Myths of Massage

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Comment by Ariana Vincent, LMT, MTI, BCTMB on December 14, 2010 at 5:20pm

Beauty Myths Debunked

By Real Simple

 

(Note: It would be interesting to put together a list of Massage Myths Debunked.) 

Whether the information is outdated or outlandish, the truth is that some of the beauty advice you hear simply isn't true. It's not that someone is trying to deceive you. Maybe it's an old wives' tale passed down from woman to woman, or maybe it's a bit of wishful thinking. Whatever the reason for the confusion, here's the real deal on the top beauty myths.

 

Myth 1: Crossing your legs will give you varicose veins.Sitting down and crossing your legs won't cause varicose or spider veins, but standing may. Pronounced veins often crop up on people who either have a genetic predisposition to them or have jobs that require them to stand a lot, said dermatologist Kevin Pinski. Standing makes the vascular network work extra hard to pump blood from the legs up to the heart. If the valves, which keep blood flowing in one direction within your vessels, aren't functioning properly, a pooling of blood can occur and result in unsightly veins. Pregnancy, which puts added pressure on the circulatory system, or a trauma -- getting hit by a softball or a car door, for example -- can also lead to varicose veins.

 

Myth 2: You can get rid of cellulite.Ah, if only. "This remains one of the holy grails of cosmetic dermatology," said University of North Carolina Professor Timothy Flynn. Nothing can be done to permanently eliminate it -- not even liposuction. Cellulite consists of fat deposits that get trapped between the fibrous bands that connect the skin's tissues. Firming creams, however, often contain caffeine to tighten and smooth the skin. But a basic moisturizer will also work to hydrate and swell the skin, making cellulite a less obvious.

 

Myth 3: Shaving will make your hair grow back darker and thicker."Hair that hasn't been cut grows to a point," said dermatologist Heather Woolery-Lloyd. "It's widest at the base and narrowest at the tip." When you shave a hair, you cut it at the base. The widest part then grows out, and the hair appears thicker. But shaving doesn't change the width, density or color of hair.

 

Myth 4: Putting Vaseline on your face nightly will prevent wrinkles.Marilyn Monroe allegedly slathered the thick salve on religiously to stay youthful-looking, but that doesn't mean you should. As the skin ages, it loses its ability to retain moisture, and skin that's dry looks older. Petroleum jelly can make wrinkles less apparent because it's adding moisture to the skin, which softens lines, but it can't actually prevent aging.

 

Myth 5: Wearing nail polish all the time will make your nails turn yellow.This is true, but you can wear enamel all you like and still avoid discoloration. Nails are porous, and they absorb the pigment in polishes. Darker colors, especially reds, have more pigment, so they often stain your nails. The solution: Before applying polish, paint on a clear base coat.

 

Myth 6: You can shrink your pores.It's actually impossible to change the size of pores, but you can make them look smaller -- and using egg whites, a beauty trick Grandma may have tried, does work. "Egg whites tighten the skin, giving the illusion of smaller pores, but it's a temporary effect," says Tulane University Professor Elizabeth McBurney.

 

Myth 7: If you use wax to remove hair, fewer hairs will grow back.Wax rips the hair out at the follicles. And any repeated injury to the follicles over time -- we're talking 20 years -- could damage some follicles to the point that they don't grow back. So employ waxing for its ability to keep your legs smoother longer than shaving can, not for diminishing hair growth.

 

Myth 8: Preparation H deflates puffiness.This is a secret of makeup artists everywhere, and there's a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that this hemorrhoid cream can reduce undereye baggage, but no clinical studies have been done. One of the product's ingredients, a yeast derivative that is said to reduce puffiness, is no longer found in the version that's available in the States. (The cream was reformulated in 1994.) The other ingredient that is credited with reducing inflammation is phenylephrine, which temporarily constricts blood vessels. Nevertheless, using Preparation H around the eyes can cause dry and inflamed skin, says McBurney, so use this only where it's meant to be used, south of the belt line.

 

Myth 9: Rubbing your eyes creates wrinkles.You won't get crow's-feet just from kneading your eyes when you're tired. But the tug of gravity and the repetitive movement of facial muscles, as in smiling or frowning, can break down the collagen in your skin and create wrinkles over time. So that silly taunt you heard as a child -- "If you keep making that face, it will freeze that way" -- has merit.

 

Myth 10: Applying cocoa butter or olive oil will stop stretch marks.Sadly, this isn't true. Stretch marks occur when skin expands quickly (as in pregnancy), breaking the collagen and elastin fibers that normally support it. Or they're simply luck of the genetic draw. "Stretch marks are formed below the top layer of skin, where the cocoa butter and olive oil can't reach," says McBurney. The most either can do is quell the itching that occurs when skin expands.

 

Myth 11: Brushing your hair 100 strokes a day will make it shine.Marcia Brady, it turns out, was overzealous in her beauty routine. "One hundred strokes is too much," said Christopher Mackin, a trichologist (someone who studies hair). "You'll do more damage than good." Hair will break if you tug on it too much. However, gentle brushing -- a few strokes here and there -- will make hair shine by distributing the natural oils from the scalp down the hair shafts and flattening the cuticles to make them reflect more light. More significant, light brushing removes impurities and stimulates blood flow to the scalp, which nourishes hair follicles and keeps them healthy.

 

Myth 12: Tanning or dotting on toothpaste can help get rid of pimples.True to both, but don't run for the tanning booth or apply a Colgate face mask. While some sun exposure may help pimples get better temporarily, you can experience a rebound effect. Plus, sun exposure can lead to bigger problems, such as premature aging and skin cancer. As for toothpaste, it often contains menthol, which can help dry out a pimple. Other common toothpaste ingredients can irritate the skin. And there are much better over-the-counter options than toothpaste.

 

Myth 13: Sleeping on your back or with a satin pillow will help your face stay wrinkle-free.That's a big exaggeration with a little truth behind it. As you age, the collagen and elastin fibers in your skin break down, so when you burrow your face into a pillow, putting pressure on these fibers for several hours at a time, the skin is increasingly less likely to snap back. If you have a pattern of sleeping on one side, that side of your face will typically show more wrinkling than the other. Learning to sleep on your back can help your skin a bit, but you'd fare much better wearing a good sunscreen.

 

Myth 14: Rinsing your hair with beer will make it thicker.A final rinse of beer at the end of your shower will leave you with more voluminous strands. "The beer builds up the circumference of the shafts," says Philip Berkovitz, founder of Philip B. hair products. One caveat: You may smell like a frat house until the scent dissipates. Instead, try a thickening shampoo with hops, such as Aussie Shampoo Real Volume.

 

Myth 15: Applying mayonnaise to your hair will make it glossier.Mayo is made with an oil base, and it makes hair shine. But to avoid a mess, try this method: Apply a cup of mayonnaise mixed with a teaspoon of vanilla extract (to cut the mayonnaise scent) to dry, unwashed hair. Cover your head with a warm towel to help the mayonnaise penetrate, and leave it on for 20 minutes. Before you step into the shower, apply a heaping handful of shampoo to your hair. Don't add any water yet; just massage it in thoroughly for several minutes. That will help break down the excess oil. Rinse with cool water in the shower and your hair will come out shiny and silky.

 

Myth 16: Never pluck a gray hair, because 10 more will grow in its place.This is false. If anything, ripping a hair out by its root leads to regrowth that refuses to lie flat. Your best bet for conquering gray? See a colorist.

 

Myth 17: Hair grows faster in summer than in winter.Although studies have shown that men's beards grow faster in summer, there is no evidence to suggest that the hair on your head does. Many women say they can tell it grows faster then, but if so, the difference is slight and barely detectable, according to McBurney. The only time women's hair has been proven to grow faster is during pregnancy, thanks to increased hormones.

 

Myth 18: Drinking water keeps your skin from drying out.What keeps skin moist is oil, not water. Certainly, drinking water helps vital organs operate properly, and too little water in your body can give you a wan appearance. But your skin can still look dry even if you drink eight glasses a day.

 

This story, written by Rebecca Sample Gerstung, originally appeared in Real Simple.

 

http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/12/02/beauty-myths-debunked/?icid=mai...

 

Comment by Gary W Addis, LMT on December 12, 2010 at 6:08pm

Welcome, Ariana.  As I am a student, I  need all the learned input available. 

Comment by lee kalpin on December 12, 2010 at 5:07pm

Welcome Ariana

Comment by Ariana Vincent, LMT, MTI, BCTMB on December 12, 2010 at 5:05pm

NEW MEMBER TO THE MYTHS OF MASSAGE GROUP

 

I'm looking forward to being an active participant in this group. I'm an educator and I'm always interested in learning about myths and dispelling them, as appropriate. I love the level of intelligence I see when I read previous posts. I'm delighted to be included in this group.

 

Ariana Vincent, LMT, MTI, NCTBM

Founder and CEO of Ariana Institute

http://www.arianainstitute.com

 

Comment by Emmanuel Bistas on December 11, 2010 at 7:51am

I would not go as far as saying that muscle memory is a scientific fact based on Dr. Lipton's work.  But the work does show that there is "intelligence" and "decision making" at a level that bends the norms of conventional science and medicine, and turns upside down our understanding of evolution.  

 

At the same time I would not knock muscle memory as a myth because there is much we do not know, including theories that memory and consciousness are actually stored outside our bodies and our brains and bodies are simply the tools to retrieve them (McTaggart).  Who can know for sure?

 

There are indeed myths in our profession. For example, if there are toxins (in the classic sense) that get released by massage, we should be able to find them.  A urine or saliva test before and after the massage should be able to detect them.  If it can't, then we can say it's a myth.  But we cannot call something a myth (e.g. muscle memory, qi, ) if we don't have enough information about it.

 

I have been concerned for some time now, that the desire to be accepted by the medical community has created the notion (myth?) that self-flagellation is good for our profession.  That we if we punish ourselves enough, if we repent for our myths, that we will be embraced by the medical profession and the gates of insurance heavens will be opened to us.  

 

Personally, I think we should be driven by the search for truth and the desire to help our clients, not for the desire to belong.  Nobody respects a profession that has no respect for itself.

 

Rudy, thank you for bringing up Bruce Lipton here.  I also plugged his name and book on a couple different threads and hope that more people read his books.

 

Happy holidays!

Comment by Gary W Addis, LMT on December 6, 2010 at 11:22pm

Seems to me that some fine folk are denying scientific research in order to promote the notion that we should forgo ancient wisdom and rely on science. I think this argument can be pared down to the raw fact that, as educator/investigator Bruce Lipton states in his highly acclaimed books, muscle cells and all other living cells store memories of events in their individual and collective lives. Not as you and I store memories of our last trip to visit grandmother, but memories nevertheless. IOW, this longstanding "myth of massage" is affirmed as factual.

Comment by rudy m smith on December 6, 2010 at 5:57am

Very cool analogies Lee

Fascia is known to be piezioelectric in nature, meaning when it is stressed it will generate or release electricity.
just following this concept alone can take you places.

Comment by Lee Edelberg on December 4, 2010 at 10:47pm

Mike Dake said: What gets interesting is that this collagen fiber is a semi-conductor. This means that energy can change states. A conductor is like an electrical cord going to your lamp. Flip it around, step on it, .... no change. The light bulb is a semi-conductor. Electricity goes in and it is changed to heat, light, sound (if the filament vibrates), movement (if the filament vibrates), and some just stays as electricity. If you look at a one of those swimming noodles, picture it as a collagen fiber. Now put a bunch of + signs along the top and put an equal number of - signs along the bottom. It is balanced and electrically neutral. If you bend it, you compress the negatives along the bottom and stretch the positives along the top. This creates an energy imbalance at this point and electrons will flow.

I don't want to side-track this interesting discussion, but I have to point out some errors in this thinking. A light bulb filament is most definitely not a semi-conductor. It is a conductor with a high fixed resistance relative to the circuit conductors feeding it. The wires to the bulb are conductors with relatively low fixed resistances. Electrical energy is converted to heat at the fixed rate of 3.4 btu's per watt of power used. All of the energy is used up in the circuit. (none of it just "stays around as electricity" !) Some of it is converted to heat due to the resistance in the circuit conductors. The remainder is converted to heat (and the resulting light) at the bulb.

A semi-conductor is a material that is somewhere between a conductor and an insulator, and I've never heard of an organic one. Collagen is not unstable electrically from what I've read, it is simply polarized. An H20 molecule in not unstable, but it is polarized (that's why steam confuses ionization-style smoke detectors). When a collagen molecule is distorted, is has some sort of electrical effect, but it isn't changing states, as far I as I can tell. Moving charges around creates fields but that's not the same thing as changing states. Lastly, in a biological medium, ions can move, both positive and negative, unlike in a copper wire, where only the negative charges can move.

Comment by rudy m smith on December 2, 2010 at 4:06pm

you are welcome and his works should be included in our ever expanding bodies of evidence!

Comment by Gary W Addis, LMT on December 2, 2010 at 1:36pm

Rudy, I have just finished reading the provided excerpt from Bruce Lipton's first book. Fascinating--and an education. Lipton confirms my instinctive belief that each of the body's trillions of cells is capable of establishing and maintaining memories, and individually adapting to their environment--even outside the body, and without direction from the brain. Thank you, Rudy, for introducing me to Lipton.

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