My Thai Massage

My Thai Massage

When Mai came to Cabelo, it was clear from the outset how passionate, skilled and knowledgeable she was. What can now be added to her list of attributes is how kind, caring and generous she is; sometimes overrunning the appointment time because she knows the client would benefit from another 10 mintues of treatment, or seeing how truly happy she is when she manages to help a desperate client who has seen practitioner after practitioner without success.

She has only worked at Cabelo since May 2021, but Mai hit the ground running and her client base is growing like mad – you only have to go to our reviews page and read what clients are saying about her treatments to understand why she is already making a name for herself in her field of expertise.

It’s not just Mai, or her massage, or the tranquil garden, or the undefiniable serenity of the treatment space; it’s everything coming together which gives the client a totally different clinical and wellbeing experience from anything they have had before.

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Spotlight on:
Two of Mai’s most popular massages – Thai Hot Oil and Lymphatic Drainage (Detox)

Mai’s Thai Hot Oil massage concentrates on pressure points throughout the entire body, helping to ease muscle tension, improve blood circulation and eliminate toxins. As with all Mai’s massages her technique can range from gentle to firm, depending on the needs and tolerance of the client.

Mai’s Lymphatic Drainage or Detox massage is a very gentle massage aimed to create a vacuum with gentle pressure to create a flushing effect in the body. To move waste fluids away from the damaged area, the massage needs to cover the whole body, not just the affected area. It is a very technical treatment, but is also very relaxing, with clients often falling asleep while the massage is being adminstered. Although the results can be instantaneous, without regular massages the condition will worsen again within 10-14 days.

Lymphedema

Lymphedema

Lymphedema is a fairly common condition and results from a blockage in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system, part of the immune system, helps eliminate toxins from the body. When it is impeded, the resulting fluid buildup leads to painful swelling and a lack of mobility. At its worst, lymphedema can cause significant depression in the sufferer.

Water pills have no effect on Lymphedema. 

Lymphatic Drainage Massage is a very gentle massage aimed to create a vacuum with gentle pressure so that the area is prepared to bring in more fluid, creating a flushing effect. To move waste fluids away from the damaged area, the massage needs to cover more than just the affected area. It is such a relaxing treatment, clients often keep fall asleep while the massage is being adminstered.

Mai’s Lymphatic Drainage Massage is a 90 minute treatment and the results are instantaneous. Mai has clients who, when they come to her for the first time, can hardly walk from the car to the therapy room. She says the change in their mobility afterwards is truly heartening.

Unfortunately, Lymphedema cannot be cured. It is a condition that requires regular treatment to prevent toxin build up. In the most severe cases, where the swelling becomes debhilitating, Mai recommends fortnighly sessions to keep the condition under control. 

If you want to know more, call or message Mai on 07306 898899 or email her at info@mythaimassage.uk

Why Review?

Why Review?

When we go anywhere new, try anything new, eat anywhere new, generally the first thing we do is read all the reviews before committing ourselves. And afterwards, even though hopefully we’ve been to a brilliant place, had a fantastic meal, experienced wonderful service, or hopefully all of these things at once, generally the most we will do is tell our friends and family – and that’s if we remember. 

These days a lot of people in the hair and beauty industry are self employed. Sending them a card or a text to thank them for what they’ve done for you is lovely, but taking a few minutes to write a public review sharing your experience is a very practical way to support your stylist, beautician or therapist – or indeed any business where you are a happy client/customer – and I promise you, they will be very grateful when you do.

Erika’s Unisex Express Facial

Erika’s Unisex Express Facial

I booked in to try Erika’s Express Facial on Wednesday, which is the cheapest wellness treatment on her menu at £20, with part of me thinking I’m about to pay for something I can probably do just as well myself at home. But as I was feeling under the weather I knew I’d still feel better for it afterwards. It was raining again so lucky me and the clients who had been in earlier – everyone had said the same thing apparently, cosiness with an extra dopple of cozy when it’s raining.

The treatment starts with a cleanse, but then I’m a bit hazy after that. The facial massage, the scalp massage, the hand massage, the lovely oils, it just went on and on until I was rendered slightly comatose…. in a sort of roll me up into a corner when you’ve finished and let me sleep here kind of way. Nothing express about it.

The product left on your face and hair she recommends you leave on overnight for best results, so I spent the rest of the evening in a relaxed state with partially oily hair, a glowing complexion and a copiously bleeding finger from dropping and smashing a pint glass of water. Not going to harp on about how important it is to rehydrate after a treatment, but clearly being in a relaxed state should carry its own health warning.

I did ask at the end if I’d had special treatment with the scalp and hand massage, but no, I’d received the standard £20 Express Facial. I will continue to have Erika’s more tailored facials from time to time as I need them, but at this price this is one I’ll definitely be able to revisit more regularly, not only as a conditioning treatment, but also a lovely pick me up.   

PS Although my hair needed 3 shampoos the next day, the condition was lovely. Colour treated hair is always better after a long conditioning treatment and something I should do more regularly.

Tonsurephobia and General Salon Anxiety

Tonsurephobia and General Salon Anxiety

Tonsurephobia in its literal form is a fear of having your hair cut, but it can also be a general anxiety. I had never heard of it before I opened Cabelo, but soon realised I suffer low level tonsurephobia as I have never felt comfortable being in a busy hair salon where there is a lot of noise, chatter and general hustle bustle. I would have loved the opportunity to say, “Can I have an appointment where I am the only client in the salon, please?”, but then of course no busy high street salon has the time to work around someone’s personal issues. 

At Cabelo it’s different. We are a very small salon with a talented and understanding stylist, who recognises that everyone is different and will book appointments around people’s schedules wherever possible and also appreciates that there are a lot of people who feel high levels of anxiety being around others. Having your hair done should not be something that fills you with anxiety, but rather it should be a lovely relaxing experience which improves not only your physical look, but also your emotional wellbeing. And that is why we offer “quiet appointments” to ladies and gents where they are guaranteed to be the only client in the salon.  

Book your “quiet appointment” with Neena by calling or messaging her on 07538 999757.

While quiet appointments work well for people like me with mild anxiety, if your anxiety levels are so high that your every day life is being badly affected, you may need expert help. Call or message in total confidence our integrative MBACP counsellor, Viktoria at Lemon Tree Therapy on 07471 932238. Or find out more by clicking here.  

Lemon Tree Therapy, in the Garden Therapy Room at Cabelo in Tettenhall
Secretly Stealing Wellbeing from the Therapists

Secretly Stealing Wellbeing from the Therapists

Before I started developing our wellness centre last year, I did some massage training at a wonderful place in the beautiful Welsh Borders. I enjoyed it so much that I will definitely go back there and have an overnighter somewhere close and book in as a client for a couple of treatments now that I’m not going away this year (will leave details at the end of the blog in case you would like to take a mini break and try it for yourself). Anyway, it was at that point I became aware that therapists, who clearly love what they do, seem to radiate an aura of peacefulness that makes you feel better just being in their company.

I asked Mai, our Thai Therapist, about this and she explained that while giving that ultimate touch therapy, the massage, there is a cross transference of wellbeing between the masseur and the client. She says that giving 4 maybe 5 massages a day perfectly balances her state of wellbeing. I know this to be true of Reiki practitioners as well.

The flip side of this is that many more people have stressful jobs, such as doctors and nurses, or work in an environment where they are constantly absorbing client anxiety, such as dentists and driving test examiners. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), early warning signs of job stress include:

  • Headaches
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Difficulty in concentrating
  • Short temper
  • Job dissatisfaction
  • Low morale

These symptoms interfere with an employee’s sense of well-being and can result in poor health behaviours, such as not eating or eating too much. Moreover, sustained exposure to stressful working conditions can result in a variety of long term health problems, including:

  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Musculoskeletal disorders
  • Psychological disorders
  • Workplace injury

Research shows that amongst other things, three of the commonest ways to combat stress and release negative energy are having a support network (not everyone has and sometimes it’s not enough), self care, and taking regular exercise. We can’t take care of the latter, but we can provide  expert emotional support (Lemon Tree Therapy) and physical therapy (Erika and Mai) to help restore wellbeing.

And so I continue to shamelessly steal my little bit of “feel good” from the therapists when I see them. And when that’s not enough, for example when my stress levels are high or the old back and creaking joints need a bit of attention, then I book myself in for a proper treatment and then can I properly appreciate the Garden Therapy Room as a client. The sounds of nature, the gentle spa music, the aroma of the oils, the warmth, the lovely therapists and their expert soothing hands… and if I’m lucky and the weather’s bad, the gentle rhythm of the rain on the roof… all combining to give that ultimate wellbeing therapy.

See full details at https://cabelo-tettenhall.com/wellness/

 

Lemon Tree Therapy, in the Garden Therapy Room at Cabelo in Tettenhall

Debbie Hughes @Pretty Vintage Holistics & Spiritual Therapies
The Old Co-op
Ellesmere Road
St Martins
SY11 3AZ

I will be booking in for the Face the World facial, which is a choreographed massage to a gorgeous soundtrack, together with a reflexology treatment, but go to her website and see what else she offers. As I say about our therapists’ treatments, I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

01691 778012
https://www.prettyvintageholistics.co.uk/