Overview of various types of traditional Thai massage

The essence of massage

Facial massage with herbal bags originated in Thailand almost three centuries ago, when the local masters combined the effects of medicinal herbs, spices, cereals and other gifts of nature with a unique targeted effect. Special “health points” are located throughout the human body. Warm bags are used for massage.

This technique is the best combination of several fundamental ones:

• Classic Thai massage. The process begins with the traditional warming up of the body with your hands. And this is an additional benefit for muscles, ligaments and skeleton.
• Acupuncture technique. Massage with bags - acupressure. When certain areas of the body are professionally treated, the internal organs “wake up” and start the healing process.
• Thermal procedures. Heated bags open pores, stimulate blood and lymph, and give a detox effect.
• Phytotherapy. Open pores easily accept the beneficial components of herbal bags, which has a positive effect on the internal and external conditions of the body.
• Aromatherapy. Fragrant infusions bring thoughts and body into harmony, relax, relieve stress and make the procedure endlessly pleasant.

For face

Facial massage with herbal bags gives an amazing lifting effect. And the main thing is that you don’t have to contact a specialist for this; you can do it at home yourself.

The right fillers and proper work with the bags equal amazing results for the face and the whole body:

• Strengthening the walls of blood vessels;
• Relieving muscle tension, “social mask”;
• Gentle peeling;
• Saturation of herbal infusions with beneficial substances;
• Antiseptic effect;
• Increasing elasticity and protective mechanisms of the skin;
• Warming up;
• Meditation, improving well-being and quality of sleep;
• Detoxification.

Indications for massage

The versatility of massage with Thai bags allows it to be used for many facial skin problems:

• Acne, blackheads and other rashes;
• Dryness, peeling;
• Excessive fat content;
• Expression wrinkles;
• Pigmentation;
• Congestive blood circulation;
• Clogged pores.

Important: Without an integrated approach, this massage is unlikely to cope with severe cases of skin damage.

Thai facial treatment

Facial skin care in Thailand is based on three principles: whitening, protection and naturalness. In Thailand, I discovered the following facial care products:

• Tanaka is an orange powder made from the bark of the tree of the same name (an every day product for any resident of Thailand). They can apply it to their face and walk around like that all day. Has an antibacterial, cleansing, skin color-evening effect. I use it myself and recommend it to everyone. You can dilute it in water, milk and add a little coconut oil (40 baht).
• White clay mask. They say it also has a “magical” effect, but I haven’t had a chance to try it yet.
• Aloe vera gel perfectly moisturizes the skin and dries out pimples. Some people use it as a day cream (190 baht).
• Collagen lobules for the eyes - remove bruises under the eyes and swelling, and with frequent use they should even smooth out wrinkles. I really like it (29 baht per pair).

In addition, for facial care I bought in Pattaya:

• Natural small sea sponge for washing. It gently exfoliates the skin and saves on cleanser (30 baht).
• Japanese sponge for washing - Konnyaku. Consists of the roots of a tree of the same name. It has a jelly structure and can be used with or without cleanser. This thing is very effective: it smoothes and cleanses the skin, and also gives a natural shine.
• Coconut-based cosmetics.

Here is my Thai facial kit:

I also decided to do a Japanese rejuvenating facial massage from Tanaka Yukuko 2 times a week. It takes only three minutes, but gives a rejuvenation effect for 10 years.

Two videos about facial massage from Tanaka Yukuko: 1 - funny, 2 - detailed instructions:

Facial massage in Thailand is quite popular. Many people have probably seen beauty salons with reclining chairs in shopping centers. Here they do facial massage and cleansing using Japanese and Korean technologies. It’s a pleasant procedure, I recommend it to both men and women.

Home massage with herbal bags

Before preparing the skin for the procedure, we “set up” the bags: already with herbs inside, place them in hot water for 15–20 minutes. An even more effective option is to steam the contents. Then the dried plants will be able to release the maximum benefits for your body.

After cleansing your face, you can apply oil or cream without strong fragrances, with an action and smell that does not conflict with the composition of the bags. The best part is that the effect of the cosmetic product, especially considering the heating, will be enhanced by the herbal mixture and vice versa.

When the bags are steamed and cooled to a comfortable temperature, we begin the session.

1. According to the Thai method, it is necessary to apply precise pressure, lightly stroke, roll and move the bags in a circle;
2. Herbs must remain warm at all times, so periodically heat them over steam;
3. It is strongly recommended not to do more than ten such heatings during the entire session;
4. Every time before touching the skin, check the pouch on the inside of your wrist;
5. Massage movements follow traditional lines.

There is a small life hack for more effective detoxification of facial skin: massage the area at the outer tip of the eyebrows, the area in front of the ears, and walk along the line of the jawbone and behind it. These techniques refresh, smooth and tighten the skin as much as possible.

The herbal composition of each bag can be used up to five times. That is, dry it after the procedure and keep it in a bag in the refrigerator or freezer until the next massage. By heating the contents once again, you can easily activate its healing properties.

Thai body care

The standard of Thai beauty is snow-white skin (a symbol of wealth, health and belonging to a higher caste).

That's why Thai girls sit in the shade on the beach, walk with an umbrella in the heat and endlessly whiten their skin. It is quite difficult to find a skin care product in the store that does not have a whitening effect. Recently I even saw a special product for whitening nipples!!!

But the most popular skin care products are, of course, coconut oil and aloe vera.

Coconut oil is used both in pure form and as part of various cosmetics. This is an excellent product for moisturizing the skin after sunbathing. Aloe gel will relieve the effects of sunburn, perfectly moisturize and promote skin regeneration, and also remove marks from insect bites.

For myself, I realized that with my fair skin it is necessary to use protective cream +50, it still allows for a light tan. And for body care, I started using coconut-based massage oil (150 baht) and aloe vera gel (190 baht).

Here is my Thai body care set:

How to make bags for Thai massage with your own hands

A ready-made bag with a full set of herbs costs around 100–200 rubles, depending on the fabric and the rarity of the plants in the composition. Remember that the maximum number of sessions with one bag is five. In addition, due to grinding, it is impossible to check the composition for compliance with the packaging without a laboratory. The medicinal properties of herbs are also affected by storage conditions.

To be absolutely sure of the quality of the massage bag, it is better to make it yourself. It's very simple.

Choosing the composition

It is not necessary to order Tibetan herbs to achieve the desired effect from your sessions. Our pharmacies are simply a storehouse of useful domestic herbs, which are not inferior in effectiveness to “foreign” ones.

The best ones:

• Chamomile - antimicrobial, against inflammation and irritation;
• Valerian - relaxes the brain and body;
• Sea buckthorn - regenerates and dries;
• Clover - disinfects and soothes irritations;
• Licorice - affects inflamed areas of the skin;
• Ginseng - renews skin cells and activates blood circulation;
• Lavender is antimicrobial, soothes the skin and relaxes the body;
• Calendula - stimulates blood circulation, relieves inflammation;
• Bay leaf is an antiseptic and renews the epidermis.

Important: Even massage with natural herbal bags is not the case when “the more, the more effective.” The abundance of different herbs with the same effect may be excessive for the skin.

There are no special recommendations for “forbs”. A classic Thai bag contains up to two dozen types of herbs. It weighs a hundred or two grams and is made from natural fabrics to eliminate allergies.

Collecting the bag

The material used is high-quality, dense gauze, folded several times, linen or cotton fabrics. A convenient size is 40 by 40 cm, then the square can be trimmed if necessary.

1. The “stuffing” is done simply: in the center of a piece of fabric you need to pour a handful of chopped herbs with a circumference of 10–15 cm (for a bag 40 by 40 cm);
2. Then the fabric is folded: first from the corners, then from the edges to the center;
3. The already folded bag must be crumpled and compacted to the limit, leaving no voids. This is done so that when soaking and heating the bag does not dangle and is as tight as possible;
4. We make a “holder” - the handle of the bag. You need to select the larger end of the fabric and insert the remaining ends into it. To the base of the handle (the point where the bag ends and the tails of the fabric begin) we tie a strip of the same material (a couple of centimeters wide) or a piece of thick rope. We choose the length ourselves - the bag with a handle should fit comfortably in your hand and be easy to move during a massage. This fabric strip or rope needs to be wrapped around the assembled ends of the bag up and down (back and forth, overlapping);
5. The remaining tail of the wrapping fabric is tied with a knot at the base of the handle. The ends of the knot are not cut off, but inserted into the winding. This can be done with tweezers or nail scissors.

Carefully review the herbal composition before adding it to the bag. Remove any sticks, dense or prickly particles.

Contraindications

As with any cosmetic procedure, before massage with herbs it is necessary to exclude allergic reactions to the composition.

In addition, there is a list of cases when Thai facial massage with bags is contraindicated:

• Pregnancy and breastfeeding;
• Skin diseases that cause severe damage;
• ARVI and acute respiratory infections;
• Fresh wounds, cuts, burns of any origin, insufficiently healed surgical sutures.

The first session of this massage is carried out no earlier than two weeks after aggressive cosmetic effects (such as chemical peeling or laser cleaning). Since two-week skin rehabilitation after them implies severe peeling and natural restoration of skin cells.

Procedure at home

Massage at home is performed in the same way as in the salon. You can easily master cupping and ultrasonic massage; for manual massage, it is highly advisable to study the anatomy of the face and master the technique of execution. Thus, classic, sculptural and pinch massage according to Jacquet can be mastered independently after one or several procedures in the salon and watching training videos, while myofascial, lymphatic drainage, and Thai massage are performed only by specialists. The technique of any simple massage is based on five movements:

• stroking - rhythmic sliding movements that are performed with the entire palm or outstretched fingers;
• rubbing is performed with the pads of the fingers, the tubercle of the thumb or the edge of the palm;
• kneading is done with the fingers of one or both hands extended and closed;
• effleurage;
• vibration is performed with the tips of bent fingers or the edge of the palm.

All massage techniques are usually combined. For rejuvenating procedures, you can use a roller massager or scraper.