Skin Health for men

"Wow, I really feel pampered after that"

That was the positive reaction, the other day, from a first time male client to his facial treatment which his girlfriend had bought him for his birthday.

Once considered to be a treat reserved solely for the female of the species, male facial treatments, in the celebrity age and an image conscious world, are now very popular, with men now demanding a piece of the facial therapy action.

Addressing everything from razor burn, dry, flaky areas, breakouts, oiliness, a facial treatment will not only leave you feeling and looking healthier but can restore confidence in your appearance and help minimise the signs of ageing. In addition, through the manipulation of underlying facial tissues, stress held in the face is released, toxins are removed and muscles are released of unwelcome tension.

Neal's Yard Facial for Men;  Using organic, natural products that nourish & rebalance the skin, this treatment includes cleanse, exfoliation, masque, tone and moisturize to restore the health of your skin.  Included is a relaxing massage of the upper body & face to reduce tension and stress. 50 minutes £40

Deep Tissue Facial Conditioning;  targeting the lower levels of the skin, this treatment painlessly treats an array of facial conditions;dry, oily, problem, mature, each treatment is tailored to YOUR needs, to revitalize, and rejuvenate your face from the inside out.  The use of Hi-Frequency technology encourages the body's own collagen to replicate more efficiently, softening the appearance of fine lines, increased circulation improves tone and removes toxins from the face that can make a skin look dull and unhealthy.  Comedone extraction optional. Depending on skin type, treatment time is up to 60 minutes £40

A facial treatment could be just what you need to restore your skin to its former glory.  Please feel free to contact me at synergy_therapies@icloud.com, on twitter @synergymichael or mobile 07794084666

And as for that male client who was impressed with his treatment?  He rebooked for next month.

Curing your tension headache

We can all get them, and many of us do, and sometimes we are not able to get ourselves booked in for a massage or similar treatment to ease/release the tension & stress held in our bodies.

Below are a few simple solutions to get you through your day should a tension headache strike;

• BREATHING OUT TENSION;  breathe slowly & deeply in through your nose and out through the mouth, taking deep, even breaths.  Repeat 3 times

• SOOTHING DARKNESS;  Place your elbows shoulder width apart, on a table.  Slightly lean forward so that your hands support the weight of the head.  Find the most comfortable position.  Place your hands over your eyes to create total darkness.

• HEAD HOLD;  Cradle your head on your hands so that the heels of your hands are resting on your temples and your fingers meet at the top of your head.  Exert as much pressure with your hands as feels comfortable. Hold for a minute.  Move your hands a little further back & repeat the hold.

• SCALP LIFT;  Interlock your fingers & slowly press the palms of your hands inward against your scalp so that the skin starts to move between your fingers.  Move to another position and repeat as often as you like.

• MASSAGING THE TEMPLES;  Place your hands against your temples.  With the heel of your hands or tips of fingers, make at least 10 circular movements, clockwise and anticlockwise.  Keep fingers on the skin and move it against the underlying soft tissue to soften & relax the muscles.

• EYE CIRCLING;  Use 1 or 2 finger tips to stroke from the centre of the brow, along the eyebrows and around the tops of your cheeks, forming large circles around the eyes. Use only very light pressure so as not to drag the delicate skin around the eyes.

• SCALP DESTRESSING;  Press firmly with 1 or 2 finger tips on the soft tissue either side of the cervical vertebrae at the back of your neck.  Start at the base and work up, holding for a few seconds before moving up the back of the neck.  Move along the base of the skull.  Move up, over the skull, around the ears to the temples, using pressure that is comfortable for you.

In some respects, many of the examples here form the basis of an Indian Head Massage, except you are working on yourself.  Mix and match these techniques to see what works for you.  A 30 minute Indian head Treatment with me is £25 

Fatless Sugarless Cake

Here is a recipe, given to me by my 103 yr old grandfather, for a healthy cake. It must be doing something right for him as he's still as fit as a fiddle!

6oz plain or brown flour
3 tsp baking powder
2oz ground almonds
2 tsp mixed spice
1lb mixed fruit
4oz dates & 4oz apricots
Rind of 1 orange
1/2 pint water
juice of one orange
1 egg (optional)

• Soak all the fruit in all the liquid overnight
• Add all the dry ingredients
• Bake in a 2lb loaf tin for approx 1.5 hours at 160c covering for the last half an hour

Simples.  I admit I haven't had chance to try this so please let me know how you get on at synergy_therapies@icloud.com

Give your face a boost

 Revitalising Facial Therapy

Exclusively at Riverside Natural Health Centre, Trent Bridge

This versatile facial treatment can be customised to meet the needs of the individual, to treat a range of common skin conditions.

This treatment is an ideal stepping on point if you have promised to take looking after yourself more seriously and want to look good and feel great. 

 After a very varied summer of it being hot one day, freezing the next, and now as Autumn approaches and we all start to have that nightly debate "Do I put the central heating on for an hour" your skin can start to look dull and lifeless. Now is the time to take control and get your skin ready and looking its best in time for the Christmas party season (I'm sorry to have mentioned the "C" word)

The therapeutic benefits of a Revitalising Facial Treatment;

• provides a deep cleanse of the skin and unblocks pores

• soothes & calms a skin prone to angry looking breakouts or acne, redness is reduced

• dry skin is rehydrated, whilst the texture appears and feels smoother to the touch

• an oily, dull complexion, is rebalanced, revealing a brighter, healthier you

• the natural, protective layer of the skin is reinforced, providing a greater protection against infection

• The natural production of collagen within the skin is stimulated resulting in the softening of fine lines

• your complexion will appear smoother, healthier & more vibrant

Each treatment session lasts up to an hour.  Optimum results can be achieved from having regular sessions, every 4-6 weeks is recommended. Available every Monday, Wednesday & Saturday by appointment

Revitalising Facial Therapy normally costs £45, but for the month of September, save £5, just £40!!  Treat yourself today and begin transforming your complexion.  Neal's Yard Organic products are used in this treatment to further nourish & protect your skin naturally.

Would you like to see what this treatment entails?  If you would, email on the address below, and I will video a short demonstration to put online.

To book, email Michael at synergy_therapies@icloud.com or contact Sue at The Riverside on 0115 986 4990

Massage and the healing response

The majority of clients I see, leave the treatment room feeling much better than when they entered it, with the remainder probably feeling a little washed out and shell shocked.  What I always tell clients in this state, especially first timers, is that due to the amount of toxins, energy and so forth, that has been moved around the body, they may feel a bit groggy, dizzy or down right crap for a few hours, up to a day or so but not to worry, it will right itself, and can be a normal response to treatment.  Once termed a "healing crisis" (which sounds more shocking than it actually is) the term response tends to receive a less worried reaction.

Responses to treatments vary, and I always make clients aware.  Sometimes, they can be a wave of release, tears of joy, relief as pent up emotions burst free.  Sometimes clients can feel anxious or down hearted.  I sometimes feel, that first time clients, no matter how much you prep them before hand or after a treatment, take a bad healing response as the fault of the therapist (me) and maybe that's why they do not return.

Other responses are physical; going to the loo more often, headache, tiredness, dizziness, again not what you'd expect from a "feel good" treatment, and again can be off putting to first time clients no matter what you tell them about what may happen after treatment when they get home.

Bad responses are not the fault of the therapist, it's the client's body dealing with the effects of the treatment.  Usually they are short lived, a few hours up to 48 hours, and I will always stress this along with after care advice.  The good news is, clients who have a negative response, if they do return, find that each repeat treatment results in a lesser negative healing response, so that after 4-5 visits, this response has vanished.

The exact cause to a healing response is not exactly known, other than the body is cleansing itself, releasing blocked energies & emotions, removing toxins from the physical body.

Although initially perceived by the client to be a negative experience, the healing response is in effect, over the longer term, a hugely positive thing, in terms of physical, emotional and mental release, in cleansing & healing the body, making it stronger and more healthy.

The calming power of touch, massage & stress relief

In today's massively busy world, where we tend to find ourselves running from one place to another, feeling under pressure to meet deadlines, the demands of others, and to keep up to date with our social media, very few people make the conscious decision to just let go, switch off and say "enough is enough".

The effects of stress on the body are well documented, playing a part in an array of physiological, & psychological conditions.  Taking time out to rest and relax permits the body to reset itself, deal with the effects of adrenaline/fight or flight hormones within the body.  Long term stress, with a body constantly under bombardment from these hormones have hugely negative effects on the body.

The power of therapeutic touch is greatly underestimated.  First time clients who visit me are always amazed how fabulous a massage makes them feel and on so many different levels.  Regular clients are very clued up on this fact, and can't wait to get on the couch because they know how wonderful they are going to feel by the end of the treatment;Relaxed, refreshed, at peace.

Before, after, and sometimes even during a treatment, clients often open up about problems they are experiencing and start to release negative feelings, begin to feel motivated to change parts of their life eg lose some weight, go for that change in career etc, the focus shifts on looking at things as a stressful problem, but more positively as something that can be achieved, that they can look after their well being and cope better moving into the future.

Deep breathing before, during & after a treatment, has wonderful benefits for clients too, from improving blood flow, providing feelings of relief and release and breathing out negativity and bottled up emotions.

Massage treatments are available with me at Riverside Natural Health Centre, Trent Bridge, Nottingham with customer parking available.

30, 45, and 60 minute options are available.  Choose a back massage, leg massage, full body or even a seated Indian Head Massage, the decision is yours

For more details, feel free to email me at synergy_therapies@icloud.com or text/call 07794084666 or contact the Riverside direct on 0115 986 4990

I hope to see you soon

MB

Treatments & Prices for 2015

Apologies for the lateness, but here is the latest list of treatments available, prices and venues.

MASSAGE;  Michael will tailor the treatment to meet your needs and requirements, using his experience and various massage disciplines to create a treatment that will maximize results; whether you require time to switch off and relax, or need overly tight, muscles released from over exertion.  This type of Therapeutic/Remedial Massage is Michael's speciality.  The treatment will be explained to you prior to consent, and you will be encouraged to ask questions relating to the treatment.  All you have to do, is decide how long you'd like to be treated for;

30 minute massage £20
45 minute massage £30
60 minute massage £40

Indian Head Massage is available as 30 minute or 45 minute treatment

FACIAL THERAPY;  Everyone wants a great looking complexion, so why not you?  Suitable for all ages & genders, treating many common skin conditions.

Neal's Yard Organic Facial;  includes cleanse, exfoliation, masque, tone and moisturize.  Also included is a relaxing massage of the arms, neck, decollete/upper chest, and face using oils chosen prior to treatment.  50 minutes £40

Deep Tissue Facial Conditioning/Revitalising Facial Therapy;  targeting the lower levels of the skin, this treatment safely and painlessly treats an array of facial conditions;dry, oily, problem, mature, each treatment is tailored to YOUR needs, to revitalize, and rejuvenate your face from the inside out.  Comedone extraction optional. Depending on skin type, treatment time is up to 60 minutes - £40  

Hopi Ear Candles;  warm circulating air and a facial massage can help treat many sinus & ear conditions and is also a therapeutic way to relax. £25

Heel Peel;  Have excessive, cracked skin on your heels?  This treatment is a great way to condition the feet and get them looking tip top, painlessly and safely.  Wonderful if you like to wear sling back shoes/sandals/flip flops but are embarrassed due to how they look. Maybe you are a runner and constant hitting the ground has caused the skin on your heels to harden, crack & become painful.  This treatment will have you noticing an improvement from the first session.  2-3 monthly sessions are recommended to achieve optimum results. £20 per treatment. Upgrade and have a neck/shoulder massage whilst the treatment is working. £25

Michael is available Mon-Sat, midday onwards by appointment, at The Riverside Natural Health Centre, by Trent Bridge with free customer parking.


Contact Michael on 07794084666 or email synergy_therapies@icloud.com