Massage schools offer courses dealing with the importance of massage on skin. These courses fall under the prerequisites of Anatomy and Physiology.
One of the things a massage school student will learn is that skin is generally of three types: oily (this skin condition occurs when there is an overproduction of sebum), dry (aging and environmental pollutants drag the moisture out of skin, making it dry) and sensitive (people with allergies or are exposed to too many chemicals at work can have sensitive skin).
Skin is the first organ that a massage therapist comes in contact with. After spending time consulting with her client, her instincts will guide her on how to massage the person. When the client has a skin condition that is serious or contagious, the therapist should postpone the massage until the condition is completely healed. In massage therapy, students learn about what the medical profession calls “skin contraindications.” Doctors define “contraindication” (CI) as a condition or factor that can potentially increase the health risks of a person when that person takes a type of drug, undergoes a medical procedure, or receives some form of therapy like massage.
Three possible situations can result when a client has a skin condition. The massage therapist can (a) postpone the massage or request the client to present written permission from her doctor that it is safe to receive a massage; (b) still massage the client but will avoid the skin’s affected areas or (c) massage the client with protective gloves. Massage schools will provide a list of skin conditions that students must be familiar with. Some of these conditions include open wounds, sore ulcers, burns, frostbite, edemas, varicose veins, radiation sites and others.
For otherwise healthy patients with no history of skin disorders, massage delivers wonderful benefits to the skin. It helps to eliminate the skin’s dead cells and improves circulation which in turn gives skin that healthy glow. Massage helps to stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum, the substance responsible for making skin soft and supple. Thanks to massage, the sweat glands are able to release toxins from the body. Massage also helps to expand the blood vessels enabling them to distribute essential nutrients to the body.
A synopsis from the Dermatologic Clinics journal (Vol. 24, Issue # 3, October 2005) highlighted the beneficial effects of massage on children with skin conditions. The study was sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health and funded by Johnson and Johnson: “In the first study children being treated on a burn trauma unit received 30-minute massages before debridement or dressing change. The children who received massage therapy were more relaxed during the procedure. In the study on children with eczema, those who were massaged during the application of their skin medication showed less anxiety after the massage sessions.” Reading this extract from the Dermatologic Clinics journal led us to the Touch Research Institute in Florida. We’ll do some homework and talk about it in our next post. Stay tuned!
© 2012 Massage Schools Guide
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It is incredibly beneficial to use a high quality massage oil or cream, preferably of the same quality that an esthetician would use on the face. Oils rich in antioxidants will also provide free radical fighting support for the body! Privai Oil has rosehip, jojoba, green tea, pomegranate for maximum rejuvenation of the skin. Guests love it and the results are immediate.