Jackson Hole Massage Professionals NewsJune 12, 2013

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The Benefits of Facial Massage

Natalia Doran

There are many physical and mental benefits to facial massage.

Everything youdo can be donebetter from aplace ofrelaxation-Stephen C. Paul

Office Hours and Contact

Massage Professionals of Jackson HoleHamish Tear307 413 2789

In this Issue

The Benefits of Facial MassageBe Smart About SunscreenSecrets of Sleep

A well-performed facial massage is awonderful treat that will help relievepuffiness and improve skin tone andcomplexion. Other physical benefits of afacial massage include stimulation of theskin's immune mechanisms, firming ofweak muscles, tissue regeneration, andantiaging effects. There are also manymental benefits, including stress reliefand a greater awareness of thebody-mind connection.

How the Skin MovesNutrientsIn order to fully understand the benefitsof facial massage, it is helpful tounderstand the anatomy and physiologyof the skin.

We all know that skin is a complex organconsisting of a number of specializedcells. Its functions include pH andtemperature regulation, and sebum andsweat production. The condition of theintegumentary system (the skin and itscomponents) depends on homeostasisand the coordination of circulatory,nerve, muscular, endocrine, andlymphatic systems. The skin's outer

layer, the epidermis, does not have adirect blood supply--all nutrients,water, and oxygen needed to feed thesecells must come from the dermis. Ifnutrients are lacking in the dermis, theskin cells will be undernourished.

To move from the dermis to theepidermis, nutrients must cross thebasement membrane that joins these twolayers. Small molecules, such as water,oxygen, carbon dioxide, and glycerol,can cross this membrane by diffusion.Larger molecules must cross byfacilitated diffusion (being carriedacross by proteins). Nutrients or othersubstances that exist in lowerconcentrations in the dermis than in theepidermis must be moved into the

epidermis by active transport. Water, aneffective transportation system, can passthrough membranes in response tochanges in ion concentration.Hormones and mechanical movements,such as massage, can regulate the rate atwhich water passes through themembrane.

Pamper yourself, and do a good thing for your body too!

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What about absorption from the outsideof the skin into the underlying tissues ofthe body? Skin permits absorption, butthe tightly located coenocytes and lipidsbetween cells make absorption limited.When products are applied to the skin,certain elements play a role in theabsorption rate, including the featuresof the skin, changes in skin barrierfunction, size of product molecules, andthe type of delivery system used in theproduct.

Connective tissue also plays a role inhow the skin moves nutrients. Allsubstances that are transported in theblood must pass through the connectivetissue to reach the cells or to be removedas waste. Connective tissue contains cellsthat produce collagen and elastin, and ahalf-gel, half-fluid binding mass calledthe ground substance, which surroundsevery cell. Through the groundsubstance, nutrients are transportedfrom the blood capillaries to the cell,and waste products are moved from thecells to the capillaries. The condition ofthe ground substance will affect thediffusion rate of nutrients and wasteproducts, creating the cells'environment. This environment can beclean and healthy, or polluted withmetabolic wastes.

Applying pressure and movementthrough massage can help to normalizethe function and composition of theconnective tissue, and free it of harmfulsubstances.

Lymphatic MassageThe body's lymphatic system isresponsible for draining away the debrisfrom our cells. It transports water out ofthe tissue, along with waste substances:bacteria, cell fragments, immobile cells,inorganic substances, large molecularfats, proteins, and viruses. This processis constantly happening all over thebody, as the lymph cleanses each cell anddrains away the debris in a circulatorysystem powered only by breathing andmuscle movements. With mechanicalmanipulation such as massage, thelymph system can move up to 10 timesmore fluid than it normally does.

Manual lymph drainage (MLD), whichwas developed by Emil Vodder, PhD, is atype of gentle massage that acceleratesthe natural circulation of the lymph andencourages its movement away from

swollen areas. MLD is firm, but gentlerthan ordinary massage. Because thelymph vessels are all interlinked, lymphflow will be affected in the entire regionof the area being massaged. Other typesof lymphatic massage include lymphdrainage therapy, developed by BrunoChikly, MD.

A facial massage that involves lymphaticwork improves circulation to the skin,which increases nutrition to the skincells and speeds up the filtering of waterin and out of cells, removing wasteproducts. The vasodilation of thesurface capillaries during massageimproves skin color, and facial massagealso improves elasticity and supplenessof the skin. With facial massage, the skinbecomes more balanced, less prone tobreakouts, and more resistant toinfection.

Natalia Doran, MD, is the founder and president of

the International Skin Beauty Academy in Illinois.She has a medical degree in dermatology and amaster's degree in educational psychology.

Make sure you are protected from UV rays.

Be Smart About SunscreenJason Barbaria

Secrets of SleepJed Heneberry

According to the American CancerSociety, more than 2 million people arediagnosed with skin cancer in the UnitedStates each year. There are more than2,000 over-the-counter sunscreenformulas on the market today. How canyou tell which sunscreens are the safest,most effective, and represent the bestvalue for your money? In most cases, theanswer comes down to the differencebetween the two types of filteringingredients. Here's what you need toknow.

Chemical or Physical?The UV radiation in sunlight consists ofUV-A, UV-B, and UV-C rays. UV-Aand UV-B are both responsible forphotoaging, skin cancer, sunburn,tanning, and wrinkling. UV-C is not afactor in skin health, as it is absorbed bythe Earth's atmosphere and does notreach us in significantamounts.Broad-spectrum sunscreenprotects against both UV-A and UV-B.This protection can work in one of twoways: chemical or physical.

Chemical UV Filters-Work by absorbing UV radiation.-Require application 30 minutes beforesun exposure.-Provide partial protection from UVspectrum.-May irritate the skin and eyes.-Not regulated for safety by the US Foodand Drug Administration (FDA); somemay even be carcinogenic.-Not photostable (exposure to sunlightdegrades effectiveness).-Avobenzone is the most commonlyused chemical filter ingredient.

Physical UV Filters-Work by reflecting UV radiation.-Start protecting immediately upon use.-Provide full broad-spectrumprotection.-Non-irritating to skin and eyes.-Safe, as particles do not penetrate theskin.-Highly photostable (exposure tosunlight does not change effectiveness).

Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are the

most commonly used physical filteringredients. Clothing and shadestructures also count as physical filters.

Jason Barbaria is director of marketing atDermagenics, a skin care line that includessunscreen, cleansers, and moisturizers.

We've all heard it before: get your eighthours of sleep and watch your lifeimprove. But the reason we've all heardit is because it's true, and research keepsshowing the importance of sleep and itsvariety of health benefits.

The National Sleep Foundation saysthere is no "magic number" of hours foroptimum sleep benefits, but thatdifferent age groups, and even differentindividuals, need different amounts ofsleep. General recommendations are7-8 hours per night for adults, whilechildren often need 10-11 hours.Getting less than what you need has beenlinked to an increased risk of diabetes,heart problems, psychiatric conditions,and more.

Here's a quick look at some new findingsthat reveal the secrets of sleep, and also

how to get more of it.

- Sleep Suppresses Appetite: Just onenight of sleep loss can increase brainactivity in the region that containsappetite sensation in response to foodimages, increasing the long-termpossibility of becoming overweight."Lack of Sleep Makes Your BrainHungry," The Journal of ClinicalEndocrinology & Metabolism.

- Naps for Your Noggin: The right sideof the brain, which is generallyassociated with creativity, is active duringso-called power naps, while the leftbrain remains mostly quiet. While it isnot clear what exactly is happeningduring these brief rest periods,researchers suspect the brain isconducting important memory tasks."'Power Naps' May Boost Right-Brain

Activity," Health.com.

- Cherry on Top: Drinking tart cherryjuice increased melatonin in studyparticipants, improving sleep efficiency,quality, and time. "Effect of Tart CherryJuice on Melatonin Levels andEnhanced Sleep Quality," EuropeanJournal of Nutrition.

Those who bringsunshine into thelives of others,cannot keep itfrom themselves-James M. Barrie

Massage Professionals of Jackson Hole is Jackson'spremier in-home massage provider. We hope you enjoy ourinformative newsletters.

Massage Professionals of Jackson Hole

PO Box 10067 Jackson, WY 83002