Spas: Beyond the Land of “Ahs”

Spa treatments are oft-perceived as a luxury, an indulgence. But if you dig deep into their roots and techniques, you’ll see that these “treats” do more than just relax the body and mind.
The Power of Touch, Après Ski
“Massage is the oldest, simplest form of therapy,” says Katie Cox, a massage therapist at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe’s Stillwater Spa in Incline Village. It improves circulation and
lymph flow, relaxes inflamed muscles and reduces blood pressure and blocks pain receptors by lowering cortisol (stress hormone) levels and boosting serotonin and dopamine.

Massage is especially important for athletes after exercise, say local therapists. While the notion that massage rids the body of exercise-induced lactic acid is disputed by modern-day science, it’s true that massage increases blood flow to muscles, which may help them heal.

Pandora Bahlman, the fitness, health and wellness manager for Incline Village Parks and Recreation, recommends an après-ski massage for those that don’t get out on the slopes regularly. “Ski two days, then get a massage, and you’ll have a better third day,” she says, noting that the movement of muscles drives the body’s waste-ridding lymphatic system, as in the way the heart pumps the cardiovascular system. “A trained therapist can manually move as much lymph fluid in 20 minutes as it takes the body to do in three days,” adds Monica Battorf, a massage therapist at South Lake Tahoe’s Body Essentials.

Regular massage can even tone muscles, says Cox. “Think about how your body feels after a massage,” she says. “It’s often sore, just like after a workout.” Michelle LaRoche, owner
of Body Essentials, adds that specific treatments combined with regular exercise can speed up a weight-loss program. For instance, her Chi Cellulite & Balancing Treatment utilizes
endermatherapy, or a machine-assisted vibratory massage, to release toxins through the lymphatic system. “If you detoxify, then it’s easier to lose pounds,” she says.

The Skinny on Skin
“The skin is the body’s largest organ,” says Corey Riley, esthetician and owner of Clearwater Day Spa in Tahoe City, “yet it receives nutrients from water and food last. In effect, most people are dehydrated, especially in our climate.” Treatments, wraps and scrubs can help rehydrate dry Sierra skin, as well as alleviate skin problems like rosacea and discoloration from sun damage. Riley recommends getting facials seasonally, at least four times a year. In the winter, it’s especially important for Tahoe visitors to take care of
skin that may not be used to alpine extremes (you know what we mean if you’ve been to the top of Alpine Meadows’ Summit Six lift on a storm day). April Vadnais, owner of
South Lake Tahoe’s Elements Day Spa, recommends a pre-ski facial, so skin is properly moisturized and prepared for high-altitude sun and wind.

Holistic Health
Yet the treatments themselves are not the only reasons folks flock to spas. The entire atmosphere is soothing and refreshing—not to mention a great winter warm-up. But spa-goers should be aware of the whole package: the scents, the candles, the products. After all, you don’t want to replace toxins with toxins.

“It’s very important to us to be a green spa,” says Body Essentials’ LaRoche, who has not only designed her spa menu to cater to the needs of the body, but uses products that keep
the environment and patient health in mind. “Paraffin, often used for foot dips and candles, is a petroleum byproduct,” she says. “Instead, we use soy candles, and shea butter and pumpkin to moisturize.” Steam for Body Essentials’ facials is from distilled, purified water from an ionic system, lotions are paraben free, hair color at the spa salon is ammonia free and gel powder nails replace acrylic varieties. Likewise, MontBleu’s Onsen Spa, an Aveda Lifestyle Salon and Spa, uses eco-friendly Aveda products, including plant-based waxes and essential oils as well as 97 percent naturally derived hair color
dyes. Now that’s something to say “ah” about.