Body Massage for the Beauty Therapist

Audrey Goldberg, Lucy Mcdonald

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781136076053
• Edition: 3
• Topic: Commerce
• Subtopic: Gestion des ressources humaines

The beauty therapist, increasingly called upon to administer massage, will welcome this manual. Its modern and practical approach will appeal to all who wish to improve their standard of massage.
The physical comfort and reassurance which massage can give, especially when coupled with exercises, make it more than a sensuous luxury: rather it is a positive factor in promoting bodily wellbeing. The clear and detailed explanations of massage techniques in 'Body Massage for the Beauty Therapist' are supplemented by many drawings and photographs, which also serve to clarify the structure of the human body and its functioning. The personality and qualities of the therapist are brought into perspective and helpful advice given on the organization of the salon. Valuable sections are included on relaxation techniques, correct breathing and exercises which the client can undertake. Aromatherapy and gyratory massage are also covered.

1

A history of massage

The word ‘massage’ is thought to be derived either from the Arabic for ‘press softly’ or from the Greek for ‘knead’. Massage is a form of treatment, coupled with exercises, which has been passed down through the centuries for thousands of years.

Records show that in ancient China over five thousand years ago there was a system of massage and exercise in use. Archaeological expeditions in Asia Minor have established that ancient Asiatic women and men used perfumed oils abundantly on their bodies and hair. It is almost certain that most races used massage and exercise in one form or another dating as far back as the prehistoric ages of man. The peoples of ancient civilizations in Persia, Japan, and Egypt practised the art of massage for cosmetic purposes, and found that they also gained therapeutic effects when they rubbed oils and perfumes into the body and skin to beautify it. Creams taken from Egyptian tombs were found to contain camel fat, almond oil, sheep fat, or castor oil mixed with various resins and tannic substances. These were for cosmetic purposes and were massaged into the skin. Anointing was the placing of a lump of fat on the head, which would gradually melt in the heat and cover the hair and body. Clothes would then cling to the body and reveal its shape. Anointing was also the expression used for rubbing oil into the body. Perfumed oils were used in three different ways by the ancient Egyptians: as offerings to their gods, as an enhancement of the body’s beauty, making it smell pleasantly, and as the main ingredients for embalming the dead.

A great selection of the pots and vessels in which these oils were kept may be seen in the British Museum. They are so pretty that many designs for today’s cosmetic jars are taken from them.

The Cretans in 1700 BC were great believers in personal hygiene and aesthetic beauty and they oiled their bodies when they took their daily baths. They believed that fresh air was essential for a beautiful body, and were meticulous about good ventilation producing a cooling system of breezes.

In 1000 BC Homer spoke in his Odyssey of beautiful women ‘rubbing and anointing war worn heroes’ to refresh and revitalize them after battle. He also described the toilet of the Greek goddess Hera in the Iliad: ‘and with ambrosia first her lovely skin she purified with oil anointing’. The Greeks favoured gymnastics and believed them to be the basis of a good education. Massage, using the essences of sweet-smelling herbs and olive oil, was applied to the body. The Greek women were shy and plump but enjoyed gymnastics, and in order to acquire a graceful body they learnt dancing. Magnificent muscular physique, the Greek attribute so admired today, was due to the importance they attached so long ago to the use of exercise in building up the body.

The ancient Romans ruled by the Etruscans had quite an advanced system of massage also. Slaves always carried oils around in glass containers slung over their arms in case their masters and mistresses wanted a massage. Exercising, bathing, and sunbathing became quite organized in that order, and, as well as looking better, the Romans began to find considerable benefits both physically and mentally. The schemes of exercises which preceded the baths were carefully graded according to the age and fitness of the individual and even catered for their moods. Running, lifting dumb-bells, playing with balls and hoops were especially popular. Following all these gymnastics, sweating in the baths was recommended. The baths were taken in four stages, not unlike the varying systems followed today. First, there was a period of gradual warming-up sufficient to start sweating in mildly heated waters or steam. This led on to profuse sweating for a long period of time in a much hotter temperature. Then this was followed by the cooling-down process of a bath in tepid water. Finally, for those who were more hardy, plunging into icy cold water concluded the bathing. During all this time the slaves were expected to rub down their masters and mistresses. Together with manual massage, small brushes, not unlike curry-combs, were used. These were made of ivory or bone. Metal such as silver, copper, or iron was used if a more stimulating effect was desired, and if the skin could stand it. Sunbathing in the fresh air followed and completed the bathing routine which has changed little throughout the ages. Today certain rheumatic conditions of joints are treated with silver and gold injections and there are many people who wear copper bands in the belief that rheumatism can be prevented or relieved by doing so. Birch twigs are used by the Finns before bathing, and loofahs, scrubbing brushes, and flannels, have replaced the old idea of the curry-comb. A brisk rub-down with a rough towel after a bath or shower is only a modern idea on the old theme.

From these early beginnings of health and beauty a medical school of thought about massage arose. Around 500 BC the Greek historian Herodotus applied exercises and massage in the treatment of disease. Principles about the technique of rubbing began to be formulated. Massage was directed away from the heart, the pressure varied during the treatment, starting off by being gentle at first and then becoming deeper and quicker and petering off again slowly towards the end. Greasy mixtures were used.

In all the large cities in Greece at this time gymnastic centres were set up. Beautiful and splendid buildings were erected where students and philosophers could meet to discuss philosophy and attend lectures, while bathing and exercising at the same time. Greek games became very important and it is recorded that the body was rubbed and anointed with oil, fine sand, and powder before and after the games took place. Javelin throwing, wrestling, running, and jumping were great favourites. Many of the beautiful ruins of these gymnasia, built during the Greek civilizations, can still be seen today in Greece.

Hippocrates, the father of medicine about 380 BC, really used massage for the treatment of injuries and disease. He found that it was more beneficial if rubbing was done towards the heart, although the circulatory system was not understood then. It would seem, from his emphasis on pressure application, that Hippocrates had discovered the physiological effects of massage that are accepted today. He stated that ‘hard rubbing binds; soft rubbing loosens; much rubbing causes parts to waste; moderate rubbing makes them grow.’ His observations were very astute, and he advocated the use of a gentle and smooth rate and rhythm. He also advised women to sing at the tops of their voices to improve their bust line.

Galen (130–200 AD), a famous doctor during the Roman era, experimented in physiology and discovered that arteries were filled with blood, and not air as previously believed. He varied the direction of massage according to the reason for its being applied, and also greatly believed in treating injuries and diseases with it. Roman gladiators were oiled and massaged until they were glowing red and supple before commencing battle. Around this time some other terms describing massage were pommelling, squeezing, and pinching. The latter was recommended to be used all over the body to relieve neuralgia: a good counter-irritant, no doubt. Public baths modelled on the Greek style of architecture were by now more commonplace than ever before. People would gather together to exchange gossip and news. Being absolute geniuses with water their baths were quite unique. The Romans left their mark in England during the first century AD in towns where waters were considered to contain special minerals and salts of health-giving value. Harrogate, Buxton, Bath, Leamington, Droitwich, Cheltenham, Llandrindod all became spa towns famous for their springs, baths, and waters. Sulphur, magnesium, calcium, and peat of the area were utilized by the Romans in the quest for health and beauty. Many of these waters are still taken today and the towns where the ruins of the Roman baths can still be seen remain favourite and delightful attractions for tourists from all over the world.

Little seems to be recorded about massage or beauty again until the early Middle Ages, when wise women would advise on health and beauty. One Italian woman doctor about 1100 AD advised those ladies preoccupied with slimming and beauty to bathe in the sea and use deodorants which were made of herbs. Her remedy for losing weight was to be frictioned all over with cow dung mixed in medicinal herbs, and then to spend a long period of time sweating heavily in a small room, overpoweringly heated by a wood fire. Hot sand baths near the sea provided an alternative method for producing the same effect as the heated chamber. Today in Italy sand ‘graves’ are still to be seen near the sea in which people bury themselves up to their necks in the hot sand for the curative and slimming effect attributed to heat and sweating. Peat and mud baths are also still prescribed for rheumatism and are used as beauty treatments. Pine is the most popular essence used today in refreshing hot baths; perhaps this replaces the pungent odour of the cow dung.

During the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries, Switzerland, France, Italy, Prussia, and England produced several famous physicians and surgeons who began once again to use massage in the treatment of injuries and disease. The old terminology of massage remained but new words such as pressure, kneading, and manipulations were introduced. Opinions about pressure were expressed and an Italian doctor even went so far as to state that the position of the patient should be outstretched lying down. Generally speaking, the patients were placed in most uncomfortable positions.

In the seventeenth century strange recipes for lotions and creams could be found to beautify the face and body beyond all hopes and dreams. One such lotion claimed to remove pox marks. It merely filled in the holes left by smallpox and gave an illusion of smoothness. There were quack doctors and beauty counsellors who lived by their wits, and patented medicines, potions, and creams for massage claiming fantastic results. New Bond Street opened its first beauty salon, where women would go, believing that the creams, oils, and cosmetics which the proprietress applied and sold would work miracles on their faces and bodies. These cosmetics were outrageously expensive and the lady was eventually imprisoned for fraudulent claims. Hand creams were fashionable and ladies went to bed wearing chamois leather gloves which were saturated with cream to keep their hands soft and supple. Beauty care and cosmetics were considered to be only within the reach of high-class society, actresses, or the demimonde. Perfume was coupled with witchcraft, and laws governing the use of cosmetics were made which sentenced women to imprisonment. Massage for beauty at this time did not rate highly and most practitioners were suspect. Some of the pots which were made at this time for oils, grease, unguents, pomades, and lotions had decorative lids which are still in existence, and are eagerly hunted by ‘pot-lid’ collectors today.

From the end of the eighteenth century a great revival in massage really began. Many authorities wrote and expounded their theories on the subject. One extremist advocated that massage should be given with great violence, and all had different ideas about the terminology, pressure, rate, rhythm, and medium, such as oil or powder to be used, position of the patient, and the duration of treatment. Some advocated dry hands; one used a metal object covered with leather. Some suggested that four minutes’ massage to any one area was sufficient; another stated that up to forty minutes could be given. Trial and error was another means of practising massage, and if it had not suited the patient one day a modification was made the next. The massage field became confused from then on with so many different opinions and descriptions. Peter Henry Ling of Sweden (1776–1839) made the most dramatic contribution to massage and exercise at this time. His influence in the early nineteenth century spread throughout all Europe and America. He was a conscientious and devoted worker, and realized that it was important to acquire a certain knowledge of anatomy and physiology before applying massage and exercises to the body. Of medicine he knew little and only treated those conditions he considered to be normal, emphasizing that all other conditions should be reviewed by the doctor. He founded the Swedish system of massage and exercise, and introduced terms such as effleurage, petrissage, vibration, and friction, as well as rolling, slapping, pinching, and several other descriptions of massage. However, despite the good work and promotion of massage by Henry Ling, it was not until the end of the nineteenth century that massage began to become favoured and accepted all over the world as an orthodox method of treatment. Perhaps this was due to the fact that training was inadequate and poor, and that those women engaged in massage were generally of ill repute and opportunists.

Doctor Mezger of Holland (1839–1901) helped to establish massage finally as a reputable means of treatment by prescribing it widely and practising it himself. Europe and America recognized and accepted its importance from then on, leaving England to be convinced. Beauty parlours in Bond Street, where facial massage became a speciality, began to flourish and their reputation grew. It was a rare sight by now to see a face unpainted or unpowdered, and oils and creams for the body and hands at the end of the nineteenth century were bought by all.

In 1894 a group of women joined together to form the Society of Trained Masseuses, in order to try to raise the standard and reputation of massage in this country. Rules and regulations for training were made. Examinations were set and the Society flourished.

In 1900 it became licensed by the Board of Trade and was called the Incorporated Society of Trained Masseuses. During the First World War its membership increased enormously. In 1920 it amalgamated with the Institute of Massage and Remedial Exercise (Manchester). A Royal Charter was then granted and it became known as the Chartered Society of Massage and Medical Gymnastics. The title was again changed in 1943 to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. State Registration came in 1964.

So it can be seen that massage was eventually given the stamp of respectability by the medical profession and the State in the treatment of injuries and disease, although it is little used in hospitals today. Although massage in physiotherapy had reached a high standard, it seemed as though there was an urgent need to raise the standard as practised in the beauty field.

In June 1966 City and Guilds of London Institute set up an Exploratory Committee to look into the possibility of providing further education and training for girls wishing to study beauty therapy, and of establishing a nationally recognized course. A syllabus was drawn up by a working party consisting of people from different beauty organizations, the education world, and the medical profession.

In September 1968 the first full-time courses in beauty therapy were offered in four colleges of further education by the Institute, and in May 1970 the first City and Guilds examination in this field was held.

All that remains is for beauty therapy to become a State-registered profession.

2

Ethics, the beauty therapist, and the salon

Qualities of the beauty therapist

The essential qualities of being a beauty therapist do not merely lie in the ability to give a good massage, exercises, or any other treatment. To be successful, therapists must have a strong belief that whatever they are doing is right. This involves a deep sincere liking and interest in the work they have chosen to do. It requires a high level of tolerance of human failings when dealing so intimately with people in this profession, many of whom return day after day, week after week.

Each client is an individual case for treatment and therefore should be regarded as such, and not subjected to an indifferent attitude by the therapist. Beauty therapy is a personal business and the therapist must have the ability to concentrate on the special requirements necessary for each case in hand to obtain the best possible result for the client’s total benefit and well-being.

The ability to be kind, comforting and sympathetic, to be tactful and reassuring, to be cheerful and optimistic without ever promising too much should be present at all times in the therapist’s disposition. These inherent qualities are an integral part of the treatment and indeed of any therapy. They are better known as the ‘bedside manner’. It is often the bedside manner which effects the cure and instils confidence once again into the client. They are the trademarks of professionalism and will help to build up a good practice. Therapists must be able to relate themselves to the client sensually and mentally, without either themselves or the client becoming involved, and without the client being allowed to become dependent on them. Therefore, the duration of the course of treatment should be quite specific, serving a dual purpose; it also allows clients to feel that their goal is always in sight drawing nearer to being achieved with each successive treatment. This can always be extended and continued.

A high level of intelligence and honesty are necessary so that both the therapist and the client know and understand exactly what the massage or other treatments will accomplish. In this way therapists protect themselves from disillusion and misinterpretation. At the end of the day therapists can feel satisfied that their work has been honest, worthwhile and well done. If one form of treatment is found to be unsuitable, it is the therapist who gently guides and suggests another form rather than heavily persuading the client in order to keep a full appointment book. It is then left to the client to make the final decision either to stop, to continue, or to change the course of treatment. In this way clients will build up their trust in the therapist and will not feel cheated or let down.

Sensitivity and respect for the body is vital for, although it may represent a mass of fatty tissue, or a connection of bones and muscles from time to time, it does belong to somebody who has a name and a title, so that personal consideration when moving, massaging and manipulating the client should not be overlooked, especially when the client is dressing and undressing.

Rapport between the therapist and the client should be considered. If for any reason at all therapists are unable to feel in tune with the client or finds that they have insurmountable personality problems, then they should discuss the situation with their superiors or tactfully transfer treatment to another therapist whose approach to the client may be completely different, so alleviating the source of friction. If they work privately on their own and there is no other solution available, then it would be best to discontinue the treatment as soon as possible. One satisfied client’s recommendation is worth more than ten dissatisfied customers. Massage is not erotic, although it produces a highly sensual feeling and if a client is suspected of requiring treatment for sexual reasons then it should be stopped immediately and further treatment discontinued. This kind of situation is very rare but requires treatment of the utmost discretion and highest integrity if it ever occurs.

Punctuality whether it is as a student in training or as a qualified practitioner is a habit which should ...