The Zen music played at day spas and massage parlours may be designed to help customers relax, but these chilled-out melodies often mask gasps of pain induced by vigorous massages.
Says administrative assistant Leung Hwee Shyan, 33, an ardent fan of regular massage sessions: 'I have stopped wearing mascara when I go for massages, as I always cry when the therapist pounds away at my back muscles. And having trails of black ink flowing down my cheeks is not pretty.'
Even though she describes her bi-weekly 45-minute massage as 'physical torture', she never misses a single one of these tension-relieving sessions.
Leung is just one of many stressed-out urbanites whose enthusiasm for massages have fuelled the mushrooming of new massage parlours in Singapore.
Owners of massage parlours here reckon that more than 400 new massage parlours have sprouted over the past 10 years, catering to the roughly 20,000 Singaporeans who head for professional kneading sessions every week.
'My massage chain sees about 1,000 customers every week, which is double the business we got from just two years ago,' says Patricia Cho, 45, owner of the four-year-old Le Beaute Massage Centre at North Bridge Road.
Lynette Loh, 34, co-owner of the six-year-old Lush Spa, which is located at Mount Pleasant's Singapore Polo Club, says that the demand for group massage sessions is rising as well.
Her spa started organising spa parties (or 'sparties') earlier this year. These events let customers enjoy a massage along with their friends in the comfort of their own homes.
DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS
While the variety of massage options may be increasing, the toughest part of achieving massage nirvana remains finding the perfect therapist who can knead all those knots away effectively.
Says Cho: 'If done wrongly, massages can make you feel worse than you did when you first walked in.'
To make the search for the ideal masseuse easier, Urban got recommendations from 20 massage parlour owners here, including top spas like Lush Spa, Body Contours and Spa Esprit.
We asked them to single out the best and most popular massage therapists in town and they were more than willing to spread the word on the pressure-wielding experts working for other establishments.
Jerry Lee, 50, owner of Poshe Spa in Holland Village, for instance, told Urban about masseuse YetWah of Estheva Spa.
Says Lee: 'I have personally enjoyed her massages. She was not only very gentle when easing my muscle aches, but also adjusted her strength according to my preferences. The whole experience was very relaxing and effective.'
He decided to check out her massages after hearing enthusiastic recommendations from friends. Such word-of-mouth reviews is another great way to hunt down the best massage therapists, 'as the skills of these therapists have already been tested', says Cho.
She adds: 'Always let the spa staff know exactly what you require and your threshold of pain. They will then be able to pair you with a masseuse who can meet your needs.'
This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.
