Repair Your Sleep

It's spring and Chinese New Year! It's a time of new beginning, of cleaning out the closet, of changing habits. It's hard to feel great, though, if you are plagued by sleep problems. Whereas some take pharmaceuticals to induce sleep, it's not resolving the reason why sleep wasn't coming in the first place. Often patients don't know why they can't sleep. They just know that if they could just sleep more, or more soundly, they'd feel more productive, happier, and look refreshed. 

I like to remind patients that sleep deprivation is an effective form of torture; so why torture yourself?! If you are not sleeping enough, then come in for acupuncture (ideally, a few appointments close together) and chances are the amount and quality of your sleep will improve and have a lasting impact. If the reason you weren't sleeping is pain waking you up, or you're still processing a recently stressful life event, it can be worked out through acupuncture.

HOW does acupuncture affect sleep? Put most simply, acupuncture performs a manual reboot of many body systems. It calms the mind, distributes blood more evenly, and regulates cycles (in sleep, menstruation, digestion, etc). 

Acupuncture does not hurt, and most people report dozing off while on the table, feeling as if they are floating, and having creative thoughts. Acupuncture releases the body's natural painkillers, endorphins.

-Dana Hoffman, L.Ac., Licensed Acupuncturist

Happy Holidays to you!

With all this shopping and cooking and family togetherness, this is the perfect time to treat yourself! We've got some shorter services that you can fit into your busy schedule.

Head, Neck and Shoulders Massage  30m, $55

This is the good stuff! Let our therapists get in there and soothe away all that holiday "cheer" you're storing in your shoulders.

Mini Glow or Men's Tune-up Facial  30m, $60

Get ready for those party pictures with this exfoliating and moisturizing treatment.

Seasonal Manicure  30m, $27

Sugar Plum & Vanilla scented scrub and paraffin dip help fend off winter dryness. Plus we have some excellent holiday colors from the OPI Skyfall collection!

We also have blowouts and makeup application available. And don't forget to pick up some gift certificates! They're available for any service or amount so you can customize anything from a hostess gift to a luxurious spa day.

Enjoy the season, and we'll see you soon!

Detox & Destress!

Originally posted on September 26, 2012

Fall is an excellent time to try our Siddha Body Detox & Massage treatment! This is my favorite service because it’s effective, relaxing, and great for muscle & joint pain. The circulation boosting products used make this a must-do when the weather changes.

Siddha Medicine originated in southern India and is believed to be one of the world’s oldest medical systems. It is similar to Ayurveda in that it uses diet and lifestyle to maintain balance in the mind and body. The Body Detox & Massage treatment uses herbs and oils to stimulate the lymphatic system, lungs, and skin.

Your treatment begins with a dry brushing to remove dead skin cells and promote lymphatic drainage. We’ll then press a warm compress of herbs onto your skin. This compress includes clove stems, eucalyptus leaves, ginger root, rosemary leaves, and allspice berries. It is heated and dipped in a blend of sandalwood and jojoba oil to ensure that the infusion of herbs seeps thru onto your skin. This powerful blend stimulates circulation and calms the mind. You’ll be wrapped for about 20 minutes to keep your muscles warm & your pores open while you absorb the infusion and enjoy a head and scalp massage. After the wrap, you’ll receive a short full body drainage massage. This uses long, soothing strokes to push fluids thru your circulatory system.

You can expect your treatment to take about 75 minutes, but please feel free to add on more massage!

Lisa's Waxing Tips

Originally posted July 17, 2012

Summer is here and more and more of us are turning to waxing – a relatively quick way to go hair-free and worry-free for about the next month or so.  Going bare down there is an increasingly popular option these days, too, but things can get hairy if you don’t take care of your sensitive skin pre- and post-wax.

So, how do you take care of the skin before and after waxing?  These tips will help minimize the pain and take care of your skin.


Pre-Wax Pointers:

• You need at least 1/4" hair growth. Any shorter and the was won't be able to grab it, but if it's too long, it may cause you more discomfort during the procedure.
• You might want to pop some ibuprofen or acetaminophen 30 – 45 minutes before your appointment.  It won’t take away all the discomfort, but it could definitely help take the edge off.
• Try to make your appointment no closer than a couple of days before or after your period - your body is more sensitive during this time.
• Be clean for your appointment. 

And lastly,

• Breathe! Your natural reaction will be to hold your breath and tense up. If you can just pretend to relax and breathe through it, you'll actually be in less discomfort. 

Post-Wax Pointers:

Next 24-48 hours

Do...

• Take a shower instead of a bath
• Use a cold compress to help soothe the area
• Use only gentle cleansers and moisturizers
• Use tea tree oil, lavender oil, antibiotic ointment or hydro-cortisone cream to calm the area
• Wear cotton underwear and loose-fitting clothes to help reduce friction

Don't...

• Go in a hot tub or swimming. Heat, chlorine, or salt may irritate or sting.
• Go tanning. This goes for both natural sun and tanning beds. You don't want a sunburn, believe me!
• Exercise vigorously or engage in sexual activity. Friction on the skin can cause it to become inflamed.
• Use product with harsh chemicals, perfumes or dyes. 
• Touch freshly waxed skin, this can encourage irritation and breakouts.

48 hours+

• Feel free to return to your normal activities!
• Exfoliate using a product specifically designed for waxing after-care such as Get the Bump Outta Here.
• Try to gently tweeze out ingrown hairs after you shower or bathe. Resist the temptation to pick. If ingrown hairs are not remedied with gentle tweezing, use of regular exfoliation and the correct products, then it's a good idea to go back to see your esthetician, who is trained to extract stubborn hairs.

Contraindications:
Waxing may not be for you if you are using Retin-A, Renova, Differin or Accutane. These medications can weaken your skin, and tearing may occur. Also, if you have diabetes, very sensitive skin, sunburn, sexually transmitted diseases, skin conditions, or contagious diseases, your body may be more prone to infections.

Getting Manageable Summer Hair

Originally posted June 27, 2012

With Miss Rachel

Our hot & humid summer is officially here! With so many festivals, patio dates, and beaches to get to there's no time to fuss with frizzy, poufy hair. Luckily, our keratin treatment is here for you. At Spa Soak, we use the Coppola Natural Keratin Smoothing Treatment, which can reduce frizz by up to 95%! 

Keratin is the main component of your hair. Dryness or breakage can create gaps in the hair cuticle, which can lead to kinks and frizz. Our treatment infuses the hair with more keratin, filling in these gaps. The result is smoother, more manageable hair. It won't change your natural texture, and it can even be used on colored hair.

You can expect to be with us for at least 90 minutes while your stylist applies the product and seals it in with a flat iron. Then she'll help you choose the appropriate aftercare products for your hair type. Afterwards, you'll want to avoid washing your hair for 3 to 4 days. Then you'll enjoy no-fuss hair for 2 months or longer!

The time and cost depend on how long your hair is, so give us a call for pricing and availability at 773-395-9000.

Massage 101: Sports Massage

Originally posted June 6, 2012

Ah, June. The sun is shining, the beaches are open, and everyone is outside spraining and straining things. It's pretty common knowledge that keeping fit all year and stretching can help prepare your body for summer's adventures, but a lot of people don't know the benefits of sports massage. Whether you're training for the marathon or just getting a softball team together, sports massage can help prevent injuries and possibly even improve your performance. We do this with a combination of Swedish massage techniques, assisted stretches, trigger point therapy and Shiatsu.

Our regular spa sports massage is a great addition to any workout. There are also a few specialty sports massages: 
Pre-event sports massage preps you by loosening and stimulating the muscles. We recommend keeping this short, because your muscles will relax if we go on too long. 
Post-event sports massage is focused on recovery. We work slowly to reduce spasms and inflammation, and to move fresh fluids through the tissues. 
Rehabilitative sports massage addresses sports-related injuries. This usually includes some deep tissue techniques.

Whatever your fitness level or sport is, we've got you covered. Give us a call at 773-395-9000 to add us to your routine.

Spring Cleaning for Your Skin

Originally posted April 11, 2012

As the season changes, we need to do some spring cleaning for our make-up, brushes, and skin care products. Angie has some great tips for bringing your make-up drawer up-to-date. 

This is a good time to check for expired make-up. Anything that has changed color or consistency needs to be replaced. Remember that mascara needs to be replaced more often than other products - about every 3 months.

Your brushes may need some attention, too. Brushes should be cleaned about once a month to prevent bacterial growth. Use a mild soap & water, then reshape them and let them air dry. To maintain them, spritz them once a week with either a brush cleanser or rubbing alcohol.

Skin care products also follow the color & consistency rule. If it's changed, replace it. Give them a sniff test, too. These products have a shelf life of about 1 year, so anything older than that should be tossed.

For your face, we recommend a deep cleansing facial as a great jump-start to prepping your skin for the summer months. Your esthetician can evaluate your skin and tell you if you need to make any changes to your Bioelements regimen to keep you glowing til fall.