Spa Therapies: Origins, Techniques, and Practices
Spa Therapies: Origins and Practices
The majority of spa therapies are derived from a blend of different traditional healing systems from various parts of the world.
Ayurveda
Origin: India. Meaning: Knowledge of life. It is the oldest medical system, a holistic system of medicine focusing on the health of the mind, body, and spirit (5 senses +1).
- Taste: Nutrition, herbs, vegetarian diet
- Touch: Thai Massage, yoga, exercise
- Smell: Aromatherapy, breathing exercise
- Sight: Colour therapy
- Hearing: Sound therapy
- Spirituality: Meditation, mantra, chanting, ethical living
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
Origin: East Asia (China, Korea, Japan). It uses the 5 elements found in nature and 4 pillars, utilizing one’s senses. Techniques include acupressure, acupuncture, reflexology, and various types of massage.
TCM Meridian Points
TCM manipulates acupressure points to promote healing through the 12 meridians: lung, large intestine, stomach, spleen, heart, small intestine, bladder, kidney, heart governor, triple heater, gall bladder, liver.
Folk and Narrative Traditions
Origin: American. These traditions are passed down within families and include herbal remedies, social rituals, and healing treatments such as Jacuzzi, hot stone massage, rolfing, and craniosacral therapy.
European Origins
Massage (originally in Greece and Rome) and hydrotherapy (healing through water) from France, Germany, and Bavaria.
7 Treatment Categories
- Aromatherapy: Uses essential oils
4 Domains of CAM Practices
- Mind-body medicine
- Biological-based practices (herbs, natural foods)
- Manipulative and body-based practices
- Energy medicine: Biofield (reiki) and Bioelectromagnetic (EMF)
Techniques Used in Massage Therapy
- Touch, Gliding, Kneading, Friction, Vibration, Percussion
Types of Massage Therapy
- Myofascial, sports, deep tissue, Swedish, craniosacral
PIPEDA
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
Wood Lamp
A filtered black light used in a totally dark room during skin analysis. It helps identify various superficial (epidermal) skin problems, showing the presence and intensity of pigmentation problems such as sun damage and bacterial disorders (acne).
Reactions
- Desincrustation: (chemical reaction) saponification deep cleansing
- Iontophoresis: ionic reaction, law of attraction (negative attracts positive, positive attracts negative). Ionization occurs when a neutral ion becomes either negatively or positively charged. Two processes of iontophoresis.
Anaphoresis
Penetration infusion of a negative alkaline product. The client holds the positive electrode, and the esthetician treats with the negative electrode set on negative. Softens and relaxes skin, stimulates and increases blood circulation.
Cataphoresis
Tightens skin, soothes and calms. The client holds the negative electrode, and the esthetician treats with the positive electrode. Cataphoresis infuses a positive product to help soothe, tighten, and calm the skin.
Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation (LASER) // Light Emitting Diode (LED)
IPAC
Clean > Disinfect > Sterilize. For manicure/pedicure small tools: Presoak, clean, rinse. High Level of disinfection: e.g., bleach/water (1:10). Intermediate Level: e.g., bleach/water (1:50) non-critical and semi-critical.
4 stages of trend: introduction, growth, maturity & decline. A little black dress is not a FAD; it’s all about the wow factor. High-frequency machines have a germicidal and cauterizing effect. IPL: Intense Pulsed Light.
3 forms of Monitoring: physical, chemical, biological.
Enveloped viruses have an outer layer and are easier to kill. Non-enveloped viruses have no outer layer and are harder to kill.