The benefits of paraffin baths, how to do for hands, feet and face

The benefits and harms of paraffin therapy is an urgent issue for those who care about the beauty and health of their bodies. Treatments based on special paraffin have a positive effect on the skin, but, of course, certain rules must be followed with them.

What is paraffin therapy

Paraffin therapy is a cosmetic procedure in which a compress of warm or cold paraffin is applied to the hands, body or face. Under an impenetrable compress, a sauna effect is created, the skin warms up properly, softens and gives off excess fluid. After a while, the paraffin is removed and the skin is lubricated with additional moisturizers and protective agents.

For paraffin therapy, both heated and cold paraffin are used. What is the essence and benefits of the procedure?

Hot

Hot paraffin therapy is based on temperature effects on the skin. Hot paraffin warms up the skin, opens the pores, and moisture appears abundantly. But since this moisture cannot evaporate, then it only needs to be absorbed back into the skin along with the valuable substances present in the paraffin composition.

Cold

The principle of operation of cold paraffin therapy is the same as for a hot procedure. But this method can be considered more gentle, since the skin is heated under cold paraffin only due to its own heat.

Why are paraffin baths useful?

The benefit of paraffin therapy for hands and feet is that the procedure in any form has the following properties:

• moisturizes, nourishes and rejuvenates the skin;
• heals small lesions on the skin;
• smoothes wrinkles, scars and other skin irregularities;
• helps to eliminate cellulite;
• relieves edema;
• helps to get rid of bruises faster;
• restores water-lipid balance.

Indications for paraffin therapy

Paraffin therapy will have particular benefits:

• with too dry or loose skin;
• with dermatitis;
• with a tendency to edema;
• with cellulite;
• with excessive pigmentation;
• with scars and sagging areas of the skin after operations;
• with irritation from exposure to cold and chemicals.

Paraffin therapy

The properties of warm or cold paraffin are used not only for cosmetic, but also for medical purposes. Namely, the procedure is prescribed:

• with psoriasis and neurodermatitis;
• with neuralgia and osteochondrosis;
• with arthritis and arthrosis;
• with sprains and bruises.

The beneficial properties of paraffin can even help in the treatment of fractures.

What is needed for paraffin therapy at home

Many beauty salons offer a useful procedure, but if you wish, you can do paraffin therapy at home. To do this, you will need to acquire the appropriate inventory, but the list is not too long. In particular, paraffin therapy requires:

• useful paraffin itself;
• special container for the procedure;
• cling film or thin cellophane gloves;
• ordinary woolen thick gloves;
• aromatic additives or herbal infusions.

How to choose the right paraffin bath

Of course, if you wish, you can take an ordinary capacious bowl made of dense plastic or enameled metal for the procedure. However, this is not very convenient - the paraffin will have to be melted in a separate bowl, then transferred to a container, in addition, it will cool quickly.

It is much more convenient to buy a device designed specifically for paraffin therapy. Choose a container according to the following parameters:

• volumes - there are containers for hands or feet, their capacity is different;
• power - paraffin therapy takes quite a long time, and the faster the device melts solid paraffin, the better;
• presence or absence of a thermostat - the sensor will show when the paraffin is ready for use, in addition, usually containers with thermostats are equipped with the function of maintaining the desired temperature.

Particular attention should be paid to universal containers. They have several modes, and the paraffin in them can be heated up to medium temperature as well. This is important because the applications should be less hot for some parts of the body than for others.

Which paraffin is suitable for the procedure

For cosmetic use, only pure medical paraffin can be used, usually white in color, which begins to melt at a temperature of 42-46 degrees. You can get it at a pharmacy or a good cosmetic store.

Instructions for conducting paraffin baths at home

It is possible to carry out paraffin therapy at home for hands, body and legs. The benefits of paraffin therapy for the face are unconditional, but it is better to do it in the salon to avoid harm.

In all cases, you must adhere to the basic rules.

1. Before the procedure, the skin must be cleaned with a scrub, kneaded with a light massage and applied with a nourishing cream.
2. Useful paraffin must be melted in a special miniature bath or, in its absence, in any suitable container in a water bath.
3. The melting temperature is from 50 to 65 degrees, otherwise the paraffin will be too hot.
4. Keep the application on hands, feet or body for no more than 15-20 minutes, and then carefully remove it.

After the procedure, the skin must be treated with a nourishing cream again.

Cold paraffin therapy looks very similar, but you do not need to melt the agent in this case. It is simply applied like a cream, covered with a film and cloth, and after 20 minutes, gently removed with napkins.

Paraffin therapy for hands

At home, this procedure is most often performed. The use of paraffin hand baths is that the product moisturizes the skin, relieves flaking and itching, and helps to tighten microcracks.

The paraffin is heated to 55-60 degrees, the hands are immersed in it, after 10 seconds they are taken out, and held for several seconds. The whole procedure is repeated 5 times. Then they put cellophane gloves on their hands or wrap the brushes with foil, put on a tight mitten or glove on top. After 20 minutes, the application is removed along with the film.

Paraffin foot bath

The procedure noticeably softens the skin of the feet, helps to get rid of calluses and corns, relieves fatigue and eliminates edema. The algorithm is exactly the same as for the hands, only the container needs to be taken larger so that the legs fit into it. Instead of mittens, a thick warm sock is put on on the feet treated with paraffin.

Paraffin treatment for the face

The properties of paraffin rejuvenate the skin of the face, effectively nourish it, and reduce the number of wrinkles. Paraffin application is one of the best remedies for blackheads, the procedure helps to fight the unevenness of the skin left after acne and acne.

In this case, paraffin is applied to the face with a brush, and its temperature should be no more than 50 degrees - the skin on the face is very delicate. First, the first layer of the product is applied to the face, then a gauze mask is placed on top. And already the next 5 layers of paraffin are applied to it, not forgetting about intervals of a few seconds.

Body paraffin therapy

The procedure effectively helps to remove edema and cellulite, helps to get rid of stretch marks and scars on the body. Relieves local pain - for example, there will be great benefits from paraffin therapy for the knee joint for injuries or inflammations in this area.

Paraffin is applied with a wide brush in 5-6 layers, with small intervals necessary for the hardening of each previous layer. From above, the area on the body is covered with cling film and fixed with a dense cloth, and after 20-30 minutes, paraffin is removed from the skin.

Ways of applying paraffin

There are several methods of paraffin therapy. There are 5 main ways to apply the heated composition to the skin.

1. Bath, or immersion. It is used for hands and feet. To begin with, the entire limb is dipped into the container, then removed for a short time and the dipping is repeated several times.
2. Application. Hot paraffin with a wide brush is applied to the skin in several layers, each time allowing the previous one to harden a little, and on top it is covered with a film and cloth.
3. Mask. Most often it is used for the face - first, a thin layer of paraffin with a temperature of no higher than 55 degrees is applied to the cleansed skin, then a thin but dense napkin with slots for the eyes, nose and lips is applied, and 4 more layers of the product are applied on top of it.
4. Compress. Using a brush, 1 or 2 layers of paraffin are applied, then a gauze cloth, abundantly soaked in hot paraffin, is fixed on top and covered with a thick cloth.
5. Spraying. This method is used mainly in a salon - melted paraffin is sprayed onto the desired area of ​​the skin from a special spray bottle, still forming several layers. It is rather difficult to carry out such a procedure at home.

Bath recipes with additives

For baths, applications and masks, you can use pure medical paraffin - there will be benefits from its properties in any case. But the properties of paraffin therapy with useful additives may be even more valuable.

Laminaria nourishing bath

To soften the epidermis on the hands or feet, and nourish it with vitamins, you can do a procedure with the addition of kelp. A small amount of dried algae, about 20 g, must first be soaked in clean water, and then added to the melted paraffin. In addition to kelp, a useful remedy can be supplemented with aloe juice or peach oil in a few drops.

Rejuvenating bath

For paraffin therapy to have an anti-aging effect, you can add cocoa butter, coconut or apricot oil to the cosmetic product. All of them are effective in combating wrinkles and have a rejuvenating effect. For a small hand container, 2-3 drops of essential oil should be sufficient.

Bath recipe for allergy tendencies

The benefits and harms of paraffin baths depend, among other things, on the sensitivity of the skin - in some women, it reacts with redness to almost any cosmetic product.In such cases, it is better to use ordinary white medical paraffin for the procedure without additives - its properties are safe. If you wish, you can add a tablespoon of sunflower oil or a teaspoon of olive oil to it. But it is better not to use essential and citrus oils.

Paraffin bath for dry skin

Paraffin therapy itself is an effective method of moisturizing the skin. However, for greater effect, you can add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of beeswax, previously melted with steam, to the heated mixture. The benefit of paraffin for hands will be that the skin becomes softer and stops flaking.

Paraffin therapy for children

The beneficial properties of paraffin therapy are actively used to treat children, including infants. In particular, the procedure helps:

• with muscle spasms in babies;
• with inflammation of the bladder;
• with sprains and bruises;
• with a cold.

In all cases, it is customary to use applications that are applied directly to the diseased part of the body. When treating a child, it is very important to control the temperature of the paraffin in order to prevent burns.

How often can you do paraffin baths

Paraffin therapy is carried out in courses of 12-20 procedures, and they are carried out daily or every other day. Each beneficial procedure takes about 30-40 minutes.

Pros of paraffin therapy in the salon

Despite the fact that paraffin therapy can be done at home, it is often much more convenient to use the services of beauty salons.

1. Paraffin therapy takes at least 1 hour a day along with preparation, and at first times it can take even more time, while in the salon it will be carried out professionally and quickly.
2. The salons have all the necessary equipment for the procedure and high-quality useful paraffin. In this case, the probability of getting harm tends to zero.
3. At home, there is always a risk of accidental burns, since it is easy to overheat the paraffin to too high a temperature. In the salon, specialists will carry out the procedure completely safely.

In addition, experienced masters in a good salon will be able to choose for paraffin therapy exactly those healing additives, the properties of which are optimal for specific purposes.

Harm of paraffin baths and side effects

In general, the procedure belongs to the category of fairly harmless. There are two main dangers of paraffin therapy.

1. Burns - they are especially likely to be obtained when carrying out the procedure at home. The temperature of the hot paraffin must be carefully controlled, it should not exceed 65 degrees.
2. Allergy - sensitive skin often reacts with irritation and redness to medicinal additives in mixtures and to the paraffin itself.

Contraindications to paraffin therapy

For certain diseases and conditions, you will have to refuse to moisturize the skin with paraffin therapy. The list of contraindications includes:

• varicose veins and rosacea, spider veins and too close location of vessels to the skin surface;
• fungal dermatological diseases;
• eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis during an exacerbation;
• allergy;
• acute skin inflammation;
• the presence of abscesses, inflamed scratches and open wounds;
• diabetes;
• hypertension.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of paraffin therapy are determined by a competent approach to the procedure. If carried out correctly, it will not harm, but will noticeably improve the condition of the skin.

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