But, before I go into the ‘how’ and ‘where’ you can do all those things, I first want to go into ‘why’. This is for all you skeptics out there who think that spending money on something so frivolous as a facial is a waste of time. So, for your information, there are good, solid medical reasons that support time spent in such activities as massage. Aside from the fact that massage has been proven to increase circulation, improve muscle tone through passive stretching and help the body de-toxify itself through encouraging the flow of lymph through the lymphatic system, there’s the overall effect all those above-mentioned services have in reducing the effects of stress. Yes, boys and girls, stress. One of the definitions of stress in The New American Webster Handy College Dictionary is “chronic pressure; tension” and we could probably all write a treatise about that. Every single one of us faces “chronic pressure; tension” every day of our lives whether it’s derived from work, marital, educational or child-related areas. The human body was not meant to deal with the continual stress of our fast-paced, increasingly goal-oriented world. It was meant to deal with a series of situations where the body was called upon for short bursts of high performance (such as avoiding being trampled by those HUGE furry mastodons) to be followed by periods of lower activity such as sitting around the cave banging two rocks together (an ancient form of stress relief). The kind of continuous, overwhelming stress we submit our bodies to was not in the original blueprints Mother Nature followed when she designed us. Thus, many researchers claim that 80% of all diseases are stress-induced. That’s a staggering number when you come down to it and anything that’s going to decrease that percentage must be looked upon as a good thing. Not as a luxury only wealthy people and ancient Egyptian noblemen could afford, but as a necessary time of relaxation for our overworked bodies and minds. Plus, when it comes right down to it, it’s cheaper than therapy and I’ve yet to come across a psychiatrist that gives a decent manicure.

Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I can tell you about some of the places that offer services guaranteed to drop your rating on the old stress-o-meter. If you want a day package, there are plenty of salons and spas in the area that offer such packages. Ginger Cosmetics in downtown Harrisburg is one and offers a “Day of Luxury” for Women and a “Stress Away Day” for men. The woman’s package consists of a massage, facial, shampoo & style, pedicure, manicure and a make-up application. The men’s package is the same, except for the make-up, but if you really want it, I’m sure they’d accommodate you. The whole package is topped off with complementary champagne, wine or juice and is served with a light lunch. The prices range from $100 without the massage to $165 with the deluxe facial. Carey & Company on Locust Lane in Harrisburg offers several packages ranging in price from $30 for their Stress Relief Package that consists of an Aveda Purescriptions Scalp Treatment and a chair massage to a $100 package that includes a pedicure, salt glow, manicure, facial, scalp treatment, shampoo and blowdry. Felicita on Fishing Creek Valley Road offers services that run the entire gamut, including 17 different facial types, make-up application, 5 different types of massages as well as 11 different body wraps. A stay at the inn can be combined with any of the Felicita spa treatments and they offer package deals that include a 1/2 hour massage and meals in their restaurant. If you’re on the West Shore, Eclipse in Lemoyne offers a list of services much like the others, but also includes wellness consultations with a holistic healer, meditation instruction and healing energy sessions.

If you’re uncomfortable with the salon/spa scene and would prefer something quieter, there are many private practitioners of skin care and massage listed in the phone book. I have personal knowledge of a few including Karen E. Rolko in Enola who offers massage in her home by appointment. If you’re going to patronize someone not associated with a salon, however, do keep a few pointers in mind. Make sure that you are being attended to by a licensed professional for any type of facial, manicure or pedicure. There are state regulations governing the practice of those services and a professional’s license should be prominently displayed. If you intend to patronize a massage therapist, be sure that they have been licensed in another state, have passed the National Certification exams or are a member of either the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) or the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA). This will ensure that they have had a certain amount of training and that they are sworn to follow a code of ethics as regarding professional conduct and client confidentiality. And, I know you probably don’t need this extra bit of information, but here it is anyway. There are two sections in the phone book, one for massage and one for massage therapists. You probably don’t want the section for massage unless your idea of stress relief includes being picked up in a massage parlor raid by the police.