Brian Lam’s Skin+Touch Therapy has a new home in downtown Fredericksburg.
“I’m mainly known for massage and doing therapeutic work, so a lot of people came to me with neck injuries, migraines, fibromyalgia,” Lam said. He had a small studio on Princess Anne Street, which he shared with another massage therapist. “We outgrew our space,” Lam said.
Lam recently opened a larger space at 714 Caroline St. He stripped plaster from the old brick walls and polished original wood floors to create a beautiful interior with modern warmth and old character.
“At Skin+Touch Therapy we will focus on massage and skin care,” Lam said. The massage therapist actually began his career as an esthetician, and he also teachers yoga. He’s expanding his business in the new space.
Lam’s forte is deep tissue massage. He’s hired therapists who focus on other types of massage, including relaxation, prenatal and hot stone.
He’s also added Ashiatsu. Known as Oriental Bar Therapy Deep Tissue Barefoot Massage, it is more rare to find because it requires special equipment (bars hung from the ceiling) and training. Skin+Touch Therapy has two rooms and three therapists for Ashiatsu.
In Ashiatsu, the massage therapist holds onto the overhead bars and massages a person’s back with their feet. Lam compared it to ballet. “It’s as if the therapist is dancing, and it feels so great because there’s a flow to it, smooth, firm, deep pressure,” Lam said. “It’s becoming our signature massage.”
He plans facials, too. “We’re going to bring in a master esthetician and more skin care lines. We’ll do nice facials like aromatherapy, but also anti-aging, hyperpigmentation and acne.”
Lam sees the growing spa community on Caroline Street as part of a national trend. “There’s a growing industry providing health, fitness and lifestyle services,” he said. “There’s a great community here, on Caroline Street. I think there is more than enough business for everyone.”
To celebrate and promote that community, Lam is spearheading a week of spa specials in Fredericksburg. He’s working with the Office of Tourism and talking with other businesses, including Ladyburg, Pitayo and Studio d’Esthetique. Scheduled May 4 – 10, it will be similar to restaurant week, where discounted services will be provided, he said. Details will be released soon.
“We’re banning together to have a bigger voice,” he said.
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