Watching your back

My wife suggested that I get a "back facial" a few weeks ago. Not that I suffer from "backne" or anything like that. I might have some excess hair growth going on back there, maybe a few pimples. But nothing like a topographical map of the Ural Mountains popping up. Still, since she is arguably the person who has to look at my back more than most, I figured I would indulge her.

Visiting a skincare center is not the way I usually like to spend a Saturday afternoon, but the Murad Medi-Spa at the fifth floor of Rustan’s Makati is a pleasant enough setting. The whole fifth floor is now given over to "aesthetics," which to the non-female translates to body pampering. I tried to ward off visions of Steve Carrell screaming in agony as his chest hair is "waxed" in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Anyway, there were other guys in the spa, and they seemed like regulars. No point in wimping out, I figured.

A "back facial" is roughly the same as a woman’s facial, except it’s applied to one’s back. Men tend to need this treatment more than women due to excess sweat, oils, hormonal secretions and physical activity. Whether you’ve got just a few red dots or a satellite photo of Mars decorating your back, it’s worth having a professional take a look once in a while. (Your regular Thai massage girl doesn’t count.)

I gamely filled out the skin health form and waited to be called in. Murad was created by Dr. Howard Murad, a California-based skincare specialist with a line of skincare products. He’s opened two branches in the Philippines, the other being in Alabang. It turns out this is the only place you can receive a "back facial" in Metro Manila (or at least a painless, professional one). It’s called a Clarifying Enzyme Back Treatment and doesn’t involve any needles, extractors or acids. You lie on your stomach on a table, and the dermatologist (or assistant) places a steamer above your back, which feels okay, like a localized sauna. This supposedly "opens up the pores," though pores are technically always open for business, unless they’re clogged. Anyway, the 60-minute treatment begins with a back examination. Turns out I had about four or five "outbreaks," but no major backne to deal with. Not even enough to connect the dots and make a recognizable constellation. This was good news: no future extraction procedures needed.

As I said, back topography is not high among my priorities. But many men have skin concerns there because, as I learned from Lorena, who did my treatment, there’s less body fat on the back than on the face (or the ass for that matter, though that’s pretty obvious). Therefore, any back pimples are going to get a lot of extra pressure from lying down or sitting in a chair all day. This can be painful. So blast away, I told Lorena, with a wave of my hand.

It’s a three-part process. First comes toning. Lorena applied a Murad Clarifying Cleanser, something gooey and cold that felt good, then carefully wiped it away with sponges. The cleanser contains salicylic acid to exfoliate the skin and help control outbreaks, and helps dissolve dirt in clogged pores. No fear about acids: there’s just a faint tingling, no burning or stinging, and no "untoward sensations," as Lorena put it. Next, she laid down some Clarifying Toner, something with algae extract to control "excess sebum production." I did not know that my sebum production was out of control. Also, it has Allantoin to soothe and heal irritated skin. So far, so good.

The second part was Skin Repair, and Lorena laid on some more goop – or rather, Exfoliating Acne Treatment Gel – with a patented hydrogen peroxide system delivering "maximum treatment" penetration. Hey, I’ll try anything with the word "maximum" in it. More exfoliating and soothing. She let that sink into my skin for 10 minutes while I took a nap.

After sponging off my back yet again, Lorena did some pimple extraction. No instruments were used, just a cotton bud and her fingers. She had a light touch, so all was good. Lorena then applied a Clarifying Mask to wipe away the impurities and excess oils. I took another nap while this went on.

The final step was Skin Protection, and this involved a gel moisturizer and a body-firming lotion that was worked in by Lorena’s fingers as she gave me a back massage. Her fingers dug deep down along my spine, but since I was pretty relaxed by then, I didn’t mind. She topped it off with a Clarifying Body Spray, and we were good to go.

Again, as I was leaving, I saw another ex-pat taking my place in the treatment room. One of the benefits of the Philippines – and this will probably be an increasingly big tourism selling point – is the level of affordable skin and health treatments available, something that is called "spa tourism" to attract foreigners. Murad is not cheap, but it does offer professional care in a relaxed, subdued environment (the rooms pipe in classical and New Age music, like a massage parlor). They give free one-on-one consultations on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. You can call Murad at 816-1806 or 813-3739 loc. 266 for an appointment. If you’re tired of playing connect-the-dots with your backne, check it out.