Paraffin therapy for hands: varieties of the procedure and the subtleties of its conduct
Every person wants to be beautiful and desirable, especially for the beautiful half of humanity. Girls and women care not only about their health, but also about external beauty. In order to look attractive, it is important to keep an eye on everything, including the skin of the hands and feet, which are sometimes simply forgotten. Paraffin therapy is a wonderful option for care and giving the skin tenderness and firmness, therefore it is important to know about all the intricacies of the procedure and be able to carry it out.
What it is?
The benefits of paraffin therapy have been known for a long time and have been successfully practiced by many people, because the effect has been proven in practice. Paraffin can be applied to different parts of the body - this is the scalp, face, neck and other parts of the body. You need to apply the composition in liquid form, after melting it, and using layers, applications or baths. In order to better understand what paraffin therapy is, you need to understand the principles of its effect on the body.
The use of paraffin has a mechanical and thermal effect on the integument of the human body. When the substance begins to solidify, it shrinks in size by about 10%, acquiring elasticity and exerting a compressive effect on the tissue. This effect allows more active penetration of heat into the integument, which reduces the lumen of superficial vessels, and this, in turn, accelerates blood flow along with lymph flow.
This procedure helps to get rid of harmful substances and toxins that accumulate in the body.
Due to the effect of heat, the surface of the skin heats up slightly, which makes it possible to increase the intercellular space, open pores and soften the stratum corneum. The peculiarity of the procedure is that there is no loss of moisture due to the complete isolation of the area where the reaction takes place, and this leads to the fact that the water balance of the skin does not change and the person does not feel dryness and discomfort at the end of the process.
It is important to carry out paraffin therapy correctly, using a medical white purified composition., in which there are no impurities. To make it liquid, you need to place the substance in a water bath and bring to a boil. ...
If all the paraffin wax cannot be used at once, you can reuse it, but it is important to sterilize it before reuse.
Paraffin therapy has a positive effect on the human body due to:
- the process of expanding the walls of the capillaries;
- increased metabolic process in the area where the procedure is carried out;
- it helps to remove metabolic products from the skin.
In addition, the effect of paraffin has such an effect as:
- softness, moisturizing of the skin;
- cleaning pores;
- getting rid of edematous processes;
- lifting and tightening the skin;
- providing nails with nutrients;
- withdrawal of exchange products;
- fast healing process and assistance in restoring damaged skin areas;
- reduction of inflammation and pain in a chronic condition.
Hand paraffin therapy is a common procedure used by many women. Hands in women age the fastest, the skin becomes dry and their appearance already at 30 is far from the same as it was in youth. Thanks to the use of paraffin, it is possible to achieve softening of the skin, increasing its elasticity and a slight lifting effect. If you start using the product immediately after the first signs of coarsening of the skin appear, you can correct the situation and keep your hands beautiful for many years, and your skin young and elastic.
You can also take foot baths to reduce the number of dead skin cells, especially in the heel and big toe. This procedure is pleasant and has good results of use, allowing for several applications to get rid of coarse areas and prevent their appearance again.
It is not difficult to use paraffin, and the benefits of it are quite large, therefore it is worth taking a closer look at this method, examining all the advantages and disadvantages and trying to experience its miraculous effect on yourself.
Benefit and harm
Paraffin therapy is a cosmetic skin care procedure that has excellent results.
Due to the characteristics of the human body, there are people who do not want to use it for a number of reasons:
- intolerance to the components of the composition;
- acute inflammation;
- period of exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- the presence of sunburn;
- oncology;
- hypertension;
- phlebeurysm;
- diabetes;
- tuberculosis;
- damage to the skin after paraffin therapy;
- abscesses, rashes, open wounds, or inflammation;
- acute eczema;
- the presence of hypertrichosis in girls;
- rosacea.
Speaking of species diversity, there are only two variants of the procedure that can be used for hand care - these are cold and hot.
Cold method
When using the cold method, you do not need to melt the paraffin, it already has the consistency of a cream, which makes it possible to conveniently apply it to your hands. Although there is no exposure to heat, the hands still experience the effect of a sauna, which helps to normalize the water balance and soften the skin. If you use any additional beneficial ingredients under the cream, they will be absorbed faster by the skin and will begin to act more actively.
To help your skin to sweat faster, wear plastic bags or gloves on your hands. An important feature of paraffin cream is a narrow specialization. It cannot be applied to the face, because the consistency is too heavy and there is a risk of clogging the pores and causing allergic reactions.
Hot method
When using the hot method, it is necessary to melt the paraffin in a bath, and treat the skin with an antiseptic. It is best to exfoliate before using paraffin so that the pores are fully prepared for the effects of the composition. In the container where the paraffin was heated, you need to lower your hands several times, and then put them in warm gloves, which should already be prepared. After half an hour, the paraffin is removed, and the hands are moistened with a special cream.
The hot variety is recommended for certain medical conditions., and cold is more often chosen by those who are sensitive to heat or do not want to spend a lot of time and effort on preparation. The difference between these methods is that cold paraffin is at room temperature, and hot paraffin is much warmer, which contributes to additional heating of the skin. The structure of cold cream-paraffin is denser than that of hot, therefore the effect is stronger and lasts a longer period.
The cold variety has the consistency of a cream, while hot paraffin is a liquid substance that, after cooling, becomes a solid film.
The advantage of the cold version is the presence of more useful ingredients in it than in the hot one. So, in it you can find essential oil, lecithin, proteins with vitamins and more. The cold type of paraffin therapy is recommended for almost everyone, even pregnant women, it is easy to use, and the effect can be obtained almost immediately.
Execution rules
The procedure for paraffin treatment of hands in a salon is different from those methods that can be done at home. The difference lies in the principles of composition overlay. This could be:
- Layering. Paraffin is melted at a temperature of 60 degrees and applied to the skin surface using a specialized brush. In this case, the layer is obtained from one to two millimeters. When the desired area has been treated, cover it with plastic or wax paper. The final step will be covering with a warm towel or blanket. The applied paraffin has a temperature index of about 50 degrees and heats the skin well.
- The use of baths. The hands are initially treated with a brush with paraffin, which should have a temperature of about 50 degrees, after which the hand should be wrapped in polyethylene or immersed in a bath, where the paraffin will be in a liquid state, since its temperature will be more than 60 degrees.
- Applications with a napkin. Paraffin is applied to them in a thick layer in two passes, until the total thickness reaches half a centimeter. The next step is to put on a gauze bandage, which must be folded from at least 10 layers soaked in a solution of paraffin with a temperature of 70 degrees. The last step will be wrapping it in plastic and covering your hands with a warm blanket.
- Cuvette application. A procedure that involves pouring paraffin in a liquid state into five-centimeter cuvettes with a height of no more than 2 cm. A film must be placed in them in advance, which is much larger in size than the mold. Its size should be the same as the area where the application will take place. As soon as the paraffin has cooled and is soft, it is placed on the film on the desired part of the hand. The last step is to cover the area to be treated with a blanket.
- Using a paraffin-oil mixture, for which paraffin, fish oil or cottonseed oil is used. These components are combined and brought to a temperature of one hundred degrees, after which they are poured into a spray bottle and thus applied to the surface of the skin of the hands. In the process of spraying, the composition loses up to 30 degrees of heat, without burning the skin. When the entire surface is processed, the formed layer is covered with a napkin.It must be sterile and pre-moistened with the same mixture.
Work in the salon has a clear sequence of actions that must not be violated:
- disinfection of hands before starting the procedure;
- applying a nourishing cream that has a moisturizing effect;
- immersion of hands in a paraffin bath for 2-3 seconds, then they are taken out for the same time and immersed again;
- putting on polyethylene gloves;
- Terry specialized mittens are put on over the gloves;
- the procedure takes about 20 minutes;
- after the time has elapsed, you need to take off mittens and gloves, remove the wax and dry your hands well.
After the end of the procedure, it is advisable to spend another 30 minutes in the salon so that your hands cool to ambient temperature and there is no discomfort from a sudden change in the environment.
How to do it at home?
Carrying out paraffin therapy is not a very difficult process, and you can just do it at home. The effect of the procedure is quite quick, after the first use you can notice obvious changes for the better. With the systematic use of paraffin, you can radically transform the appearance of your hands, rejuvenating them for several years.
To carry out the procedure at home, you need to have:
- Medical paraffin. You cannot take candles for cosmetic events and melt them, because this can negatively affect the health of the skin, or even cause a burn. You can buy specialized paraffin in cosmetics stores, pharmacies and large supermarkets.
- Polyethylene gloves.
- Terry towel mittens that you can buy or sew yourself. If this is not possible, then a simple warm towel will do.
- If there is a desire to carry out paraffin therapy of hands quite often, then you can purchase a whole set, which includes the wax itself, gloves, a bath with a heating function, where the paraffin will be melted. If this option of procedures will be carried out rarely or in the absence of a bath, you can use an ordinary small saucepan to melt the ingredients. Conveniently, after use it will be quite easy to wash it.
In order to do hand paraffin therapy correctly, it is important to perform all actions in the correct sequence.
The step-by-step instructions will look like this:
- The first step is to take care of your nails. This process must be done prior to working with paraffin wax. Hands need to be dipped in a container of warm water to which soda has been added. The work begins with the cuticles, which are pushed back, after which the excess part is removed, and only then you need to proceed to the very trimming of the nail. Regardless of whether nails will be coated with gel or varnish, all care procedures are carried out just before paraffin therapy.
- As soon as the work with the nails is completed, you can do the procedure itself, for which it is necessary to melt the paraffin. The presence of a specialized bath makes the task easier, but you can also cope with the help of improvised means, using a steam bath. The heating process should not be delayed, otherwise the temperature of the resulting mass will be very high. At the moment when the composition begins to melt, you can remove it from the stove. Paraffin melts at a temperature of 70 degrees, you do not need to bring the water to a boil.
- If there is a desire to make the mass more nutritious and add essential oils and other additives, then this process must be carried out simultaneously with the kindling so that all the components are well mixed. If you add additional substances after removing the paraffin from the fire, they may delaminate and not be distributed over the entire surface of the hands, which means they will not bring the expected benefit.
- The container that will need to be used under the bath must be selected of suitable sizes so that one or two hands can be dipped into it without any problems.The number of dives should be at least two or even three for each hand. The more layers of paraffin there are, the better the effect will be due to the longer ability to retain heat.
- Polyethylene gloves are prepared in advance and placed next to the procedure site. It is important to open them initially so that after the baths you can immediately lower your hands in them. As soon as the gloves are on, you should immediately put on warm terry mittens or wrap your hands in a towel or blanket.
- As soon as the mass hardens, you can remove everything from your hands. Paraffin is easily removed from the skin without leaving any traces on it. On the dishes where the preparations were carried out, it is best to remove the residues after the composition is completely dry, so it will be easier to clean it off. In case of using additives, it is better to wash the container with soap.
The process of paraffin therapy for the skin of the hands can be carried out at any time and in any quantity. It is recommended to use this product no more than twice a week for two months. The effect will be visible from each application of paraffin, therefore you do not need to wait for some time to see the result, the skin of the hands will become much softer, more elastic and more pleasant from the first use. The advantage of this process is that by spending no more than 40 minutes on it, you can get the effect of rejuvenation, get rid of the unpleasant sensations of dry skin of the hands, without spending large financial resources and without leaving your own home.
Useful Tips
As the girls recommend in the reviews, when purchasing paraffin, it is best to choose options that already have additives. It can be peach oil, which is well suited for people with allergies, shea butter, which perfectly helps to fight age-related skin changes, tea rose extract, which contains vitamin E and rosehip oil, without which spa treatments cannot be performed.
The use of the hot version of hand paraffin therapy should be deliberate and performed in accordance with the instructions. It is important not to overheat the composition, otherwise there is a risk of getting a skin burn. In order to check the temperature, you need to apply a little product to the back of your hand, and if there is no discomfort, then you can carry out the procedure. It is important to purchase a quality product, because the health of your hands depends on it. Price can be part of an indicator of quality. Too cheap options are unlikely to be good, so you should choose a product in the middle price category.
In the event that the procedure using paraffin will be carried out frequently, it is better to spend a single time and purchase a special bath, which will speed up the process, it will heat the composition exactly to the required temperature, so there will be no need to constantly search for a suitable container. Choosing such a device, you should immediately decide for which parts of the body it will be needed, its dimensions will depend on this.
If you need a container only for the hands, then 2 liters is enough, for the legs you will need a larger volume.
When choosing a bath, you should pay attention to the speed of heating the paraffin. The higher it is, the better. A good addition would be a thermostat. A particularly pleasant function will be the presence of a filter, which helps in the process of cleaning the paraffin itself and makes it easier to clean the container. The best option would be the presence of a non-slip coating on the bottom of the bath or the presence of suction cups, which guarantee the stability of the container and increase the comfort of its use.
If the paraffin therapy procedure will be carried out for the first time, it is advisable to check for allergies to one or another component or additive, so as not to harm yourself. You can do this in a medical facility or experimentally by preparing a solution and dipping your finger into it. After the day has passed, we can conclude that if there is no redness, itching, rash and other signs of allergies, then you can safely start the procedure.Having any deviations from the normal state for which the use of a paraffin mask is allowed, you do not need to use it, because this will only bring harm.
The following video will tell you more about the paraffin therapy procedure.