When you think of body wraps, you may picture wrapping yourself in layers of saran wrap. Not too attractive, huh? While there is such a body wrap that exists that uses saran wrap, there are other more soothing and helpful skin care uses for body wraps that you can find at your local skincare and health spa.

First off, exactly what is a body wrap? According to Google.com, a body wrap is defined as a skin care treatment that helps to stimulate circulation, soothe the skin and remove impurities from the body.

Body wraps are a health and skincare technique from centuries ago, that was first introduced to the United States in 1961 and was the only fat reducing method that involved using a special formula to remove excess body fat without surgery, according to Pillfreevitamins.com. Since then, droves of people have sought out this skincare method to losing fat while basking in the ambiance of a luxurious spa.

There are a number of skin care friendly body wraps out there. It's just a matter of deciding which wrap will work best for your body and skincare needs. The most common body wrap is the herbal wrap, where natural linen sheets are soaked in special therapeutic herbs and then wrapped around the body. A number of wraps use seaweed, algae, mud or clay. These skincare indulgent body wraps are excellent as detox treatments, and rids your body of daily toxins. If you suffer from dry skin, there's a body wrap for that as well. Shake up your regular skin care regimen with a shea butter body wrap. This type of wrap is essential for dry skin care, as this body wrap uses shea butter and other soothing lotions that hydrate and soften your skin.

So, what does a body wrap session entail? In order to prepare your body for the wrap, you'll normally start out with a total body exfoliation by the use of dry brushing or a salt scrub. When your skin is ready, the spa therapist will apply the body wrap and secure you snuggly within the wrap (so make sure to use the bathroom beforehand!).

You'll experience a warm and very relaxing feeling as the solution starts to work its way into your body and skin. It varies at certain skin care and health spas, but usually a thorough body wrap can last anywhere from 20 minutes to a half hour or more, depending on what your body can handle. During this time, you're left alone in the room, but if you want company, bring a friend along and get body wraps side by side. Or you can ask your spa therapist to keep you company by giving you a stimulating scalp massage. Can you say luxurious?

When it's time to come out of the wrap, the spa therapist will assist you in removing the body wrap by having you take a shower or washing you off with a handheld showerhead while you lay across a wet table. After the body wrap is completely washed off and your body is toweled dry, a moisturizing lotion is applied to your entire body.

According to Spas.about.com, you shouldn't confuse a body wrap with a massage. There are a number of health and skincare treatments that may seem the same, but it's best to call ahead and ask for a consultation so that you know exactly what services you're paying for. As mentioned earlier, if you don't like the thought of being alone, or are claustrophobic, the environment of a body wrap may not the skin care solution for you.

As with anything that involves your health or skincare, it's also recommended that you consult with your doctor to find out for sure if you are physically able to handle a body wrap. According to Sobobamedspa.com, people who suffer from circulatory problems shouldn't not get body wraps because of the warm and restricting nature of the treatment, which can ultimately worsen a person's condition. There is also the possibility of skin asphyxiation if the body wrap is too tight or your body has an adverse reaction to the lack of oxygen, so make sure that you thoroughly check out the credentials of the health and skin care spa you book your appointment with.

Contourbodywraps.com also strongly advises against using body wraps if you suffer from certain medical conditions such as heart disease, high or low blood pressure or diabetes. Consult with your doctor as well if you're taking any medication to make sure there are no side effects. Women who are pregnant, may become pregnant or are lactating are also strongly advised not to participate in body wraps.