Hi there really interested in lava shell massage and I was shocked how little the course was including the kit? Which I won't post for obv reasons. Could someone who uses them give me their advice on them good or bad 
many thanks
many thanks
Lava shells opinions please
- Thread starter Brooke_09
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I had an introduction to lava shells and it seemed lovely but further than that I can't tell you anything. Remember you have to keep buying the little toasty bags to put in the shells it would probably be more cost effective to offer hot stones unless you will be doing lots of the treatments do you think? X
K~Anne
Well-Known Member
I loved the idea. But after investigating I decided to stay with Hot stone massage.
Hot stone is a classic treatment and I felt it had better longevity than Lava shells which may go out of fashion or have the novelty wear off.
That's just personal opinion though, so some may disagree. Xx
Hot stone is a classic treatment and I felt it had better longevity than Lava shells which may go out of fashion or have the novelty wear off.
That's just personal opinion though, so some may disagree. Xx
user 100382
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I agree, I looked into lava shells and decided I'd rather stick with hot stones. I have a friend that works with lava shells and she says they get very hot and there is little way to control how hot they get since it is a chemical reaction!
I like that hot stones is natural and doesn't require any chemicals to achieve too!
But if you're not trained in hot stones then the course would offer you something new for clients and I LOVE heat therapy myself - gives a much more satisfying / deeper massage and really helps them aches and pains!
If you're not trained in massage, however, you may find a basic course like lava shells doesn't cover you enough insurance wise and won't teach you long enough to pick up the moves well enough to give a good massage (not sure what you are trained in so thought i'd better post that!)
I like that hot stones is natural and doesn't require any chemicals to achieve too
!But if you're not trained in hot stones then the course would offer you something new for clients and I LOVE heat therapy myself - gives a much more satisfying / deeper massage and really helps them aches and pains!
If you're not trained in massage, however, you may find a basic course like lava shells doesn't cover you enough insurance wise and won't teach you long enough to pick up the moves well enough to give a good massage (not sure what you are trained in so thought i'd better post that!)
Thanks for your responses so far I am trained in full body massage I did beauty therapy 2 & 3 general route. Like you say I love heat treatments as to my clients I en corporate some form of heat treatment in to most of my treatments where possible but this is usually just in the form of a hot towel scented with aromatherapy oil which I get a great response from. However I have live on an island that is saturated with beauticians and I would like to offer something a bit different . Ive seen people's reviews on the course and they send you a start up kit to use to train but after your qualified they send you the professional kit? X
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I am trained in full body massage I did beauty therapy 2 & 3 general route. Like you say I love heat treatments as to my clients I en corporate some form of heat treatment in to most of my treatments where possible but this is usually just in the form of a hot towel scented with aromatherapy oil which I get a great response from. However I have live on an island that is saturated with beauticians and I would like to offer something a bit different . Ive seen people's reviews on the course and they send you a start up kit to use to train but after your qualified they send you the professional kit? X Sent from my GT-I9300 using SalonGeek mobile app
user 100382
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Yeah, the professional kit is probably where they make their money from! The starter kit probably isn't enough to run a business by as it think it is just two shells? With good hygiene and enough refills you may be ok for a bit, though, while you are building up a client base etc it will just mean you have to be really careful about cooling them down too much while you work.
If you are looking for something different but with less product usage (i.e. replacing the chemical pillow bits) have you looked into bamboo massage? It uses long sticks of (usually) heated bamboo which is rolled up and down the body. I have a friend that trained in it recently with the spa she works for and its apparently quite popular. I think the set up costs are higher if you want to do heated ones and dont have a large towel cabinet on hand as it requires a fancy bag (like the hot stones bags you can get). But once you're set up there is no more costs!
If you are looking for something different but with less product usage (i.e. replacing the chemical pillow bits) have you looked into bamboo massage? It uses long sticks of (usually) heated bamboo which is rolled up and down the body. I have a friend that trained in it recently with the spa she works for and its apparently quite popular. I think the set up costs are higher if you want to do heated ones and dont have a large towel cabinet on hand as it requires a fancy bag (like the hot stones bags you can get). But once you're set up there is no more costs
!
pinkthistle
Well-Known Member
Hot stones cool much quicker than lava shells, the shells are hotter. The downside of shells is that with so many no shows you can't have your shells ready to start... If you add the charge when the client is getting ready they are
Sometimes not really warm enough after 10 mins.... Then if you only do a back and shoulder massage they stay hot for half an hour after you finish!
Overheads are more buying the charges etc, about £6 per treatment whereas with stones you buy the jut them it's just electricity. Saying that, the shells are still my preference due to the extra heat
Sometimes not really warm enough after 10 mins.... Then if you only do a back and shoulder massage they stay hot for half an hour after you finish!
Overheads are more buying the charges etc, about £6 per treatment whereas with stones you buy the jut them it's just electricity. Saying that, the shells are still my preference due to the extra heat
kamikate
Well-Known Member
A friend of mine bought the course and kit, and although she loves it she gets hardly anyone for the treatment. Most of her clients just come for massage. Another friend bought a wavestone which is a jade curved stone, you heat in either warm or cold water and it takes on that temperature and holds it for several minutes. You only need 1, maybe 2 stones.
hazelb
Well-Known Member
I'm glad I found this thread as I'm thinking about doing the lava shell course. I can do an on line training course with a basic starter kit for £150. After submitting case studies and getting my certificate I can re-order supplies ( but only in the milder heat charge ) If I want to use the hotter charges I'll need to do their onsite course.
Does any one have any experience of how long the milder charges last?
Does any one have any experience of how long the milder charges last?
I use the mild heat lava shells and use them combined with my aromatherapy massages.
They stay hot for up to 45 mins.
When stationary they heat up.
When being used and moving about they cool down.
So I start my massage -10 mins, then do about 10 mins with shells, then massage again and so on.
I have put together treatments of either 45 mins (2 sachets) or 90 mins (4 sachets)
They're not cheap to use so make sure you charge well above your normal massage charges
They stay hot for up to 45 mins.
When stationary they heat up.
When being used and moving about they cool down.
So I start my massage -10 mins, then do about 10 mins with shells, then massage again and so on.
I have put together treatments of either 45 mins (2 sachets) or 90 mins (4 sachets)
They're not cheap to use so make sure you charge well above your normal massage charges
JemmaBeauty
Well-Known Member
I use hot stones now, but I did use lava shells at a spa I worked at. They do have their benefits (quick to clean, quick set up time and definitely great for mobile therapists) but I found them quite frustrating as you need to be good with timing when combining them with manual massage as they get too hot if left for too long, however if you use them constantly with no breaks, they go too cold!
I also remember doing a couple of massages where the mild shells didn't heat up quick enough and therefore the massage was more lukewarm than hot. Yuk!
There are many therapists and some salons in my area charge very cheap for lava shell treatments. Although I don't usually let other peoples prices impact my own, it does put me off incorporating them into my business. Maybe that's just my local area though?
I also remember doing a couple of massages where the mild shells didn't heat up quick enough and therefore the massage was more lukewarm than hot. Yuk!
There are many therapists and some salons in my area charge very cheap for lava shell treatments. Although I don't usually let other peoples prices impact my own, it does put me off incorporating them into my business. Maybe that's just my local area though?
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hazelb
Well-Known Member
Ok. I've gone for the lava shell back training kit. I'm not sure how many more clients it will bring in, but I'll see how it goes.
So my thoughts:
I'm interested in the course anyway, just to upskill and get a bit of CPD done.
If the treatment doesn't work out for me but I get my money back in treatments to cover the cost of the kit and trainng I'll be please.
It will give me a great offer to post on facebook as I train
I don't do that many hot stone treatments - for for each client I have to set the heater /stones up and take down afterwards - so I'm looking forward to the time saving there!
I'll let you know how I get on.
So my thoughts:
I'm interested in the course anyway, just to upskill and get a bit of CPD done.
If the treatment doesn't work out for me but I get my money back in treatments to cover the cost of the kit and trainng I'll be please.
It will give me a great offer to post on facebook as I train
I don't do that many hot stone treatments - for for each client I have to set the heater /stones up and take down afterwards - so I'm looking forward to the time saving there!
I'll let you know how I get on.
I love the lava shell treatment. It's so popular and SO much better than stones!
Stones got cold so quickly but the shells stay hot for the whole Massage. No need to keep going to get stones so a much nicer, less detached treatment.
We've just started doing the Facials too and the feedback has been incredible.
Several have said it's the best beauty treatment they'd ever had, someone said it was better than a very expensive treatment she had in the Maldives! [emoji7]
Love love love and highly recommend.
Stones got cold so quickly but the shells stay hot for the whole Massage. No need to keep going to get stones so a much nicer, less detached treatment.
We've just started doing the Facials too and the feedback has been incredible.
Several have said it's the best beauty treatment they'd ever had, someone said it was better than a very expensive treatment she had in the Maldives! [emoji7]
Love love love and highly recommend.
jemma890
Well-Known Member
Ok. I've gone for the lava shell back training kit. I'm not sure how many more clients it will bring in, but I'll see how it goes.
So my thoughts:
I'm interested in the course anyway, just to upskill and get a bit of CPD done.
If the treatment doesn't work out for me but I get my money back in treatments to cover the cost of the kit and trainng I'll be please.
It will give me a great offer to post on facebook as I train
I don't do that many hot stone treatments - for for each client I have to set the heater /stones up and take down afterwards - so I'm looking forward to the time saving there!
I'll let you know how I get on.
How did you get on with the lava shells? Do you get many clients for this? x
I agree, I looked into lava shells and decided I'd rather stick with hot stones. I have a friend that works with lava shells and she says they get very hot and there is little way to control how hot they get since it is a chemical reaction!
I like that hot stones is natural and doesn't require any chemicals to achieve too
But if you're not trained in hot stones then the course would offer you something new for clients and I LOVE heat therapy myself - gives a much more satisfying / deeper massage and really helps them aches and pains!
If you're not trained in massage, however, you may find a basic course like lava shells doesn't cover you enough insurance wise and won't teach you long enough to pick up the moves well enough to give a good massage (not sure what you are trained in so thought i'd better post that!)
It isn't man made chemicals that cause the exothermic reaction. It is all natural ingredients that when come together create this lovely heat. The great thing about Lava Shells is that they DONT cool down quickly like stones do. To keep control of the heat of your stones you just need to keep working with them and make sure when you are not working with them you only leave them for 1 minute (or they do tend to get very hot). They are a fabulous space saver and you don't have to mess around getting stones in and out of a roaster. They will be more expensive (around £10 to perform a full body massage) than stones but for me work well for the above reasons.
