BODY WATCH : INDULGENCES :...
Unless you are a contortionist, the back is one of those areas that needs someone else’s help when it comes to detailed skin care. The best I can do is clean my back with a bristly brush, but moisturizing the entire back is impossible. So, I walked into a full-service skin care salon in the Marina and requested a “back facial.”
I was introduced to an aesthetician, Carol, who led me into a small room, dark and quiet except for unobtrusive instrumental music in the background. I was instructed to disrobe, take off jewelry from the neck up, and lie face down on the bed. Carol handed over some bobby pins to catch stray hairs that would be in her way. I’d just had time enough to settle in and feel the clean sheets when Carol tapped on the door and came back in.
She placed a blanket over me from the waist down and asked if I were comfortable; then she studied my back. The first thing a decent aesthetician will do is decide on a course of action and discuss it with you. Mine was low-keyed. Carol was forthright. She said my back didn’t warrant much cleaning, so she’d focus on hydrating.
Carol began the treatment with a milky cleansing cream spread over the entire back, from neck to waist, and over on the sides. She ran an electric round brush over the cream. (You’ll love that part if you enjoy a back scratch.) Thick, moistened cotton pads were used to mop up the cleansing cream. Then a toner with aloe vera and roses was spritzed over the clean skin.
The next phase was launched with a steamer propped on a table just to my left that sprayed a mist all over my back. That’s when Carol lightly massaged on an oil with chamomile and valerian.
Then came the unpleasant part--extraction. The skin is inspected under a magnifier and light. Three blackheads were removed in a succession of quick pinches. (Your experience could be a lot more intense; the treatment hinges on the condition of your skin. If you have pimples, blackheads or acne, then the back facial will tackle those problems with extensive cleansing and extractions.)
A wandlike high-frequency instrument--dubbed a zapper--was dabbed over those pores that were squeezed. The purpose of the zapper is to detract bacteria. Afterward, Carol spread on a light oil topped by cream in preparation for the skin mask, which was applied all over and covered by delicately pressed tissue. (If my skin had been oily or had more blemishes, then a so-called mummy mask with cotton compresses would have been used.)
Carol left the room. The mask stayed on for 10 restful minutes. (That’s when you’ll appreciate a salon that respects quiet. This one, for example, posted a sign asking people to leave their ankle-biters at home.) Carol returned to roll back the tissue, bringing up most of the mask. She used a terry cloth towel to rub off residue.
On the first visit, you and the aesthetician should discuss any need for repeat treatments and maintenance, including what products to use at home. Make sure you find out if there are plans to go above and beyond the routine facial. For example, an oily back may call for a skin peel, which would be an additional charge. My treatment was $30 (plus a tip), which I handed over and wandered off to the beach, where there were sea gulls, wind and salty air. All of that was free.
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Postscript: If you want blemishes removed, then a back facial is the way to go. If you’re already feeling self-conscious about this coming summer, with bathing suits and backless tops, then go for a consultation at least a month beforehand in case you need a few sessions before seeing improvement.
Otherwise, just go in for the relaxation of it all. One more thing: Wear a top that won’t stain, or one you don’t care about if it does.
