Interview with Estella Eckard - Trumans' Massage Therapist and Skin Care Specialist

By Melissa Colabella


A number of clients have asked about what goes on in the spa area of Truman's. Whether the bewilderment is because the concept of a male spa is new and unfamiliar or because the spa industry in general is mysterious, hopefully the below conversation with one of Trumans' own resident Massage Therapists and Skin Care Specialists, Estella Eckardt will provide some clarification.

MC: Let's talk about waxing. How do you suggest a man take care of his uni-brow?
EE: I suggest waxing in that area. Wax pulls hair from the roots and keeps it looking clean the longest.

MC: How do you feel about eye-brow shaping on men?
EE: Shaping is necessary to maintain proportion. By respecting the natural shape, for example, not making the arch too high, too thin, or too pointy, we can keep it looking masculine.

MC: What do you suggest for men who refuse to wax?
EE: Tweezing the area works as well. Tweezing every other hair can make the area look cleaner without making it look too manicured. However, it's not going to take care of the tiny vellus hairs.

MC: Can you tell us more about Reflexology?
EE: Reflexology manipulates the feet and hands in order to improve circulation, ease pain and increase relaxation in the body. It's based on the theory that all body parts, organs and glands are associated with specific areas called reflex zones in the feet, hands, ears and the surface of the skin.

MC: Why would someone get a reflexology treatment?
EE: The feet are very complex. There are 107 ligaments, over 7,000 nerve endings, 19 muscles, 26 bones and 33 joints in the feet. One fourth of all of our bones are located in our feet. Reflexology is very therapeutic and calming. It also promotes overall balance.

MC: Is Reflexology a treatment in itself or is is part of a massage?
EE: Either. However I suggest trying an hour of just treating the feet.

MC: Who should get this treatment?
EE: Runners, doctors, nurses, or anyone who is on their feet all day. Conversely, if you sit all day, fluids can get trapped in the feet and toxic crystals form in the feet and legs. We can break them up through massage. Due to the position of being at the bottom of the body, the feet accumulate the greatest amount of toxins.

MC: So.... really, everyone.
EE: Yes. Everyone gets uric and lactic acid buildup. Over time this contributes to pain, mental and physical fatigue.

MC: What other kinds of bodywork do you offer?
EE: Shiatsu, deep tissue, myofascial release and cupping, just to name a few but there are several modalities.

Social Experimentation

By Melissa Colabella


Today I was reading Colin Wright’s blog  on ExileLifestyle.com, titled, “I’m A Man of Many Experiments.” It got me thinking about all of the social experiments I’ve tried in my own life- all efforts conducted and completed without the awareness that I was performing an experiment at the time. 


Like Colin, I have also gone a year without television, just to see if it were possible. It’s actually a very easy habit to break when you live in NY. I also tried going on a raw food diet just to see if I could detect physical and emotional changes in my body. This wasn’t as easy.  An experiment that I’ve tried which Colin doesn’t mention comes from Dale Carnegie’s book, “How To Win Friends and Influence People.” Try to go a week without talking about yourself in conversation with others. Now try going another week without complaining (about anything), and yet another without making an excuse. This includes blaming the train for your lateness even if it wasn’t on time! I found that it was easier to dine on raw carrots for months than complete either of these tasks. 


You might be wondering why I’m discussing social experiments on a salon blog. I’ve been thinking lately about how hair consultations with clients are similar to social experiments.  Think about how significant your hairstyle is to your image. One of the questions I ask clients is whether or not they have a “professional” job, and what the corporate culture is like.  Or, if they work for themselves, what the image of their brand is.


It’s no secret that people assume personality traits based on image. For example, I’ve seen younger men completely transform themselves for an interview thinking that the image change will be more acceptable to their future employers. As a female, I’ve noticed a difference in the way I was treated by people when I wear my hair short as opposed to long.  


The truth is that this could go many ways. Does a funky hairstyle really mean that a person is an off-beat non-conformist, or are they trying extra hard to offset their normalcy through flamboyancy? Does a cookie-cutter hairstyle mean that the person wearing it has no unique or creative ideas of their own, or is his or her methodology so unique that they feel they must keep their style tame in an effort to not appear to overly eccentric? It could be neither. 


I would like to suggest a social experiment for our readers. The next time you think about your hairstyle, think about what it is that you like about it. Does it help you fit in where you would normally feel out of place? Does it make you stand out? Does it make you feel younger, older, or more successful?  Are you a minimalist and shave it off because you can’t be bothered? What is one personality trait of yours that you would like your hairstyle to speak to?  If you have made a drastic change, have other people’s first impressions or opinions of you changed? 


Let us know. Comments are welcomed!

Reasons Not To Rush Your Cut

By Melissa Colabella

This post is for the man who wants a quality haircut and who is willing to give only 15 minutes of his time. I understand  the importance of being punctual for a business lunch, the consequence of missing a train, and the emphasis in this city to make a buck. However, a hair-cut is a handcrafted piece of art given to you by your hairstylist. 

Ok - ok! I get it. Sometimes you don’t want a piece of art, you just want a haircut. The thing is, the technique we use to cut your hair can affect the outcome of your cut - and quite possibly, not in a good way. If you have only 15 minutes of your time to give, you can make a significant difference in the appearance of your hair by getting a clean-up, that is, fixing your sideburns and neckline. Schedule a clean-up the next time you’re in a rush  and you can ensure that your leave on time and looking neater. 

Stylists always want you looking your best, since after all, you are their brand. When someone notices their client’s hair, they’re either buying it or they aren’t. Your hair may need to be textured, detailed or cut when dry in addition to when wet, all of which take time. 

After all, you wouldn’t watch a watch or a custom suit made in 15 minutes would you? You wouldn’t expect results after being in the gym for 15 minutes, right?  What about a car assembled in 15 hours?  Maybe you would. But politics aside, the car assembled in 40 hours usually looks better. It’s the same thing. 

Why Universal Healthcare Will Increase Our Nation's Metro-sexual Population

Posted by Melissa Colabella

New research suggests that women from countries with healthier populations prefer more feminine-looking men. Author Jena Pincott recently published an article in the Wall Street Journal on the science behind attraction and masculinity, and the future for manly men.

The article discusses a recent experiment where women from several countries selected the male faces they found to be more attractive. The findings: women with the strongest masculinity preferences tended to hail from the countries with higher disease and mortality rates and some of the poorest scores on the health-care index, including the USA! Conversely, women with the weakest masculinity preferences tended to live in some of the healthiest countries.

Macho men beware, as it could be considered progress if women start pursuing metro-sexuals, men Pincott describes as "impeccable guys who exfoliate, order salads for dinner and carry man purses."

The Masculine Mystique by Jenna Pincott, WSJ 3/27/10

(Royal Society) A pair of faces from the Face Research Laboratory study to evaluate women's preferences. The image on the left has more masculine features like thicker eyebrows and a wider jaw