May 2015 – East Village Spa Blog

5 things your esthetician wants you to know about summer waxing

I was recently chatting with one of our estheticians about leg waxing and how it just isn’t the kind of service that provides the instant gratification clients want and expect. As is often the case, the topic snowballed into a list of things we wish people knew about summer waxing to make their wax experience better.

1. Often, your first wax, or your first wax in a long time, won’t get you the baby smooth results you are expecting. Why? Because of the growth cycles of your hair. Especially if you have been shaving, your hair is on different growth cycles. For example, if you regularly shave your legs but grow it out for a few weeks for a leg wax, you’ll still feel stubble from the hairs on a different cycle that were too short to catch in the wax. It will also seem like hairs are growing back sooner after some waxes because of the hairs that were on a different cycle are growing, not the hairs that were removed.

This has nothing to do with the skill of your esthetician, and everything to do with how our bodies work.Your best bet for super smooth, hairless skin? Regular waxing without shaving between visits. Or letting your hair grow out a long time before waxing.

2. Where a woman is in her cycle will affect how much her wax will hurt. The week before your period many women are the most sensitive. Often we’ll hear someone say one of our esthetician’s waxing is more painful than one of our other esthetician’s waxing. But then the next guest will say the exact opposite. In the hands of a skilled esthetician using the same high quality wax and proper techniques, the level of pain variance is likely due to where you were on your cycle, not the esthetician.

Because women who wax regularly typically come in about every 5-6 weeks, they will hit different points of the cycle so back-to-back waxes might feel entirely different due to the variance in pain tolerance, blame mother nature, not your esthetician!

3. If you are planning a body wax and a massage, plan them on different days. We’re talking leg wax or back wax here… It seems like a good idea to save time by booking a leg wax right before a massage, or a massage right before a back wax, but saving yourself a second trip isn’t worth the potential discomfort. Your massage therapist doesn’t want to introduce products and oils into a freshly waxed area and irritate already inflamed skin.

Likewise, your esthetician would prefer not to wax over an area that has just been massaged because it isn’t ideal to wax over skin that has been introduced to oils…plus the sting of the waxing usually takes away from the benefits of the massage!

4. Keep freshly waxed skin clean! That means not going home and putting on your oldest hockey pads to play a game after a chest wax, not getting a leg wax the night before you plan to spend a day swimming in a lake, and not waxing your brows and lip right before going for a run. This can introduce bacteria into freshly waxed skin and cause infection and irritation.

On that note, if you come for your wax right after a workout and plan to put on the icky workout clothes you came in, you’re asking for an unpleasant skin reaction. It is best to have clean skin for your wax and clean, breathable clothes to put on after. We have had to turn people away for this very reason…we value your safety!

5. Please don’t fib on the wax intake form. I have heard people say (outside of the spa) that they don’t admit to using medications like Retin A or Accutane because they know they’ll get turned away for a wax. The risk of omitting important information is that your skin can burn and tear. Even if you haven’t applied or taken the medication for a few days, this can still happen. Even if you’ve been fine previously during a wax while using these medications, a burn or tear can happen and can be serious. This is not something your esthetician is willing to risk and it is not fair for you to put them in that position by not disclosing risk factors. Tweezing, shaving, and other hair removal techniques are safer for some people.

If you have never had a wax before or have questions, click here for answers to our frequently asked questions.

To book your wax online, click here.

Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis: What are they and can spas help?

Today is Crohn’s and Colitis awareness day. Our team has grown familiar with these diseases because two of our team members who have agreed to let us use their name, are living with them. Cassandra, our nail technician and esthetician was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis at 21. Celeste, one of our receptionists, has Crohn’s disease, which is the main reason she is no longer working as a cosmetologist.

We recently partnered with our friends at Two Rivers Marketing in the East Village for their month of fundraising for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) by sending two of our massage therapists, Jamee and Justin, to do chair massage in exchange for donations. In just 90 minutes, they raised nearly $300 for the foundation from the employees at Two Rivers Marketing!

Justin providing chair massage to raise funds for CCFA at Two Rivers Marketing

Crohn’s and Colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that affect all or part of the digestive tract. Symptoms common to both Crohn’s and Colitis are diarrhea, blood in the stools, fever, inflammation, pain, and unintended weight loss. The inflammation and symptoms can lead to scarring, ulcers, fistulas, and blockages which may necessitate surgery. These diseases aren’t typically fatal, but their complications can be. These diseases and their treatments can also increase the risk of cancer.

Doctors don’t know the exact causes of IBD. Some speculate that stress plays a role, though there is some indication that hereditary and immune system disorders play a major role. Others risk factors are diet, history of smoking or living in polluted areas, age, and use of certain medications.

Surgery may be a cure for someone with Ulcerative Colitis by removing the colon and rectum, but will lead to diet and lifestyle changes. Surgery may temporarily alleviate symptoms of Crohn’s Disease, but is not a cure.

Cassandra says that one thing she wishes more people understood is that she can no longer eat like everyone else. She has to eat small, frequent meals and is often hungry. Her abdomen makes lots of noises as well. She works to make sure her schedule at the spa includes frequent breaks for small meals between clients. Cassandra recommends that people who are newly diagnosed with these diseases join a support group, get a CCFA membership, and talk to others online or in person.

While people primarily see these as digestive diseases, according to the Crohn’s Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) 10-20% of people, like Celeste, who have these diseases also have joint pain and problems.

There hasn’t been much research into spa services and inflammatory bowel diseases, we do know that stress can exacerbate symptoms of Crohn’s and Colitis. Spa treatments, especially massage therapy, have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. Massage therapy is also beneficial with post surgical scarring and range of motion. Because Crohn’s can cause chronic pain, massage also might be beneficial as it has been shown to have a positive effect on people with other inflammatory and auto-immune diseases. This month, Massage and Bodywork Magazine published a great article about massage therapy and Crohn’s Disease.

If you or someone you know are living with Crohn’s or Colitis and want to know which services might be appropriate, don’t hesitate to contact us! For more information, see the three great resources below.

References:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/inflammatory-bowel-disease/basics/definition/con-20034908

http://www.ccfa.org/

http://www.abmp.com/textonlymags/article.php?article=1297

5 Great Mother’s Day Ideas

Mother’s Day is a fun excuse to pamper the women in your life (moms, grandmas, wives, sisters, godmothers, dog-mothers, fill-in mothers…you name it!) Here are a few of our favorite ideas!

1. A spa gift card. We make it easy! Pop into the spa and we have 2 great packages ready to go with popular service combinations. Can’t make it in or pampering mom from a distance? Purchase a gift card online and print it to include in your mother’s day card or e-mail it to mom!

2. Two treats for tired feet: Our Farmhouse Fresh Honey Heel Glaze is a great mask for rough calluses on the feet (and dry hands) and is one of Oprah’s favorite things. The Derma E Intensive Therapy Foot Cream is a great pick-me-up for moms who are on their feet all day, providing a zippy mint scent and circulatory boost.

3. Relax at East Village Spa and Beautify at Blo: We still (as of typing this) have 4 openings for our Mother’s Day “MOMosa” event at the spa, enjoy 2 hours of indulgence (mimosas, pastries, a special lavender honey massage and lavender honey facial) for just $200 all inclusive. Our neighbors across the street at Blo Blowdry Bar also have a great Mother’s Day Special! Book a blow out for you and mom on Mother’s Day and mom’s is only $30!

4. A Kneipp Bath Set: The healing properties of water can’t be overstated. A soothing soak in the tub with aroma-therapeutic oils or mineral rich salts and it is like a mini vacation for stressed-out moms. We have a variety of bath sets, plus single scented salts and mineral oils.

5. Pamper moms-to-be: Purchase a gift card for a Pampering Pregnancy Massage, a fun bottle of non-toxic Zoya nail polish to paint her toe-nails (especially if she can’t reach them herself!) or a Farmhouse Fresh hand cream for a scent-sational treat in her hospital ready bag.