming motions, and barely any soreness the next day. This can be quite different from other massages like Thai or even pregnancy massages in terms of technique and motion.

For deep tissue massages, it’s always important to communicate with your massage therapist about any painful areas on your body. Speak up if the pressure is too much! Alternatively, you should also say something if you don’t feel that there is enough pressure. Each person is different in their level of tolerance, and your massage therapist can’t know yours unless you tell them.

To schedule your deep tissue massage (or any massage you’re interested in), please book online.

Dermabrasion and Microdermabrasion Facials

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Dermabrasion and Microdermabrasion

With dermabrasion, a dermatologist or plastic surgeon “sands” your skin with a special instrument. The procedure makes way for a new, smoother layer of skin to replace the skin that’s been treated.

Microdermabrasion uses tiny exfoliating crystals that are sprayed on the skin. It works best on problems such as dull skin, brown spots, and age spots.

When Is Dermabrasion or Microdermabrasion Used?

Dermabrasion was developed to improve acne scars, pox marks, and scars from accidents or disease. It’s not effective in treating congenital skin defects, most moles, pigmented birthmarks, or scars caused by burns.

Dermabrasion is generally only safe for people with fair skin. For people with darker skin, dermabrasion can result in scarring or discoloration.

Microdermabrasion works on all skin types and colors. It makes subtle changes, causing no skin color change or scarring. It is not effective for deeper problems such as scars, stretch marks, wrinkles, or deep acne scars.

With microdermabrasion, there is less downtime than with dermabrasion. Skin is temporarily pink but fully recovers within 24 hours. It doesn’t require surgery or anesthetics. That may help people who cannot take “down time” for healing.

Before You Get Dermabrasion or Microdermabrasion

You’ll consult with the professional who’s doing the procedure.

In a dermabrasion consultation, you’ll discuss your goals, the procedure’s risks and benefits, and the type of anesthesia that will be used. You’ll also get instructions to follow before and after dermabrasion and perhaps have “before” photos taken to compare with your results later.

With microdermabrasion, the consultation is similar but with less talk about anesthetics and risks because it is a simpler procedure.

How Does Dermabrasion and Microdermabrasion Work?

Dermabrasion is done in the doctor’s office. You may get medication to relax you before the procedure starts. Your skin will be thoroughly cleansed, and you’ll get shots of numbing medicine to anesthetize the area to be treated.

The doctor will use a high-speed instrument with an abrasive wheel or brush to remove the outer layers of your skin and improve any irregularities in your skin’s surface.

In microdermabrasion, tiny crystals are sprayed onto the skin to gently remove the outer layer of your skin. This technique is less aggressive than dermabrasion, so you don’t need numbing medicine. It is basically an exfoliation and skin rejuvenation procedure that leaves skin looking softer and brighter.

10 Secrets Your Massage Therapist Knows About Your Body

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Whether you’re an uninhibited veteran or a skittish first-timer, there are physical secrets you can’t hide from me, your massage therapist. The good news is they’re pretty much universal. It doesn’t matter whether you’re shaped like an apple, a pear, or a bottle of pomegranate juice. Leave your underwear on, if it makes you more comfortable. The truth will still come out.

1. No one’s face is symmetrical. I’d love to clamber onto the shoulders of Michelangelo’s David to see what he looks like from the angle I enjoy from the head of my massage table. From that vantage point, we’re all Picassos, our eyes and nostrils more chaotically placed than you might imagine. I guess morgue workers have similar access to these sorts of upside-down facial realities, but I’ll stick with live flesh.

2. Nothing is immune to gravity. Breasts fall, bellies lose their elasticity, and those of us lucky enough to survive our first three or four decades have more dewlaps than an iguana. Rather than attempting to outfox the natural progression of time with painful, expensive procedures and injections, revel in the elegance of biology.

3. Sight is not the only sense that matters. The softest, most wonderful-feeling flesh I ever touched belonged to an 80-year-old competitive swimmer…who finished last in every race he entered. He seemed happy enough, hopping onto the table for a complimentary sports massage after every heat. He took care of himself, and it showed…in a nonvisual way. Other favorite clients smell really good or laugh like delighted hyenas when we discover a muscle they’d forgotten they had.

4. Scars are badges of experience. This includes the stupid ones, like that circular exhaust pipe burn on your calf, a souvenir of an aborted day trip in Bali, when dressed in shorts and flip-flops you rented a scooter you didn’t know how to operate and took it for a spin. Every picture tells a story…every scar suggests there’s a story waiting to be told.

5. A deep breath is truly beautifying. Whether you’re releasing the countless pesky irritants of an average day or passing through a doorway to profound emotional release, you look great doing it.

6. Ditto good posture. Not everyone is capable of this. Working with a first-time client, I sometimes think, “Oh, you poor thing, I bet you played college football” or “I bet your job required you to stand in high heels eight hours a day for some twenty-odd years. These hands-on insights allow me to tell teenagers to stop slumping without fretting that I’ve become an old fusspot. (Did I just straighten your spine? Hooray! I’m magic!)

7. Your embarrassment is endearing. Farting is natural, especially when your abdomen’s being probed in a therapeutic way. And knowing that most boners are beyond their owner’s control, I refrain from taking them personally, unless you start agitating for a “complete release,” also known as a “happy ending.” (I hate to ruin your fairy tale, pal, but that’s not where our story’s going…today or ever.)

8. Silicone breasts and patchy hair plugs do not inspire tenderness, but the motivations and insecurities behind them do. Don’t be ashamed if you clicked on this article, secretly hoping for scientific proof of a miracle berry with the power to erase cellulite, acne, and all evidence of sun damage. Deep down, we’re all children, longing to believe.

9. Your brain is a much better liar than your body. We tell each other—and ourselves—all sorts of whoppers in our desire to save face, minimize our true feelings, or shirk responsibility. Our mouth may pay these untruths lip service, but there’s a puckered forehead, stiff buttocks, and bunched-up trapezius that would beg to differ.

10. Your body craves affection. Past experience, the difficulty of daily interactions, and suspected ulterior motives can convince us that others are best kept at arm’s length, but simple, compassionate touch is a gift your body will gladly receive. I know you’re only here because you screwed up your neck, but as long as you’re paying for it, there’s no shame in savoring every aspect of the experience.

By Ayun Halliday

PRECISION WELLNESS

Therapeutic Massage, Esthetics and Yoga

Services as unique as you are