Body Wrap

Body wraps have been touted as Hollywood’s best -kept secret. They’re said to be miracle workers, capable of vanishing inches off hips and thighs. With those kinds of results, it’s easy to see why people would want to shell out big bucks for wraps at day spas. But do they really work? The surprising answer is yes, to a certain extent, they do. A body wrap won’t be a permanent solution to your weight problems, but it can help with detoxification and skin firming, both of which give the appearance of a more slender frame.

What is a body wrap?

You’ve heard about body wraps, but what are they exactly? A body wrap does just what its name suggests; in the treatment, your body is wrapped snugly in fabric along with natural botanicals and minerals. The tight cocoon creates a thermal blanket, so you sweat out all the toxins and unnecessary water weight you carry. The natural products in contact with your body help induce detoxification and can also have a firming and softening effect on your skin. The results? You can look forward to a temporary loss of inches, younger looking skin, and a feeling of invigoration.

Knowing what to expect in a body wrap treatment is crucial, otherwise you could be uncomfortable in the mummy-like posture necessary for the service. All wraps follow a basic pattern - application of the products, wrapping in an insulating material, and a shower. The difference lies mainly in the products used on your skin. These products fall into two groups - detoxifying and moisturizing.

Detoxifying Wraps

The goal of detox wraps is to draw out excess fluids located in the interstitial spaces of the body, which are areas that are in between cells. This process is supposed to release toxins too. Detox wraps use natural substances like clay, seaweed, algae mud, coffee grounds, and purees of fruits to stimulate your body’s metabolism and infuse it with essential nutrients. The snug, all-over fit of the wrapping material causes clients to sweat and acts as a vasodilator. The result--you get a good dose of vitamins and minerals, sweat out toxins, and lose a few inches of water weight in the process. Detox wraps are also firming treatments, and they can leave skin looking clear and healthy.

Moisturizing Wraps

Moisturizing wraps can help customers lose inches too, but they are less concerned with weight loss and more interested in treating dry skin. Shea butter, oils, and thick lotions are usually coated onto the body before it is more loosely wrapped in a warm material. Moisturizing wraps leave skin looking healthier and can provide relief for red, itchy skin caused by dryness.

Body Wrap Treatment Process

Most of the time, a wrapping treatment will begin with a cleansing or exfoliating segment to get your skin prepared to absorb the detoxifying or moisturizing products that will later be added. Many spas only offer wraps in combination with scrubbing treatments; in this scenario, you are first given an exfoliating sugar or salt scrub, rinsed off, and then slathered with your wrapping product. At other spas, however, you may simply be wiped down with a cleansing cloth.

Usually, the wrapping part of the treatment begins with the customer lying on top of the wrapping cloth on a table. This cloth may be soaked in the detox or moisturizing product from the start, or the products could be added directly to your skin. Either way, once the products are applied, it’s time to get wrapped up. Wrapping generally envelopes all but the head; the neck, arms, torso, legs and feet are covered with material. Your wrap shouldn’t be too tight to be uncomfortable, but it will be snug. This ensures that your skin is completely infused with the products. A tight wrap also makes your blood vessels dilate, which lowers blood pressure and helps with nutrient absorption. You should start to sweat after a few minutes wrapped up.

After about 20 minutes in the wrap, the therapist will begin to take you out of your cocoon. Then, you’ll rinse off, either in a traditional shower, with a hand shower operated by the therapist, or in a Vichy shower, which has five or six showerheads running at once. Finally, once the wrapping substance has been completely cleaned, you’ll be covered in a moisturizer from head to toe.

What kind of results will I see?

After your wrap, you will immediately experience a loss in inches around your waist, hips, and thighs. The exact amount lost varies from person to person, but most customers experience about a six inch difference. Your skin will also feel softer and firmer. Additionally, many people feel energized from the loss of toxins brought on by a more active lymphatic system.

Keep in mind that all results from wrap treatments are temporary, some more so than others. Any weight or inches you lose will return within a day or two at most. Pounds shed are only a result of water lost through sweating, after all. Also, the toxins drawn out of your system with a wrap treatment will accumulate again over time. For more lasting results, it’s best to get wrapped regularly.

Benefits of Body Wraps

Most often, customers feel rejuvenated after a wrap. If you had a treatment targeted at moisturizing your skin, you’ll feel soft all over. Detoxifying treatments can leave you feeling upbeat but a little loopy; this is usually due to water loss and can be remedied with a few glasses of water. Weight loss wraps can result in up to six inches lost around the waist! Be warned, however, that this loss is only temporary. Inches lost are due to the water sweated out during the procedure; you’ll gain the inches back in at most a few days.

How much will it cost?

Wraps at day spas can cost anywhere from $100 to $300, possibly even more at posh resorts in tourist destinations or cities. If a salt glow is included in the treatment, expect to pay somewhere toward the higher end of the spectrum. Wrap treatments cost so much because they require a lot of product to cover your entire body. Sometimes, a spa will offer a discount if you purchase multiple wraps to be spread out over time.

Who should get a body wrap?

Anyone can benefit from a wrap service. Since they give results that are immediately noticeable, wraps are perfect to get before special occasions when you want to look your absolute best. If you have very dry skin, you might need to stay away from certain materials, like clay. Ask you therapist to help you choose a more moisturizing wrap that’s appropriate from you.

Wrap treatments do require nudity, which can be scary for some spa patrons. You will be covered with towels or wrapping materials for the majority of the service, but there’s no doubt your body will be exposed at times. If nudity makes you feel antsy, don’t get a wrap. Also, these treatments aren’t good for people who are uncomfortable in tight spaces; you will be essentially confined to a cocoon and may be left alone.

A few things to remember about treatment:

If you’re concerned about nudity, don’t opt for a wrap. Wraps work because they cover all of your skin with a healing substance, so, obviously, no clothes are allowed. Some spas will give you disposable underwear if you ask, and you will never be entirely exposed in the treatment due to the draping techniques common in American spas. But still, wraps are not a treatment where modesty reigns.

You will be somewhat confined in the wrapping material, and you may be left alone for a few minutes in the treatment room. If the idea of this scares you, don’t choose this treatment; it can escalate claustrophobic feelings.

Not every spa will offer body wrap treatments. Small-scale day spas in particular tend to pass on wraps. If you’re interested in trying a this treatment, you may need to call around to find a spa that offers this service.