CE INSTITUTE LLC BLOG

Author: Selena Belisle, Owner/Instructor, CE Institute LLC, Miami FL

Acne is a noncontagious skin condition that occurs when your hair follicles become plugged with oil and dead skin cells. Blockages, inflammation, and infection can develop deep inside the skin and produce a cyst-like lump within the skin. 

Depending on its severity, acne can cause emotional distress and scar the skin.  In older adults, a sudden onset of severe acne may signal an underlying disease requiring medical attention.[i] 

It is important to note that some instructors teach different “grades” of acne (i.e. Grade I, Grade II, Grade III & Grade IV – or another system).  However, the American Academy of Dermatology states that “…there is no universally agreed upon grading system, and systems can differ greatly between studies…”[ii]

Massage therapists, salon & spa service providers should never work on or over broken skin.  That means that service or touch should be avoided over facial or body areas that have severe acne break-out.  Not only is the skin broken but there could be significant infection as well. 

If your client is concerned about severe acne, refer them to a dermatologist or physician for proper medical care.  For estheticians, facial specialists and those licensed to work with skin conditions, you may be able to help a client with acne with proper skin care acne treatment product(s) and regimen.

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Author Selena Belisle is the Founder of CE Institute LLC in Miami FL.  She is a retired professional athlete and has been practicing massage therapy for over 30 years.  Selena is an approved CE Provider with NCBTMB & the Florida Board of Massage.  She now teaches full time for the Complementary and Alternative Health Care Industries. You can learn more about Selena’s training and CE classes at www.CeInstitute.com

[i] Mayo Clinic Staff. “Acne.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 31 Oct. 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acne/symptoms-causes/syc-20368047.

[ii] “Practice Management Center.” Systems for the Grading and Classification of Acne: Recommendations | American Academy of Dermatology, Retrieved on: 25 Apr. 2018, www.aad.org/practicecenter/quality/clinical-guidelines/acne/systems-for-the-grading-and-classification-of-acne.

By: Selena Belisle, Owner/Instructor CE Institute LLC, Miami FL

Knowing where skin is thinner or thicker in the body may help you determine a better service for your client.  For example, a hot stone during hot stone massage will be more tolerable over the thicker skin areas of the body.  And services such as cupping massage, body scrubs or waxing may require more attention in the thinner skin areas of the body, because the skin is thin and could easily rip or tear with too much force, etc.

Thin Skin:  Above is a diagram of thin skin in the axilla/underarm region.  Here, you can see that the outer layer of the epidermis (the stratum corneum) is much thinner than in the previous picture of thicker skin. 

You can also see there is no stratum lucidum, but there are apocrine glands (labeled #8 on the pictured diagram above) which can produce a scent or odor.  Most apocrine glands are found in the armpits, groin, and breast area.

Thick Skin:  Below is a diagram of the skin of the human palm.  Skin is regularly thicker on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.  This thick skin on the soles of the feet are what can lead to excessive dead skin and calluses. 

In this image, you can also see the stratum lucidum layer of the epidermis (labeled letter B on the pictured diagram below).  This is an additional translucent layer of skin of the epidermis that is found in few select places such as the palms of hands and soles of the feet.

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Author Selena Belisle is the Founder of CE Institute LLC in Miami FL.  She is a retired professional athlete and has been practicing massage therapy for over 30 years.  Selena is an approved CE Provider with NCBTMB & the Florida Board of Massage.  She now teaches full time for the Complementary and Alternative Health Care Industries. You can learn more about Selena’s training and CE classes at www.CeInstitute.com

Author:  Selena Belisle, Owner/Instructor, CE Institute LLC, Miami FL 

Skin Facts & Basics plus its Vital Role to the Human Body[i]

Even at its thickest point, our skin is only a few millimeters thick. Yet it is still our heaviest and largest organ, making up about one seventh of our body weight: depending on your height and body mass, it weighs between 3.5 and 10 kilograms (7.5 and 22 pounds) and has a surface area of 1.5 to 2 square meters. This goes to show how important skin is for your body and metabolism.

Skin has a lot of different functions. It is a stable but flexible outer covering that acts as barrier, protecting the body from harmful things in the outside world such as moisture, the cold and sun rays, as well as germs and toxic substances.

Just looking at someone’s skin can already tell you a lot – for instance, about their age and health. Changes in skin color or structure can be a sign of a medical condition. For example, people with too few red blood cells in their blood may look pale, and people who have hepatitis have yellowish skin.

Skin also plays an important role in regulating your body temperature. It helps prevent dehydration and protects from the negative effects of too much heat or cold. It allows your body to feel sensations such as warmth, cold, pressure, itching and pain. Some of these sensations trigger a reflex, like automatically pulling your hand back if you accidentally touch a hot stove.

Skin also functions as a large storeroom for the body: the deepest layer of skin can store water, fat and metabolic products, and it produces hormones that are important for the whole body.

If skin is injured, the blood supply to the skin increases in order to deliver various substances to the wound so it is better protected from infections and can heal faster. Later on, new cells are produced to form new skin and blood vessels. Depending on how deep the wound is, the skin can heal with or without a scar. 

The skin consists of three very distinctive layers to be able to do perform its many required functions.  Those three layers are:

• the outer layer (epidermis)
• the middle layer (dermis)
• the deepest layer (subcutaneous tissue aka hypodermis)

Depending on where it is on your body and the demands made on it, your skin varies in thickness. The thickness of your skin depends on your age and sex too: older people generally have thinner skin than younger people, and men generally have thicker skin than women.

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By: Selena Belisle, Owner/Instructor CE Institute LLC, Miami FL

Sudoriferous Glands aka/are more commonly referred to as: Sweat Glands

Sweat glands produce and secrete substances onto the surface of the skin through a tubular passageway or “duct”.  They are found on the dermis and their passageways protrude through the epidermis.

There are two main types of sweat glands: apocrine and eccrine glands.  While they are commonly found around the same area of the dermis, these two glands can act quite differently.  They differ in their structure, function, secretory product, mechanism of excretion and anatomic distribution.

Eccrine Sweat Glands

A type of simple sweat gland that is found in almost all regions of the skin. These glands produce sweat that reaches the surface of the skin by way of coiled ducts (tubes). The body is cooled as sweat evaporates from the skin.[i] Eccrine sweat is a colorless, odorless, hypotonic solution. 

Humans are born with approximately 3 million eccrine sweat units, and no additional ones are formed thereafter.[ii]

Apocrine Sweat Glands

These glands are found mostly in the axilla (armpits) and perianal areas and are not significant for cooling for humans. The apocrine gland secretes an oily fluid with proteins, lipids, and steroids that is odorless before microbial activity. It appears on the skin surface mixed with sebum, as sebaceous glands open into the same hair follicle.[iii]

A foul or volatile odor is created when the apocrine gland secretions mix with bacteria on the skin.

Apocrine glands tend to excrete in “squirts” while eccrine glands excrete continuously. 

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This BLOG was written by Selena Belisle, the Founder of CE Institute LLC in Miami FL.  She is a retired professional athlete and has been practicing massage therapy for over 30 years.  Selena is an approved CE Provider with NCBTMB & the Florida Board of Massage.  She now teaches full time for the Complementary and Alternative Health Care Industries. You can learn more about Selena’s training and CE classes at www.CeInstitute.com

[i] “NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms.” National Cancer Institute, Retrieved online: 20 May 2018, www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/cancer-terms/def/eccrine-gland.

[ii] “Eccrine Units.” Derm101, 20 May 2018, www.derm101.com/inflammatory/embryologic-histologic-and-anatomic-aspects/eccrine-units/.

[iii] "sweat gland". Miller-Keane Encyclopedia & Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health (7th ed.). Saunders. 2003. Retrieved 18 December 2012.

By: Selena Belisle, Owner/Instructor CE Institute LLC, Miami FL

In the obtuse angle between the root of a hair and the surface of the skin, a bundle of smooth muscle fibers, known as an arrector pili muscle, is usually found.

The arrector pili muscle extends from the deep part of the hair follicle to the papillary layer of the dermis.

Contraction of the arrector pili muscle makes the hair “stand” erect. The arrectores pilorum are innervated by sympathetic fibers and contract in response to such stimuli as emotion or cold. This results in an unevenness of the skin’s surface called "goose pimples."[i]

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By: Selena Belisle, Owner/Instructor CE Institute LLC, Miami FL

Our natural hair color is a result of two types of hair pigments. Both of these pigments are melanin types, produced inside the hair follicle and packed into granules found in the fibers.  

Brown & Black Hair

Is a result of eumelanin pigment in the hair.

Red Hair

Is a result of pheomelanin pigment in the hair.

Blond hair

Is the result of having little pigmentation in the hair strand.

Gray hair

Occurs when melanin production decreases or stops.

Most people think that our hair has many different pigments, when in fact it does not.  We hope you enjoy this graphic which depicts hair pigment and texture.

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By: Selena Belisle, Owner/Instructor CE Institute LLC, Miami FL

This is a hair that grows back into the skin, or doesn’t break through the skin at all (it can grow sideways underneath the skin). Hair structure and direction of growth can play a vital role in the creation of ingrown hair. Ingrown hairs most commonly appear in the male beard area, including the chin and cheeks, and especially the neck.

Ingrown hairs can appear on the scalp in those who shave their heads. Other common areas for ingrown hairs are the armpits, pubic area and legs.[i]

Sometimes ingrown hairs can become infected.  An ingrown hair can usually be removed through tweezing, or a client can be referred to their doctor for proper medical attention with any infected ingrown hairs.  You should never break the client's skin or tweeze if you are not medically licensed to do so.

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[i] “Symptoms and Causes.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, Retrieved online 22 May 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/ingrown-hair/symptoms-causes/syc-20373893?p=1.

By: Selena Belisle, Owner/Instructor CE Institute LLC, Miami FL

Alopecia[i] is another name for hair loss

You lose up to 100 hairs from your scalp every day. That's normal, and in most people, those hairs grow back; but many men—and some women—lose hair as they grow older. Humans can also lose hair due to certain diseases, such as thyroid problems, diabetes, or lupus.

Alopecia Areata is a medical condition that can also cause hair loss.  It is an autoimmune disorder that results in hair loss on the scalp, face, and body; recurrence and amount of hair loss depends on the severity of the condition.[ii]

If someone takes certain medicines or receives chemotherapy for cancer, they may also lose their hair.  The cells that produce hair in the human body have some of the fastest growing cells of the body; and, seeing many chemotherapies attack the fastest growing cells in the body (given cancer is one of the fastest growing cells), many will experience hair loss when taking chemotherapy. 

Other causes of hair loss are thought to be: stress, a low protein diet, family history, or poor nutrition.

Treatment for hair loss depends on the cause. In some cases, treating the underlying cause will correct the problem. Other treatments include medicines and hair restoration.

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By: Selena Belisle, Owner/Instructor CE Institute LLC, Miami FL

Nails are often used in acute medical situations to determine a person’s health or fitness.  A capillary nail refill test is a quick test done on the nail beds to monitor dehydration, lack of circulation or the amount of blood flow to tissue.  While this is rarely practiced in massage therapy practices, spas or salons, it’s good to know, because it can be applied quickly and can HELP rule out a life-threatening medical circulatory issue. Keep in mind that this is NOT the only test that would be performed in a life-threatening circulatory concern, nor are we trained medical professionals and as such, should not be attempting to practice medicine.  This test is simply something that can be done if you ever find yourself in an acute medical situation and need greater information about the individual who is in distress.

How the Test is Performed

Pressure is applied to the nail bed until it turns white. This is called “blanching” when the blood has been forced out of the tissue: in this case, the blood has been forced out by squeezing. Once the tissue has blanched, pressure is removed and the time it takes for blood to return to the tissue is measured. Return of blood is indicated by the nail turning back to a pink color.  If there is good circulation, a pink color should return to the nail bed in less than 2 seconds after pressure is removed.

What Abnormal Results Mean

Blanch times that are greater than 2 seconds may indicate: dehydration, shock, peripheral vascular disease (PVD), hypothermia, or blood-circulation disruption.

How to Prepare for the Test

Remove colored nail polish before this test.  The test should only use minor pressure to the bed of your nail. The pressure should not cause discomfort.

Why the Test is Performed

Tissues need oxygen to survive. Oxygen is carried to various parts of the body by the blood (vascular) system.  This test measures how well the vascular system works in your hands and feet—the parts of your body that are farthest from the heart.

This BLOG was written by Selena Belisle, the Founder of CE Institute LLC in Miami FL.  She is a retired professional athlete and has been practicing massage therapy for over 30 years.  Selena is an approved CE Provider with NCBTMB & the Florida Board of Massage.  She now teaches full time for the Complementary and Alternative Health Care Industries. You can learn more about Selena’s training and CE classes at www.CeInstitute.com