Untitled Document

If you are new to skincare, massage, or Traditional Chinese Medicine, or if you are just new to our practice, you may have some questions. Here are some we are commonly asked.

General Questions:

I get confused about tipping. What is your tipping policy?

How gratuities are handled is one way in which visiting a wellness practice is different from going to a spa. We are not a spa, and since the beginning all our rates have been stand-alone-- with no tipping expected or accepted. The best "tips" you can give us are your regular visits and your referrals to family and friends.

Do you offer discounts if I refer my friends and family to you?

We sure do. As a token of our appreciation of the trust you have in us and our work together, we offer you a free 30-minute Express Facial Treatment or 25-minute Foot Reflexology session for every three referrals you send our way. If you are the person organizing an on-site party or corporate visit, you will be treated to a free half hour session during our visit of three hours or longer.

What should I expect after my session?

Other than feeling happier and more energized than before, you can expect to get feedback from us if you have any questions about your session. Please feel free to email us with questions about your session or if you need recommendations for chiropractic, nutritional, dermatology, exercise or other professionals. We maintain close ties with a variety of brilliant teachers amd practitioners and we are more than happy to recommend one or more of them if their work would be good for you. We can also point you in the right direction you would like suggestions for skincare products, supplements, stretches or activities that will help you to live pain- and stress-free.

About Massage:

What should I wear for my massage? Do I have to be undressed?

No, you don't have to be completely undressed. For our integrative Swedish/deep tissue sessions, the western style of massage does depend on your therapist being able to access your body with oil for long, soothing strokes. So you will want to disrobe to a degree that is comfortable for you. Many clients choose to be nude, while others keep their underwear on. Still others remain a bit more clothed throughout their sessions. In any case, you will be covered by a sheet and a blanket at all times, with only the parts we are massaging exposed, and you will be alone when you undress.

Shiatsu,Tui Na and chair massage are clothed massage modalities. For these massage styles you will stay completely dressed as your therapists works through your clothes. Wear your regular work or daytime clothes for chair massage. Good things to wear for Shiatsu and Tui Na are yoga clothes or sweats and a T. Something comfortable that you can stretch and lie down in without worrying about wrinkling your daytime clothes will be ideal.

Do I have to talk during my massage?

The short answer is: yes and no. Hardly at all. At the beginning, especially during your first session, we will check in occasionally to ask you how the treatment is going for you, if the pressure should be increased or decreased, etc. We will also ask you to let us know if at any time something is not feeling good for you, so we can make adjustments. This is not only welcomed but encouraged as your one and only duty while you are on the table. (We're abysmally poor mind-readers so we rely on you to tell us if something in your session needs to change.) Aside from that, you are welcome to check out or pipe up as you please. And if you like to fall asleep while enjoying your massage, don't worry: we'll wake you up when it's time to come back down to earth.

Will my massage therapist talk during my massage?

Yes, we will sometimes need to talk, like when we ask you to please turn over, or is the table feeling warm enough for you. Other than these kinds of things, we follow your lead and leave the chitchat--or lack of it--up to you. And while it should be common sense, we've unfortunately heard horror stories from some of our clients about inappropriate therapist-talk that they have endured in the past before finding us. We want to assure you that one thing you will never encounter at Apotheca is some stressed out therapist unloading on you about her bad day, his opinions or imaginings about other wellness practices, or their personal life in general. You are paying good money for what should be a lovely oasis from the outside world .It would be seriously rude and unprofessional for your therapist to burden you with his or her own agenda.

What's with the 70- and 100-minute hours? Isn't a normal massage 50- or 90 minutes?

Our longtime clients know that most times they come to see us, we would end up going overtime at no cost. Instead of watching the clock, we like to be sure our clients get the time and care they need. So for us it made sense to simply offer longer session times-- while keeping our rates the same as before. By offering some leisurely extra time on your sessions, we can ensure that we'll have time to give special attention to trouble spots and favorite areas-- like feet, hands, face--without rushing. No one likes to feel hurried when they come in for a well-deserved massage. We can avoid rushing by offering the loopy session lengths you've come to love and expect from Apotheca.

Massage is a luxury and my budget doesn't allow for luxuries right now.

Far from a frivolous luxury, regular massage can help you reduce stress, manage pain, boost your immunity and just feel good. By giving you results-oriented bodywork in longer sessions for a reasonable rate, we can offer you massage as a central tool in your wellness plan. Since we don't accept gratuities, you don't need to worry about calculating tips into your wellness budget. And since good bodywork should be available to everybody, we offer reduced rates under special circumstances. Please contact us for unemployment and student rates.

How often should I come in for bodywork?

How often should we get highlights or have a latte? These decisions are personal. Lattes, it seems, tend to be a daily thing. For ourselves as practitioners and as clients, we have noticed that the effects of massage tend to last from a few days to two weeks, and that the positive effects are cumulative. This means that the more frequently we get bodywork, the longer its effects will start to last with time. How often you should schedule bodywork depends on what you hope to gain from your sessions. People with a lot of pain or stress will want to visit once a week or so until their pain and stress levels diminish. After that, a maintenance session once every two weeks or once a month is a good idea. These maintenance sessions are most common among our clients. Many other people schedule a tune-up every four to six weeks-- about the same amount of time it takes to need highlights retouched or a haircut trimmed. Still others like to come in once or twice a year, for a birthday or Valentine's Day gift to themselves. Whatever the case, massage is one area in which more tends to be better, but "every little helps."

What exactly is "deep tissue" massage?

A great question, yet the answer is unfortunately so often misunderstood. More often than we'd like, we've had clients come in complaining about massages they have endured before finding us. These "deep tissue" massages left them feeling bruised, battered and more stressed than when they came in. They want to know: Is this what deep tissue massage is all about? Does massage have to hurt to be effective? The answer to both questions is NO and NO. Apotheca's deep tissue therapists, who are properly trained in this work, know that deep tissue massage doesn't just mean working "harder" on the muscles. Deep tissue methods are concerned with working the fascia, a seamless web of connective tissue that covers and connects the muscles, organs, and skeletal structures in our body. By slowly and methodically working this connective matrix--which goes from a gel state to a liquid state when warmed-- a qualified therapist can release chronic patterns of tension and pain. This work can be painful when it is attempted by someone who only knows how to manipulate the muscles themselves. Specific moves and hand placement can free and mobilize places that regular muscle massage may not be able to get to. The bottom line: Please don't let anybody tell you that deep tissue work simply must hurt to be effective. It is true that in many cases, deep tissue work can be intense. But it should never leave you feeling bruised or abused.

What should I realistically expect from my massage?

Many people ask for more and more pressure, even as they curl their toes and wince in discomfort. They are under the mistaken impression that if their therapist just pushes hard enough, she or he can get rid of all their knots in one session. Alas, they are wrong. Not only will your knots not go away if you approach bodywork from this macho perspective, but you will likely end up with new knots on top of the old. The fact is that undoing chronic knots and tension built up over a lifetime takes time and work. Regular massage is an integral part of a well-rounded wellness tool kit, but it is just one piece in that proverbial "balanced diet" that includes exercise, work on your posture, stress management, plenty of water, a good diet, lots of sleep, and finding (and making time for) the things that make you truly happy.

How can I prolong the effects of my massage?

The best thing you can do for yourself after a massage is relax and be sure to drink a lot of water. When you get stressed, your muscles become tight and inflamed. Toxins in the bloodstream (from pollutants in our air, water and food) become trapped in the muscle tissue, and deep-tissue massage helps loosen muscle tissues and release those toxins. Drinking lots of water helps your body process and eliminate the toxins, keeping you feeling good and preventing your body from experiencing that tired and "off" feeling that we at Apotheca call the dread "massage hangover." You may also enjoy soaking in a warm bath with some epsom salts, which will also help your body release toxins and your muscles release residual stress. The main thing is to be sweet to yourself; try not to rush back to work or school immediately after your session. A bit of simple pampering with some light stretching, hanging out with a cat or a book or a glass of wine works wonders for prolonging the good feeling you get on the massage table.

About Skincare:

How often should I come in for a skincare treatment?

It depends on what your goals are. For those who are blessed with non-problematic skin, treatments monthly to every six weeks will give your skin a healthy, delicious glow. They will keep pores clean and clear and help prevent the visible signs of aging. For aggressive treatment of acneic conditions or for targeted anti-aging, your esthetician may recommend sessions of every week or two until we get your symptoms under control. Special treatment and payment options are available for those clients who come in more frequently than every three weeks.

I know drinking water after my skincare treatment will help keep my skin clear and healthy. How much should I drink after my session?

Please drink at least 8 ounces of water within an hour. This will help decrease your chances of skin breakouts.

Wait-- what's this I hear about skin breakouts after my treatment?!

Understand that you will sometimes experience a breakout after your treatment. This is a natural function of the skin purging toxins that were lurking beneath the surface before you came in and got cleansed and exfoliated. Like many things in life, you may find that your skin gets a bit worse before it gets better. But as you get on a good home care regimen and start to receive regular facials it is less likely that you will experience breakouts and more likely that your skin will shine with the healthy glow that comes from being cared for well.

I don't like to be "sold to." Can't I just use my regular products at home and then come in for facial treatments when my skin is having problems? You may of course do what you like, but your skin won't have such problems and you will get the results you want by following your esthetician's professional recommendations for a treatment schedule and proper homecare. Look at it this way: you'd never stop brushing and flossing and just expect your dentist to fix you when you started to get cavities and gum disease. It's the same with skin: a good home regimen is to a professional facial treatment what daily brushing and flossing are to a teeth cleaning at your dentist's office. Both are important and one cannot and should not replace the other.

About Traditional Chinese Medicine:

I don't know that acupuncture and TCM are for me. Do you offer trial consultations before I take the plunge?

Yes. Licensed Acupuncturist David Lesseps offers complimenary 30-minute TCM consultations. Please go to our online booking page to arrange your complimentary TCM consultation.

Will my insurance cover TCM and acupuncture?

This depends on your insurance company. We do not bill insurance but we are happy to provide you with a receipt for services that includes the appropriate billing codes. You can file that with your insurance company and get reimbursed for the out of pocket expense if your company covers acupuncture. This can also work for people with Flexible Spending Accounts.

What should I expect from a TCM treatment?

A regular visit comprises of the practitioner asking questions and making observations to access the patient’s constitutional pattern. Questions may cover all aspects of health including digestion, sleep patterns, emotional states, as well as the nature of the main complaint. Examination usually includes facial and tongue analysis, feeling of the carotid and radial pulse, and palpation of acupuncture points.

After the consultation, a diagnosis will be determined and a treatment plan developed. Depending on the patient’s needs, the treatment may consist of acupuncture, cupping, massage, and herbal prescriptions, or any combination of the these modalities. Treatments may consist of one single visit, or multiple follow-up visits depending on the nature of what is being treated. As a general rule of thumb, the longer one has had an ailment, the longer it will take to treat it.

Click here to read more about Traditional Chinese Medicine and how it can help you.

And finally. . .

What's your mission statement? or, why "Apotheca Skin Body Wellness?"

Good question! With the spirit of the old-time apothecary in mind, we have created Apotheca Skin ~ Body ~ Wellness. Our vision was to dedicate our simple one-room office in an historic downtown building as a friendly sanctuary where you can honor yourself and that slow-paced past. We offer personalized massage and skin care therapies, and bath and body products for the whole person. Think of us like slow food for the body mind and spirit. Or the antidote to the assembly-line spa, the opposite of the mass-market skin care kiosk. And why "wellness"? The scope of the practice encompasses more than only massage or only bodywork; since its formation as a one-therapist private practice in 2001 we have grown and evolved to include aromatherapy, Tui Na, Shiatsu, holistic skin care, flower essence therapy, foot reflexology and acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine. And it continues to evolve as more practitioners join us and as we learn and incorporate new elements of healing work to your treatments.

As a group of practitioners, our aim is quite simply to help you achieve a state of health, happiness and overall wellness. Thank you for choosing us to help you arrive there.

To make an appointment or ask questions, please use our online booking scheduler or write to kirstenqb@gmail.com.

tel: 415.573.9077

email: kirstenqb@gmail.com