The Blurb:
Büty Salon was initially set up because Sam, the Sri Lankan-born owner and beautician, was far too popular and needed to expand out of her in-home salon. There are now two salons in Hammersmith and Fulham which have retained the intimacy and credentials of the original. Apparently, a course of lymphatic massage helps the breaking down of fatty tissues to aid weight loss, better circulation of lymph through the body and stimulation of the immune system.
The Process:
Manual lymphatic drainage simply means that the massaging is done by a human being rather than a special machine. The massage technique is very light, working from the feet upwards, concentrating on the all-important lymph areas in the body such as the armpits, neck and back of the knees. The massage is designed to only stimulate the top level of the skin unlike a deep tissue massage which has to be harder to target the muscles below. A course of six massages to maximise the potential of lymphatic drainage was recommended by my beautician.
The Result:
I always find the first half of a full body massage, when I’m on my front, rather more relaxing. Despite the fact that my face is squashed into a small hole that just about allows room for breathing, lying on one’s back always involves having to run the gauntlet of where to look. If the massage is relaxing, which this one definitely was, then I’d like to close my eyes but I worry that this makes me look like I’m enjoying it just slightly too much. However, if I stare at the ceiling I look like I can’t wait for it to end, or even worse I catch the beautician’s eye and have to do an embarrassing smile to reassure her that I am actually enjoying her caressing my oily body. Apart from my very British problems with eye contact I was also warned that I may feel light headed or tired after my massage but that the benefits would kick in the next day. I have to admit that I didn’t really feel anything, either on the day or afterwards. To give it the benefit of the doubt, I will have to go back for my next five treatments and then give my final verdict…
