Hattie Harwood Massage and Beauty Gillingham
Hi there, I am Hattie Harwood, a massage therapist and beauty therapist in Gillingham Dorset.
I have recently started my journey being self employed and I would love to use this blog as a way to document my adventure and to answer any questions you may have!
What I love about my job is the variety of treatments I perform, from different types of massage to nail treatments and facial treatments.
When I first joined the beauty industry, I initially set off to do make-up for film and television but it didn’t take me long to fall head over heels in love with massage instead. Massage is so varied; there are so many different types and styles based on where it originated or what we are targeting within the body, you can use different pressures and different pressure points, and the great thing is that it can be completely customised.
A lot of people suffer with similar ailments and it may be caused by different things such as straining a muscle at the gym, sitting hunched over an office desk which can both result in tight muscles round the top of the back, neck and shoulders, some people who cycle or run find they have achy calves and thighs, people who use their hands a lot whether its typing for a job or hobby that uses repetitive movements such as crochet or knitting often get cramps in their hands.
I am going to say it – Massage is not a miracle cure! It cannot fix all your problems and it is by no means a replacement for medicine and medical advice from a doctor.
That being said, massage is wonderful for relieving symptoms, relaxing your muscles, managing pain and is great for mental health. There are some instances where massage might not be suitable for you, but apart from these cases, I would recommend massage to everyone!
It really can be whatever you want it to be. If you just want a relaxing hour to yourself then a Swedish massage is perfect, it is light to medium pressure and uses lovely long effleurage movements that encourages you to zone out and maybe even drift off to sleep!
If you’ve got a stiff neck or some knots that are bugging you that you just can’t seem to shake, a Deep Tissue Massage may benefit you more. Deep Tissue Massages tend to target muscles and tissue that you wouldn’t reach with a Swedish massage. This is often achieved by using forearms and the elbows to apply more pressure. Pressure points are worked along to help dispel any blockages and tension and while there might be slight discomfort, it is not at all meant to be a painful treatment. The therapist will always check in with the pressure, and it is important to let them know if you would like more or less pressure to ensure you enjoy your treatment.
There are so many other types of massage available such as hot stones massage, pregnancy massage, Lomi Lomi Hawaiian massage, Indian head massage etc. and while I cannot provide all of these right now; my all time favourite thing about this industry is that there is so much opportunity to grow and learn new things, so check with me again in the future and I will have some more massages to offer you!
I will be adding a new treatment to my treatment list very soon so keep an eye out for Thai Massage…
Thank you for visiting my website and I hope to see you soon!