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South of Boston |
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COVER STORY WINTER S.O.S. As the temperature dips, turn up the heat with these body-melting spa treatments By ELENI HIMARASFor Living Well
Get hot. Literally. The cold weather is back and it brings with it problems beyond the annoyance of the temperature. Winter tends to bring dry and chapped skin, some extra insulating holiday pounds, sore muscles and stiff joints. These five spa treatments use heat to battle these problems and can be found at nearby spas on the South Shore.
Soothing soak Hydrotherapy Tubs -Warning: A hydrotherapy tub treatment from Aria Day Spa in Brockton may forever lead you to resent your own bathtub for not being able to live up to its spa counterpart. The treatments take place in an oversized Roman-style bathtub made in Germany. While the 60 different water and air jets massage you under water, a massage therapist gives you a neck, head, hand and foot massage. “You can customize it,” said spa owner Terry DiMarzio. “On Valentine’s Day we have a hot cocoa bath. We can really customize it, if they come in every week; every week we can make it a different treatment.” The most popular hydrotherapy treatment is the Russian Mud Bath. Ancient black Russian moor mud is a natural anti-inflammatory and hormone balancer, DiMarzio said. “It’s great for the winter time, especially for guys that plow snow or cops who work outside,” she said. The anti-inflammatory qualities of the mud help with joint pain and other rheumatoid conditions. The mud is also beneficial to dry skin. Other hydrotherapy treatments include a mineral salt bath aimed at relaxation, a Dead Sea Salt bath that is made for detoxification, a grape champagne bath full of anti-oxidants, a seaweed bath that rids the body of water retention and a rose petal and champagne bath that is popular with brides. A 60-minute soak is $75 and a 30-minute soak is $55. Contact Aria Day Spa to make an appointment at 508-559-6500. Aria’s sister spa, Bellisimo in Norwood, also offers hydrotherapy treatments.
hot property Paraffin Treatment -While pictures of this treatment may remind you of creepy mummies or the horror flick, “House of Wax,” don’t let them scare you away. People familiar with the paraffin wax hand or foot treatment often do not know that it can also be used as part of a facial. Spa-tique in Marshfield offers all three treatments, which the owner says are particularly great for the winter. “It’s the most hydrating facial you can get. The wax, paraffin, is oil,” said owner Darcy Eldridge of Kingston. The facial begins with several different steps of cleansing, toning, steam, extractions, exfoliation and calming masks and ends with the paraffin mask. “The heat helps penetrate the product under the mask and really gets the circulation going,” Eldridge said. Before getting the treatment myself, I was nervous that the mask would feel strange or confining, but it simply feels warm and soft. Eldridge placed gauze over my face and then painted on the wax layer by layer. There were no issues breathing or talking during the procedure and it was perfectly comfortable. The facial also includes the hand treatment. After exfoliation with a scrub, wax is painted on then wrapped with plastic and heated mitts are placed over your hands. It makes your hands feel like heaven but you’ll be finding little bits of wax under your nails for the next hour or so. The hand treatment is great for people whose hands tend to dry and crack during the winter. Spa-tique offers the facial and hand treatment for $70. Contact the spa for an appointment at 781-837-1850.
Melt away stress Hot Stone Massage - The thought of being rubbed down with rocks may not seem very appealing, but hot stone massages are a growing trend in the world of massage. Many people now prefer hot stones, which allow therapists to work deeper into the muscle, over the standard massage. Smooth heated lava stones are oiled up and used to massage the body. Stones are also placed on various pressure points on the body. “It warms the muscles so you can get in deeper so that you can relieve any knots or ailments or pain,” said massage therapist Melissa Crawford of Elan Day Spa in Canton. She has been doing the massage for five years. The relaxed heated muscle allows the massage therapist to work with less pressure, which is great for people who have a low pain tolerance when it comes to massage. The hot oil that coats the stones is also great for hydrating dry skin, Crawford said. She said her clients often feel more relaxed after the stone treatment compared to the regular massage. “Most people say they like it more than a regular massage, but some say they don’t like it, it’s just a preference,” she said. Elan Day Spa offers a 55-minute version of the massage for $90 and a 90-minute version for $130. Contact the sap for an appointment at 781-828-3526.
It’s a wrap Oleaslim Wrap -Every woman has long dreamed of a way to lose inches and get pampered at the same time. This Belgian treatment uses a combination of essential oils and a heated blanket to detoxify the body while shedding water weight and cellulite, said aesthetician Linda Movsessian of Quincy. She applies a specific blend of warm oils with a specialized lympho-massage to promote microcirculation, improve metabolic function and reduce water retention. She then wraps the client in a hot blanket to promote sweat for detoxification. After the wrap, she applies a firming cream. She has been doing the treatment since she started working at Adamo Day Spa in Cohasset six years ago. The only catch, she said, is that results are far better when the treatment is done in conjunction with diet and exercise. “One application you could do to feel great,” she said. For best results, however, she recommends multiple sessions. “The heat causes you to sweat so it works with the essential oils to sweat out and slim down the cellulite and detoxify,” she said. The spa offers a special with a seven-treatment package that includes some of the products so that you can continue the treatment at home, she said. “If the person is pretty athletic, they’ve gotten great results from it,” she said. “It’s definitely a great treatment to do in the winter time because of the heat, being wrapped up is nice on a cold day, too.” A 45-minute treatment is $65. For more information or to make an appointment contact Adamo Day Spa at 781-383-3011. Shower power Water Spa
-Utopia Place in Pembroke offers an array of services. There are several businesses under one roof, including a spa, bistro, pastry shop, salon and permanent makeup business.
Utopia Place offers three different water spa treatments, a steam room, a Swiss shower and a Vichy shower. The steam room fits four people and has detoxification and relaxation benefits. “It’s really great pre-massage,” said owner Marie Goldman.
The Swiss shower at first glance looks like any other shower. This shower, however, has eight different spraying heads coming from all directions. The shower is included with all body treatments and wraps as a way to clean off before heading home. It lacks the sanitation concerns of a hot tub but includes the relaxing benefits of pressurized water from multiple points. The Vichy shower at the spa is out of service but will be working within six months, Goldman said. It is a lay-down shower used after body treatments. Each of the water spa treatments can be purchased for $10 for 15 minutes. For a list of treatments the spa offers, go to personalbestltd.com.
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