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CATEGORIES |
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Spa Types |
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A spa is a place where you can get spa treatments like massage, facial and body treatments. Spas are devoted to enhancing your overall well-being. But there are many different types of spas:
Day Spa
Destination Spa
Medical Spa
Airport Spa |
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Day Spa
It offers spa treatments on a day-use basis. Many also offer salon services.
Day spa is someplace you go for the day to get massage, facials, and body treatments, like sea salt scrubs and mud wraps. They’re called day spas because, unlike destination spas, you don’t spend the night.
What Day Spas Should Offer:
* a quiet, peaceful atmosphere
* robes and slippers
* a full menu of massage, facials, and body treatments
* professional massage therapists and estheticians
* private treatment rooms with fresh linens
* professional spa products
* a relaxation room with tea
* a scrupulously clean facility
* in large spas, secure lockers, steam room and sauna
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Some hair salons call themselves a "spa" when all they have is one
massage room off a noisy salon. If you have any doubts, drop in for a
tour first.
* Not all spas give manicures and pedicures.
* Very small spas won't have steam, sauna and Jacuzzis. Think about whether that's important for your spa experience.
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Destination Spa
A destination spa is a place whose sole purpose is to help individuals develop a healthy lifestyle through:
healthy spa cuisine that emphasizes whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and nutritional education
a full program of fitness and stress reduction classes
therapeutic spa treatments including massage
educational lectures that teach you how to bring your healthy habits back home
Destination spas usually require that you stay at least two or three
nights to get the full benefit. Some require a longer stay. Prices at
destination spas usually include all meals, classes and some spa
treatments.
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Medical Spa
A medical spa is a hybrid between a medical clinic and a day spa that operates under the supervision of medical doctor.
Medical spas can treat facial conditions like brown spots,
redness, broken capillaries that cannot be treated at all or as
effectively by a traditional esthetician. They also specialize in laser
hair removal and Botox and fillers. Medical spa menus vary, but you can
usually get medical spa treatments like laser treatments, IPL (intense pulsed light) treatments, microdermabrasion,
photo facials, injectables like Botox and fillers, peels and skin tightening.
Medical spas tend to have a more clinical atmosphere, so they
aren't always the first choice for relaxing, but many do also offer
massage and body treatments. Some medical spas also have a wellness
focus and include services like acupuncture, nutritional counseling and
naturopathic doctor consultations.
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One of the biggest questions in choosing a medical spa is to
find out whether the doctor is actually on the premises supervising
operations and doing treatments, or whether he has lent his name to
someone else's enterprise and has relatively little involvement. It's
important to find out the qualifications of the people doing the
services and how long they've been doing them.
* Mineral Springs Spa.
It has natural mineral, thermal or seawater that is used in hydrotherapy treatments.
*Club Spa.
A day spa located in a fitness facility or health club.
* Cruise Ship Spa
Aboard a cruise ship that provides spa treatments, fitness and wellness components and spa cuisine menu choices.
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Airport Spa
Between the long lines, the heavy bags, and the person sneezing next to
you, air travel is stressful. Fortunately, more airports are adding
spas geared towards on-the-go travelers. No advance appointment needed!
Chair Massage -- The most common service is a seated or chair
massage. You sit fully clothed in a special chair that cradles you face
while the massage therapist works on your back and shoulders. And you can get a chair massage for as short as ten or 15
minutes. It is great for working out kinks before they turn into hard
knots! These are sometimes available in small "kiosks" right by the
gates.
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* Oxygen Therapy -- You sit in a comfy chair with a
two-pronged plastic tube up your nose, usually for 15 minutes, getting
oxygen scented with essential oils that help you relax or boost your
immune system.
* Other popular services are manicures and pedicures. Facials
are more unusual, but sometimes available. A few places offer full
salon services -- cut, color even highlights.
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