Salt Therapy at Lemons Beauty Salon

Well I've heard lots about salt therapy but never tried it before last week. One of my favourite beauty spots when I fancy a treat is Lemons Beauty Salon in Clontarf and while they added a Salt Therapy room in September I haven't gotten around to trying it until last Friday.

The Details:

A bit of background info?? ok then...Salt therapy came about almost by accident when in 1843 a notable improvement was recorded in the breathing of miners of salt mines by a physician at the mine. Then, during WWII Dr. Karl Hermann Spannagel noticed improved health in his patients who hid in the Kluterthöhle karst (a salt cave) in Germany to escape bombing. Spa's replicating this atmosphere were set up and so salt therapy was born!

In I went to Lemons feeling a little stressed to say the least (Friday rush hour traffic not the best time to book a treatment with hindsight) but the lady who greeted me, Tina, was lovely and got me sorted and in quick-fast so there was no delay or loss of time for any of us. I had to fill out a consultation form (so they can make sure there are no contraindications before receiving the treatment) which always gives me confidence in a service provision! Then I was given shoe covers to wear over my shoes and shown into the therapy room. It is a low lit room covered in salt... its piled up on the floor like sand and its crystallized on all of the walls. Lemon's have lovely blue strip lighting around the skirting and twinkly LED lights in the ceiling (and ye probably all know by now, I'm a sucker for a ceiling of LED lights!!) so it looks like a bit of a winter wonderland and is incredibly welcoming. 

There was 5 leather reclining chairs with footstools and fleece blankets each also. I picked a seat and wrapped up in the nice fleecy blanket and tried to settle down as the gentle hum of the halogenerator began. However, like many treatments before I found it hard to relax with my mind absolutely racing (this is how I feel most nights when I get into bed also). Eventually though, about ten minutes in the peace in the room drowned out my worries and stresses and I started to just chill out... I felt all lovely and dreamy lying there all snug with a sea breeze taste of salt on my lips. My nose also started to feel a bit funny - kind of tingly inside is the best way to describe it with it neither being uncomfortable nor pleasant. I obviously dozed off at some stage as when the 45 minutes were up, a bright light came on in the middle of the room and I was jolted awake from what felt like a very deep slumber!

The sessions cost €35 for 45 minutes but right now Lemon's are doing a very special offer of 3 sessions for €49. You can call them on 01 4446385 to discuss.

The Images:

The treatment room when the lights go down...

Here it is again but with the lights on as when you start/finish treatment just so you get a clearer idea of what it looks like (the snow like blurry bits in this photo are actually tiny salt particles)....

The Sciencey Bit:

Salt therapy and treatment rooms were set up to replicate the micro-climate within salt mines/caves The atmosphere of the salt mines/caves include stable air temperature, humidity and an absence of pollutants. Lemon's treatment room was designed to simulate the Ukrainian Allergologic Hospital (UAH) which is located in the foothills of the Ukrainian Carpathian mountains. Lemon's micro-climate is formed naturally through the convective diffusion from the salt walls combined with the controlled temperature and humidity to simulate that of the cave which creates a hypo-bacterial and allergen-free air environment. 

The salt micro-particles pumped into the room via the allergen filtered air are so small (1-5 micrometers) that they are easily inhaled. The particles reach the upper and lower respiratory tract with smaller particles reaching right down to alveoli (air sacs found in the lungs).  As the salt is inhaled it travels through the sinuses and respiratory tract absorbing moisture, cleansing, clearing mucus and killing bacteria.The salt has anti-inflammatory and anti- bacterial properties so it breaks up mucus easing congestion and relieving inflammation. The salt is also an natural anti-histamine so this treatment is a great natural way to ease the symptoms of hayfever.

The Conclusion:

Well  I have to say I really found this super relaxing as a treatment (like I actually fell asleep!!). Not one to suffer from respiratory problems I was worried I wouldn't be able to offer true feedback. However....one woman who was in the room with us was coughing loads as we left and it was basically all her mucus (lovely I know) clearing!! I couldn't believe it. I did feel really clear headed after, if that makes sense. By far the biggest result for me though, and this is the clincher, was that I slept like a baby that night. I conked out and had one of the best nights sleep I have had in a long long time. I'm told that my snoring stopped too so everyone is happy ;)

I really enjoyed it - I found it so relaxing and cannot believe the effect it had on my usually terrible sleeping patterns. I'm incredibly tempted to take up the 3 sessions deal running at the minute as I know it has a cumulative effect and while one session was great its not enough to improve my insomnia significantly. I have been raving about it all week and this is getting a serious thumbs up!