A Caring Touch Wellness

Still Confused About Masks? Here’s the Science Behind How Face Masks Prevent Coronavirus We talked to UCSF epidemiologist George Rutherford, MD, and infectious disease specialist Peter Chin-Hong, MD, about the CDC’s reversal on mask-wearing, the current science on how masks work, and what to consider when choosing a mask.

We are sorry, but still currently under Governor Cooper's mandatory closure order. Thank you for your patience and we are working behind the scenes to provide a healthy environment for your return. Our regular clients who have appointments that have been scheduled out past the next 3 weeks, will remain on books and hopefully we can start to accommodate you soon. Your therapist will contact you or feel free to contact them with scheduling once we are allowed to start booking again. We will have a slow start back at first! Be aware the appointment times will be limited at first, as there will be extra time required for proper sanitation between clients and our procedure of operation will be a little different. We miss each of you and look forward to seeing you soon.

You should be boosting your immune system, start with Vitamin C as one way! As always, if your are on prescribed medications or have an underlying condition, always check with your health care provider before adding any herbs, essential oils or vitamins/supplements to your personal care routine as any of these can cause side effects due to interactions of prescribed treatments.

Vitamin C and the Immune System: Nutritional Fortification to Support Defenses Against Viruses | WholeFoods Magazine Note: The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and contributor(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher and editors of WholeFoods Magazine. Information in this interview is intended for educational and scientific purposes only. It is not intended as medical or...

Covid-19 Herbs from Heart of Herbs Herbal School Covid-19 Herbs: Covid-19 has changed the world quickly. This information is using herbs for Covid-19, which are easy to find.

Product orders are in and ready for my lovely clients! Time to enjoy the sunshine while making porch deliveries! Are one of these yours? 😍
If you are not local and want to try these truly skin correcting, age reversing products, I am shipping for FREE!

During this time of uncertainty, Forever Young Skin Consulting is here for your skin wellness needs. As a result of Governor Cooper's requiring all spas to close for a minimum of 30 days, our office will be closed until further notice. However, our founder, Nash, is still here to help you continue your skin regimen via an array of Osmosis Skin Care products. Should you run out of your products and/or know what you are looking for, please feel free to send me a message via messenger or via text. Once we receive payment confirmation, your product will be shipped free of charge to you.

Please be aware, all gift certificates and packages will remain valid and extended for when we reopen, please like and follow for updates on reopening date as well as helpful tips❣

As many of you are probably aware our Govenor has a mandatory closing of businesses that are nonessential contact. We have been preparing for this as a necessary means of control over the COVID-19 virus. We are hoping our client families stay healthy and safe as we all navigate through this hard time. We have greatly appreciated your support and we will be back when all is safe filling appointments again. As we all here are sole practitioners and not employees of A Caring Touch Wellness, feel free to contact your regular therapist if you have questions at this time. We look forward to seeing you again soon, take care and stay healthy! May God bless you all!

🌷Spring into skin wellness with a gift certificate you can use at a later date! Purchase a gift certificate valued at $100 or more for 10% off its face value. 🌷
*Gift certificate can be purchased via invoice and mailed upon receipt of payment. Valid through April 1st, 2020 @ 11:59pm

The skin is an incredibly important part of our immune system. Did you know that the skin communicates with our other organ systems?
The Skin is a reflection of the health of the body which includes health of your immune system and the health of your lungs.

At Forever Young Skin Consulting, I am here to identify what may be lacking for you to achieve optimal, healthy skin wellness.

For local clients, this new service is not meant to take the place of my hands-on treatments but offers an extension to your care.

Be one of the first clients to try my Immune Boosting Consult!

This is how it works:

💎At least 24 hours prior to your Immune Boosting consult, you, the client, will email me your Intake form and initial pictures for review.
💎At your consult visit, your treatment recommendations will be discussed. Consult can take place via Facetime or Zoom.

Immune Boosting Program options:
🌺 One Session per week for 15-30 min
🌺 Two Sessions per month for 15-30 min
🌺 Virtual Consult at $40 per Consult (Family consults available)

🌺Spring into skin wellness with a gift certificate you can use at a later date! 🌺
Purchase a gift certificate valued at $100 or more for 10% off its face value.

*Gift certificate can be purchased via invoice and mailed upon receipt of payment. Valid through April 1st, 2020 @ 11:59pm

Can you spare a minute to help Leslie Titus? 99 signatures are still needed! COVID-19 Massage Therapist Financial Hardship Relief

Read this, share this, educate yourself and others! People are getting out of control and letting the media guide them there!

Coronavirus: Ten reasons why you ought not to panic Pandemic does not refer to the lethality of a virus but to its transmissibility and geographical extension.

Try an Infrared Sauna to Bolster Your Immune System Against Colds, Flu and Viruses!
Call the office to schedule today.
30 minute session $25
Want a short try, 15 min-$15

When the season turns cold and our immune systems are under attack, there’s nothing like the feeling of a hot sauna to bring about a feeling of relaxed vitality. However, did you know saunas are also great for your immune system? It’s true. Relaxing in the sauna a few times a week may be your best strategy for keeping healthy year-round.

Because there are so many strains of viruses and because they constantly adapt to the changing environment, there is still no consistently effective prevention or treatment strategy (vaccination or medication) for the common cold or flu. In fact, because viruses are constantly changing and becoming resistant to medications, it’s best to focus on strengthening your immune system rather than focusing on how to disarm the seemingly infinite number of microbes out there.

A study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases found that those who took anti-fever medications for a rhinovirus (cold virus) actually had a worse immune response compared to those who didn’t take the medication.

In this article, I’ll discuss how infrared saunas can help arm your own immune system against those ubiquitous “bugs.”

-A sauna works similarly to a fever

When your body is fighting an infection like a cold or flu, the immune system causes an increase in temperature, anywhere from 100.9°F (38.3°C) or higher, which is considered a fever. This elevated temperature creates a less suitable environment for these destructive bugs.

Infrared saunas work similarly to a fever in the body. The infrared heat penetrates the skin and works deep in the tissues, raising core body temperature to about 102°F (39°C). The body responds to this simulated “fever” by stepping up its immune response and mobilizing the Th1 branch of the immune system. This branch is antiviral and antibacterial, as opposed to the antiparasitic and anti-allergic Th2 system.

Additionally, increasing the body temperature to within the range of a fever has been shown to improve the adaptive immune response. This helps the body “remember” the microbes you’ve been exposed to, and to be better prepared to fight them next time around. Near-infrared light activates white blood cells and increases antibodies against pathogens.

-Saunas make us more resilient

While extreme stress and chronic stress are bad for us, small amounts of stress can be good for our bodies and make us more resilient. Think of exercise. Your muscles get sore, but then they get stronger. That’s an example of a concept called “hormesis.” Saunas are another cause of hormesis.

The high temperatures of the sauna are a short-term stress on the body and cause it to improve its adaptability to heat stress. “Heat shock proteins” are produced, which help the body do a better job of creating proteins for healing and metabolism. Heat shock proteins also improve the function of the immune system.

Spending time in an infrared sauna may literally make our immune systems younger. Since the immune system needs to be continuously replenished by immune stem cells located in the bone marrow and thymus, it is particularly affected by aging. Those stem cells get depleted over time and a person is more susceptible to viruses as he or she gets older.

The good news is that photobiomodulation from the near infrared spectrum is able to stimulate the mitochondria of those stem cells. The result? More white blood cells and a stronger immune system.

-Saunas literally lower your stress response

You’ve probably noticed that just when you have too much on your plate, you also come down with a cold or flu. You’re forced to take a few days off… just when you don’t have time for it. We know that stress increases the levels of cortisol in the body, and it turns out that cortisol in turn lowers the body’s ability to fight off germs. Stress makes you more susceptible to getting a cold.

Enter, the infrared sauna. A 2015 Finnish study found that far infrared sauna bathing with its 3-4 cm pe*******on into tissue reduced cortisol levels in men who had just exercised. A review study also found far infrared therapy to be helpful for lowering cortisol.

Offsetting heightened stress hormones like cortisol will help your body stay balanced and ready to fight off any bug that comes along.

-A sauna before bed can help you sleep

Everyone knows that not getting enough sleep sets you up for getting a virus. Deep sleep is especially important for maintaining a strong and balanced antiviral immune response. Many animals hibernate in the winter. There’s a reason the days are shorter and the nights are longer. Take advantage of those longer nights and get your rest.

According to board-certified sleep psychologist, Dr. Michael Breus, making sure you have a steep drop in body temperature in the evening before bed helps cue your body that it’s time to sleep. A warm bath may help, but a sauna is even better, as it penetrates deep into your tissues.

Using the infrared sauna in the late afternoon or evening can help your body have a good drop in temperature before you hit the hay. Giving your body clear “zeitgebers,” or time indicators, like the drop in temperature before bed helps entrain your body’s natural circadian rhythm.

-Using the sauna helps keep the common cold away

An Austrian study published in the Annals of Medicine had 25 healthy volunteers commit to regular sauna bathing while another 25 did not sauna bathe over a six month period. Those who regularly took saunas had significantly fewer incidences of the common cold than those who avoided saunas. The difference was especially notable after 14 consecutive weeks of sauna use. Regular usage is considered to be at least twice a week.

Forever Young Skin Consulting Programs provide added value for long-term wellness.

📌 Beautiful, healthy skin requires a commitment. One treatment is not going to correct your skin concerns.

📌Corrective skin care is a process - it takes patience, self-love, and self-discipline.

📌Your skin health is an investment, not an expense.

"This week is Facial Palsy Awareness"
Facial Palsy is a term that references weakness of the facial muscles typically resulting from damage to the facial nerve. People with facial palsy find themselves with limitations to actions like smiling, scowling, winking and pouting. As a result, those affected become self-conscious about using facial expressions to communicate. Forever Young SKin Consulting is specially trained to help retrain the facial muscles through the use of noninvasive and holistic modalities. Book your consultation today! Message me for details.

Reserve your Chocolate Cherry Antioxidant Mask session today! February Package deals available.

Package deal options for the month of February include:
Package 1
3 Facials =$285
1 Wellness Elixir =$40
Total with over 10% discount =$292
**Free Chocolate & Cherries Mask to 1st 10 to book**

Package 2
6 Facials =$570
1 Wellness Elixir =$40
Total with over 15% discount =$500
**Free Chocolate & Cherries Mask to 1st 10 to book**

Busy, expanding, wellness-based company looking for self-motivated Licensed Massage Therapists and other Wellness-based Professionals. Are you ready to be independent and be paid directly by clients for all the hard work you do, instead of a commission or split of the charges per service you provide? Set your own hours. We are growing, come grow with us and build your clientele, we can help. Recent graduates are welcome, experience is prime as well as multiple modalities. Prime location, room rental, locally owned and operated, well-established 12+ years. Call Leslie for details and tell me what you have to offer.
A Caring Touch Wellness
1626 Tate Blvd SE
Hickory, NC 28601
(828)322-6541

Busy, expanding, wellness-based company looking for self-motivated Licensed Massage Therapists and other wellness-based professionals. Are you ready to be independent and be paid directly by clients for all the hard work you do, instead of a commission or split of the charges per service you provide? Set your own hours. We are growing, come grow with us and build your clientele, we can help. Recent graduates are welcome, experience is prime as well as multiple modalities. Prime location, room rental, locally owned and operated, well-established 12+ years. Call Leslie for details and tell me what you have to offer.
A Caring Touch Wellness
1626 Tate Blvd SE
Hickory, NC 28601
(828)322-6541

We will be available for purchase of the perfect gift today until 6:00. Tomorrow 11-3 and Monday 12-6. Give the gift of health... 🎁

Call us to schedule a time to pick up gift certificates for your list of stressed family and friends. Add one to your wish list as well, you deserve it❣ (828)322-6541

Want a natural spa treatment?

Once a week for 20 minutes, sit in a hot bath that contains a handful of Epsom or sea salts, 10 drops of lavender essential oil, and a half cup of baking soda. This combo draws out toxins, lowers stress-related hormones, and balances your pH levels. Helps with sore muscles also, all which helps you sleep better❣
Please don't forget to SHARE!

Our newest therapist, Gavin Drum is offering a holiday special!
1 Hour Swedish or Therapeutic Massage for $60 (regular $70) Offer good through Dec 31, so get your Gift Certificates now!

It is that time of year again, little sunshine and holiday stress. Book your relief, you deserve a recharge among other benefits!

SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER TREATMENT WITH SAUNAS

30 min sessions for $25
15 min sessions for $15
Packages available.
By appointment only.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) was officially named in 1984 by Norman E. Rosenthal and his contemporaries at the National Institute for Mental Health. Since then, the condition has transformed from an easily-discarded mood issue to a commonly accepted disorder that now resides in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). It tends to affect those that reside in areas that have more pronounced seasons. Only about 1.4% of Florida residents report a prevalence of SAD where Alaskans are diagnosed with SAD at a rate of 9.9%. As winter approaches, it’s important to know Seasonal Affective Disorder treatment options.

The simple math shows that as you stray further from the equator you see increased cases of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Knowing this, individuals who want to improve their mood and overall sense of wellbeing should consider infrared saunas as an effective and healthy way of treating Seasonal Affective Disorder.

What Causes SAD?

Most researchers point to several causes for Seasonal Affective Disorder, but even after 30+ years of research, most theories are still just theoretical. There is a lot of research on the topic, but most of them point to a disruption in our circadian rhythms due to changes in atmospheric lighting. When the winter months arrive, the days tend to get shorter, sunlight is in shorter supply, the environment is colder, and Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms arise. These natural habitat changes reinforce the correlation between location and Seasonal Affective Disorder prevalence.

Some researchers point to the fact that we may be hard-wired to experience the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder due to early humans need to conserve energy during the food-scarce winter months. A lack of food and substantially colder temperatures may have caused our ancient relatives to go into a sort of hibernation mode, where a low mood and lack of desire to complete tasks may have been a life-saving temperament.

Other researchers talk about the depression that comes from the amount of serotonin in our systems. Melatonin production is essentially regulated by our circadian clocks, but it can be affected by exposure to bright light. Seasonal Affective Disorder is, by most accounts, a direct correlation to the amount of light we’re exposed to, and at what specific duration.

What are Seasonal Affective Disorder Treatments?

Most therapists agree that the safest and most effective treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder is light therapy. While there are drug-based options and cognitive-behavioral therapy steps that can be taken, light therapy for SAD is often considered to be the safest and quickest way to shake the symptoms of this seasonal depression.

So you may be asking yourself, how exactly does light therapy work? Can I simply stand outside and increase my exposure to the sun? Or, do I need to go to a doctor’s office to receive treatment? While standing outside in the sun can increase levels of Vitamin-D production, mainly due to exposure to UVB rays, employing this method increases your risk of skin cancer. As a result, this should be done in moderation. Going to a doctor’s office isn’t really a viable option unless you have a lot of time on your hands and have no access to light therapy equipment. A great option for most people is to spend time in a sauna that has chromotherapy lighting. This is generally considered to be a great way to address Seasonal Affective Disorder and its related side effects.

Have the Blues? Consider Red or Green!

Toward the end of December each year, our days get to their shortest point and some major cities in the US see only 9-10 hours of sunlight per day. Barrow, Alaska sees none! This is the time of year when most symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder develop, and understanding the value of light therapy can truly help to stave off the most debilitating side effects of SAD.

According to researchers at Harvard Medical School, bright light can stimulate cells in the retina that connect directly to the hypothalamus, a portion of the brain that controls circadian rhythms. By using light therapy to stimulate this part of the brain, a normal circadian rhythm can be obtained and Seasonal Affective Disorder will be minimized.

How Can a Sauna Help?

Many of today’s better saunas come equipped with built-in lights that are designed to deliver a calming and therapeutic effect. This process of light therapy for SAD is called chromotherapy, and refers to the use of lights to create changes in mood in the person using the sauna. If you find that Seasonal Affective Disorder is a reality for you or a loved one, try to find time to get in an infrared sauna with LED color lights that can help in a variety of ways. Each color has been shown to help elicit specific changes in the body and mind:

Chromotherapy Color Lights

Red: Shown to boost energy and promote faster healing when used in tandem with infrared sauna therapy.

Orange: Sparks greater mental activity and can induce an uplifting sense of cheerful emotions.

Yellow: Shown to create feelings of optimism, good humor, and positivity.

Green: One of the best light therapy hues for combating Seasonal Affective Disorder, as it can calm one down quickly and directly counteract the side effects of SAD.

Blue: Minimizes the feelings of anxiety and depression. Blue light has even been shown to improve the look and health of one’s skin!

Purple: Delivers a calming effect that can even help to overcome feelings of pain. Purple is a tranquil color that stimulates white blood cell production.

White: By combining red, green, and blue, white light delivers a triple-threat of healing power.

If you find that Seasonal Affective Disorder has become a reality in your life, don’t suffer any longer! You’ll discover that the wellness and health benefits of infrared saunas with chromotherapy can help as an effective Seasonal Affective Disorder treatment and improve your quality of life in no time. That, plus the extensive list of other health benefits related to consistent sauna use, makes spending time in the warm, cozy confines of an infrared sauna a practical and intelligent idea.