The personal touch

FROM procedures to freeze away fats to light-emitting contraptions to lift, lighten and regenerate skin, it seems like we're at the mercy of machines when it comes to looking good.

But rather than resorting to the latest technological innovations in amping up their spa menus, beauty specialists are instead playing up their expertise in manual procedures.

For example, a new face and body treatment by French beauty giant Clarins is aptly named Art of Touch, and banks on its history in developing unique massage techniques.

"It is totally manual and we only use our finest plant-based products for the treatment," says Clarins' spa trainer, Sylvia Lim. "With our unique tools, our hands, we can create a personalised treatment which a machine is not able to provide."

The three-step session begins with a calming ritual whereby the therapist places her hands on key areas of the face and body to soothe and create a sense of serenity.

Next, she uses her palms and thumbs to apply pressure on energy lines, using a method inspired by shiatsu techniques.

Using specialised strokes to "sculpt" the face, followed by a series of movements with thumbs, palms, forearms and elbows to release deep energies, the treatment helps relieve tension and drain away toxins and water retention.

The biggest draw of a more traditional, hands-on treatment lies in its ability to be customised completely to one's needs.

In fact, the intensity of pressure can be adjusted down to the millimetre for maximum accuracy to pin-point, say, a tight knot or blocked lymph node.

"Traditional manual methods of massage and traditional healing philosophies focus on the stimulation given to nerve endings and pressure points of each specific body," explains director of Damai Spa at Grand Hyatt Singapore, Karu Nanithi.

"Under the trained touch of an experienced therapist, the different locations of nerve endings and muscle structure which vary from body to body can be reached and sensed accurately, whereas technology and machines tend to be fixed on certain spots on the body making it harder to vary the treatment for different bodies."

With everything bespoke being the height of luxury in this day and age, the notion of customisable beauty and wellness treatments are all the more coveted.

A machine-aided treatment may be more effective in achieving visible results, but nothing beats the soothing touch of a well-trained facialist or masseuse in easing away stress.

"With facial massages by hand, we use our hands to feel and in doing so, receive a lot of information that we need to know about the skin," says Helen Lien, owner of organic beauty boutique and facial spa, Pure Tincture.

"Based on the information and the client's needs, we can recommend the appropriate facial treatment, be it nerve point therapy, lymphatic massage or acupressure. Now, with all these in mind, it means that customers don't always get the same standard facial because we deliver the solution based on what their skin needs at that particular point in time as our skin changes constantly due to hormonal changes, stress, diet and environment."

Just like how advocates of traditional Asian remedies claim that such cures may take longer to heal, but target the root of an ailment rather than a symptom, manual treatments are said to produce lasting, albeit less dramatic, results.

"A good way to make the comparison is that technology provides instant results aesthetically," says Mr Nanithi. "Whereas the results from manual therapies are more long lasting, since unblocked nerve endings and stimulated blood circulation improve the body from the inside out, so that even days after your treatment, you will be able to see the effects still."

As much as the efficacy of new-fangled gadgets are often bolstered by clinical trials, there's no discounting the benefits of a human touch.

In recent years, studies have revealed emotional and physical health benefits that come from touch, suggesting that touch is truly fundamental to human communication, bonding, and health.

In 2012, a study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine measured immune function in healthy adults who received either a 45-minute Swedish massage or 45 minutes of lighter touch.

The massaged group had substantially more white blood cells - including natural killer cells, which help the body fight viruses and other pathogens.

Besides, you don't need reams of research papers to know that you'd feel rejuvenated after a treatment by an experienced therapist.

"Tools, unlike human hands, cannot feel and, so, cannot respond intuitively to the client's skin or body such as nerve points, lymph nodes or muscle tension," adds Ms Lien, a certified manual lymphatic drainage aesthetician.

For anyone who has experienced a luxe massage, a hands-on approach is the only way to go when it comes to being completely pampered.

Which is perhaps why, as part of the brand's 60th anniversary, Clarins has returned to its strength - the power of touch for balance and beauty.

"Our hands are flexible and can be positioned to fit any facial or body contour to feel, detect and immediately adjust to the perfect pressure for a personalised treatment," adds Ms Lim.

"Manual massage methods are much more pampering and relaxing - so much so that our hands are truly irreplaceable tools."

This article was first published on Feb 14, 2015.
Get The Business Times for more stories.