Spa Intelligence

East Meets Earth

2005-04-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

Just when we thought the spa industry has left no stone unturned, JAMU Asian Spa Rituals and Stone Spirits collaborated on fusing hot and cold stone therapies with authentic Asian spa rituals in a new kind of treatment called, “Batu Jamu.”
This revolutionary new fusion of stone work teaches the use of hot and cold stones in combination with varying forms of bodywork complemented by JAMU tropical scrubs and aromatherapy oils developed by Kim Collier, owner of JAMU Asian Spa Rituals and an expert on spa rituals of Asia having studied and worked in the Far East for more than a decade. The heat from the hot stones diffuse the aromatherapy oils lulling the client into a blissful state of relaxation, making this one of the most pleasurable experiences East or West.
According to Carolyn Webber, founder of Stone Spirits and veteran stone massage educator, “While some facilities may be doing stone massage and spa treatments, none are combining the two.”
Students of the Batu Jamu treatment learn to give a wonderfully relaxing hot and cold stone massage and to use the unique full body exfoliating, hydrating, spa tropical treatments of Bali Sea & Flowers, Volcanic Clay & Thai Coconut scrubs from JAMU. It teaches them to use the stones as both massage tools (saving their bodies) and as applicators and removers of the tropical scrubs, creating a whole new realm of stone work in spa therapies.
Stone Spirits has created a video correspondence course followed by 2-day hands on seminar focused on teaching this fusion of East meets Earth.
Students can learn the peripheral information via video correspondence then attend the seminar to refine the treatment and receive individual attention from a certified instructor.
Spas interested in learning more about rituals, products and treatments of JAMU Asian Spa Rituals or adding Batu Jamu to the menu can visit www.jamuspa.com

Escape

2005-04-18T16:45:00.000-07:00

With all the attention focused these days on holistic remedies, organic produce and botanical beauty products, it's no surprise that interest in spa treatments is on the rise. Everyone from harried executives to soccer moms—and baby boomers in particular—is eager to try anything that keeps them looking younger and feeling better. That makes this the perfect time to take the plunge into one of the hottest personal-service businesses around: the day spa.
Day spas offer the same beauty and wellness services as pricier destination spas and resorts but don't require the same time commitment. According to the ISPA 2002 Spa Industry Study from the International SPA Association (ISPA), there were nearly 156 million spa visits in the United States in 2001, 68 percent of which were made to day spas. Revenues for the U.S. spa industry were nearly $11 billion in 2001, up from $5 billion two years earlier. Yet this spending occurred at fewer than 10,000 spa locations nationwide—75 percent of which are day spas—meaning the market is open for new spa owners.
Spa BasicsThere are two kinds of day spas. Standard day spas offer body treatments and lifestyle services. Medical spas offer traditional spa services as well as services that must be provided by a licensed medical practitioner, such as acupuncture or microdermabrasion. Although conventional wisdom holds that true day spas must offer hydrotherapies like Scotch hose treatments or underwater massage, many day spas do well with "dry" services alone.
"Not all clients are comfortable with water therapy," says Hannelore R. Leavy, founder and executive director of The Day Spa Association in Union City, New Jersey. "Americans are shy about taking off their clothes and standing naked in front of a stranger who will perform unfamiliar therapies on them. It's better to open your spa without water therapy, especially if your funds are limited. But you can put it into your business plan so you're ready to expand when and if your clients are ready for it."
Dennis Gullo, 47, used an easy formula for determining which services to offer in his spa. "I started with [commonly known] services, like massages," he says. "I didn't want to spend energy trying to sell services no one's heard of." The formula's worked: The spa portion of Gullo's Moments Salon & Day Spa in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, generated 44 percent of the business' total sales of $1.8 million in 2003.
Online ExclusiveLooking for more on spa-related associations, publications, software, equipment supplies and trade shows? Click here.Laying the GroundworkFinding out what your prospective clients are ready for is an important part of the planning for your new venture. Case in point: ISPA's 2001 Day Spa Usage Survey indicates that two of the top five reasons people don't visit a day spa are that they think spas are too costly, and they feel they're not the "spa type." So study the demographics of your target market to see whether, say, the residents of a farming community in the heart of Nebraska are the type who will be interested in pedicures. The fact is, you're more likely to attract clientele if the market area is populated with white-collar professionals under age 45 who have college degrees, according to the survey.
"You also have to educate people about your services so they don't think of them as a luxury," Gullo says. "People feel guilty about pampering themselves, so instead, we position ourselves as providers of healthy living services."
Armed with demographic analysis, you can write your business plan. This plan serves as a road map for charting your course and as an invaluable tool for showing a banker how savvy you are about the realities of running a business. Your plan should include a description of your business and the services you'll offer; market strategies (developed with the demographic info you've collected); an analysis of your competition; an operations and management plan; financial information, including assets and startup capital needs; an income/expense forecast and repayment plan; and a personnel management plan.
Also early in the planning process, you'll have to decide exactly which services to offer. Treatments typically offered in day spas include massages; facials and makeup application; electrolysis; spa manicures and pedicures; body treatments like exfoliation, wraps and packs; aromatherapy; and hair services like cutting, styling and coloring. Hydrotherapies include hydromassage, mineral and seaweed baths, dry and moist heat, and shower massage. Many spas also offer healing therapies such as Reiki (a form of "energy healing") and acupressure, which must be performed by a licensed practitioner, depending on which state you're in. Services are usually combined in complementary spa packages that guests enjoy for four to eight hours, but à la carte services and pricing should also be available, both for clients who wish to mix and match their treatments, and for clients who would like to try something new.
The range of services you plan to offer will have a major bearing on the kind of facility you choose. Because spa equipment (like massage tables) tends to be large, you'll need enough room to spread out and create a relaxing atmosphere. Your best options are a free-standing building, a storefront property or a strip mall store. Mall locations usually aren't optimal since people go to malls to shop, not to enjoy a salt glow treatment, and the rent is often very high.
To attract an upper-end clientele, you'll need a well-appointed facility in a good neighborhood. It should be located near other retail businesses for good visibility, and it must have sufficient parking. Don't underestimate the importance of parking. Spa services are not necessities, not even for baby boomers bent on preserving their youth. So if it's difficult to visit your spa for any reason, they won't come—or they'll go somewhere else.
Day spas require a lot of equipment to emulate the level of service found in resort spas. These capital expenditures will drive your start-up costs up fast, so you're likely to need financial backing to get the show on the road. If you find that your grand plans exceed what the bank will offer you and what your personal savings can float, control costs by buying quality used equipment or scaling back the number of services you offer.
The equipment typically needed for a day spa includes massage tables, manicure and pedicure stations, and reclining facial chairs. Hydrotherapy equipment may include a Scotch hose, a hydrotherapy tub, a sauna, a Swiss shower, a Vichy shower, a Jacuzzi/whirlpool tub and a steam cabinet. Be prepared for sticker shock: High-quality spa equipment can run from $4,000 to $25,000 per item or even higher. So be sure to buy wisely. It's easy to get caught up in equipping your spa with the best of everything—then never using it.
"We spent $5,000 on a pedicure bed that we're using to do $8 eyebrow waxes," says Daryl Jenkins, 38. "Think about how many services you'll have to do to pay for the [item] before you buy it." His company, HairXtreme Salon and Spa in Chester, Virginia, projects 2004 sales of $625,000.
Staff SavvyOnce you have all this cool stuff in place, you'll need qualified people to use it properly. Cosmetology schools are the best places to find personnel trained to handle the equipment and products found in a day spa. Gullo has a foolproof method for mining the best and brightest: His staff teaches classes at the local cosmetology school. "That way, up-and-coming students know who we are and what we offer," he says.
Many states require personal-care workers (including spa owners themselves) to have at least a cosmetology license; others require practitioners to have a certain number of hours of specialized training and additional licensing. Check with your state board of cosmetology to find out about the requirements.
The staffers you'll need are: aestheticians, who do massages, facials, waxing and specialty services like hydro-therapy; massage therapists, whose services provide stress relief and relaxation; electrologists, who remove excess body hair; and manicurists, who provide manicure and pedicure services. Other professionals you may need on your team include a makeup artist, a hairstylist and a spa manager, as well as staff for the reception desk. Debbie Elliott, 49, of Debbie Elliott Salon and Day Spa in Portland, Maine, suggests cross-training employees to handle more than one job, as well as hiring unlicensed assistants to handle tasks like escorting guests, changing treatment wraps and mixing treatments. "That saves the licensed people for the actual services, which improves our productivity and helps make the spa profitable," she says. She expects her spa to bring in sales of $1.3 million in 2004.
When hiring, she recommends looking for friendly and polite people. Says Elliott, "Personality is more important than skill, because you can teach people what to do, but you can't give them a new personality."
Spreading the WordAdvertising is also crucial for a successful start-up. Because it's likely that some people in your market may never have considered visiting a spa or are unfamiliar with the services you offer, it's up to you to tell them about the spa's many benefits. Besides a Yellow Pages line ad, you may find a well-placed series of ads in the local newspaper or publication targeting upscale readers is an effective way to introduce the public to your services.
Once you hook your customers, make sure you provide the best level of service possible. Word-of-mouth advertising is crucial in this business and can mean the difference between many years of tidy profits or ignominious defeat. Meanwhile, a savvy way to cash in on good word-of-mouth is by instituting a referral program, which rewards clients for referring new customers. "Every start-up should have a referral program," says Gullo. "It's a soft expense that can lead to a lot of new business."
Elliott swears by gift certificates as a great source of new business, which added $180,000 to her bottom line in 2002."More often than not," she says, "clients first come to us because of a gift certificate."
Learning CurveAs a spa owner, you need to keep up on trends, both in the spa industry and in business in general. To keep abreast of what's new, consider joining a professional trade association like The Day Spa Association (201-865-2065) or the International SPA Association (888-651-4772). You'll also find tons of information online that can help you do business better, faster and smarter.
Gullo also recommends getting a general business education at a traditional college. "Industry-specific education is valuable, but you need to know sound business principles, too," he says. "You need to have an understanding of what makes business work to make your business thrive."

Non-Invasive Cosmetic Surgery

2005-04-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Non-Invasive Cosmetic Surgery
It's easy to walk out of a day spa looking younger. The hard part is staying that way. Now day spas are rising to the challenge with a host of age-defying treatments -- from Botox that paralyzes wrinkle-forming muscles to lasers that smooth away the signs of aging skin. Indeed, while not quite as dramatic as cosmetic surgery, many of the treatments now available at day spas are downright medical.
According to Joyce Hampers, owner of Boston's Giuliano Spa for Beauty and Wellness, the merger of aesthetics and medicine was a simple matter of supply meeting demand. "Clients are demanding more than just fluffy facials that clean out their pores. They want treatments that really work and that have a lasting effect," she says. What they don't want is a recovery that will require them to miss a day of work, much less lay low for the week or more that an eye- or face-lift would require. Besides, surgery is generally the remedy for loose or sagging skin, too extreme a solution for the fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots that concern those whose skin is just beginning to age. Even if surgery were in order, a lot of women and men aren't emotionally ready to consider such a drastic step. "Many people are just too scared to have their faces sliced open," reports Hampers. "But they don't just want to let themselves go to pot. They want to do something."
For several reasons, they seem to want to do that something at a day spa. Having a procedure at a spa is less intimidating, more convenient, and often cheaper (from 10 to 20 percent) than having it done in a doctor's office. Plus, "a spa has a more aesthetic and subdued environment," says plastic surgeon Maura Romita, M.D., owner of Ajune Day Spa in New York City.
Still, these aren't manicures. They are medical procedures that you should carefully consider before making a commitment. To help you decide what's right for you, here is a special Spa Finder Guide to the most common rejuvenating treatments performed at spas.

2005-01-03T10:18:00.000-08:00

Photofacial uses intense pulsed light(IPL) to penetrate skin on the face, hands, or other body areas, and attack the root of skin blemishes and imperfections. Usually performed in a series of about 5 treatments, photofacial is especially effective in treating- Rosacea ("adult acne")- Other facial redness- Sun damage- Age spots- Large pores- Facial veins/Broken cappilaries- WrinklesA customized photofacial package results in a more youthful appearance of the skin and renewed vibrancy.
Time Required to perform:
Photofacial is performed in a series of treatments, often about 5 in total, spaced roughly 3 weeks apart. This timing can vary between each unique patient. Each treatment usually takes about 15-30 minutes.
In/Out Patient:
Outpatient.
Side Effects:
Photofacial side effects include temporary redness, discomfort, swelling. Rarely, temporary blistering and bruising at mild levels.
Risks:
All laser or intense light procedures carry some risk of infection or reaction to anesthesia. Specific photofacial risks can include:- Pigmentation changes, or very rarely, loss of pigmentation- Scarring
Duration of Results:
Photofacial results are long-lasting. Initial stages of the procedure require a series of about 5-6 treatments. After the appropriate number of treatments have been completed, a skin regimen can be carried out at home to maintain the results. After 2 years or more, a touch-up photofacial treatment may be necessary.
Recovery:
Photofacial recovery time is virtually non-existent. Some redness may occur after the treatment, but is easily covered. Patients are able to return to normal daily activities the same day as their photofacial rejuvenation treatment.
Insurance:
Because of the cosmetic nature of photofacial, insurance usually is not involved.
Discomfort Level:
After a treatment of photofacial, discomfort may be evident, but should be quite minimal and easily controlled with standard pain medication.
Anesthesia:
For photofacial, anesthesia of a great magnitude is not necessary. A topical numbing cream is usually applied to the skin in advance of the treatment.
Can Be Combined With:
For enhanced results, photofacial can be combined with:Facial Implants Blepharoplasty Arm Lift
Also Known As:
Photo Rejuvenation, FotoFacial, Fotofacial Rejuvenation.

Handling Stress

2004-12-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

Modern life is full of time pressure and frustration. Stress develops when the demands in your life exceed your ability to cope with them.
Here, then, are some helpful coping techniques from the Mayo Clinic:
Your body requires a healthy diet and adequate rest. Exercise also helps, by distracting you from stressful events and releasing your nervous energy.
Learn to relax. It's the polar opposite of the stress response. Deep-breathing exercises may put you in a relaxed state.
Follow these steps to decompress:
Inhale through your nose to a count of 10. As you inhale, your upper abdomen should rise, not your chest.
Exhale slowly and completely, to a count of 10.
Repeat five to 10 times. Try to do this several times every day, even when you're not feeling stressed.
If you have persistent trouble relaxing, consider taking up meditation or studying yoga or tai chi. Therapeutic massage may also loosen taut muscles and calm frazzled nerves.

Curb your Carb Craze

2004-12-14T08:31:00.000-08:00

That's the mini-moniker for carbohydrates, compounds found in a group of foods on the least-wanted list in many current weight-loss diet programs.
The latest diet trend of reducing carb consumption gives proteins a place of prominence, has burgers going bunless and eggs rebounding from their cholesterol-tainted reputation.
Coca-Cola recently launched C2, a low-carb version of its flagship beverage. Salad dressings tout carbohydrate reduction and beer billboards boast low-carb content.
Even wine-makers are in on the trend. Instead of requesting a glass of vintage chardonnay, imbibers can order a goblet of Brown-Forman's One.6 -- the wine's name which also proclaims its carbohydrate content.
The science behind the weight loss method is to cut back on carbohydrates that give the body glucose for fuel, and instead, force it to burn fat for energy.
There's dispute among health care providers and nutritionists whether cutting carbs is a good or bad thing. But they seem to agree on some basic facts: Obesity is becoming a national epidemic. Low-carb diets are increasingly popular. And all carbs are not created equal.
About Atkins
The Atkins Diet has become nearly synonymous with low-carbohydrate eating. The late Dr. Robert Atkins introduced his plan for improving health and fitness more than 30 years ago. It again became popular after the 2001 republication of "Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution."
And lately, the South Beach Diet, another low-carb diet plan, has been a reader favorite, remaining on The New York Times best-seller list for more than a year.
While Atkins popularized low-carb eating, the ideology had been around for a couple of centuries -- as a no-starch (another carbohydrate alias) regimen in 1864 and the high-fat, low-starch diet of Dr. Herman Taller in 1961.
Dr. Stuart Trager, medical director at Atkins Nutritionals Inc., says the low-carbohydrate lifestyle offers an alternative to people who cannot follow traditional weight-loss plans.
Everybody agrees the traditional "eat less, exercise more" diet works -- if you can do it, Trager said. But many people don't have the wherewithal and time, he said.
"For many people, controlling the amount of carbohydrates is easier and more palatable then counting calories," Trager said. "Atkins has never been about no carbs. It's about choosing the right carbs in the right amount."
Also, Trager said, the weight-conscious should look to whole grains and foods such as oats, barley and fresh fruits and vegetables in choosing carbs to consume. The carbohydrate culprits are the highly refined, sugar-added, calorie-laden kind that on-the-go lifestyles force people to eat, he said.
Carb confusion
Over the years, research results have shown benefits of low-carb diets and disadvantages, leaving a confusing array of information debated by experts and devoured by consumers.
Most recently, a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that over six months, dieters in a low-carb plan lost more weight than participants in a low-fat regimen. But in the same journal, other research showed that after a year, both the low-carb and low-fat groups had lost about the same amount of weight.
It's understandable people lose weight on low-carb diets, according to Elisa Zied, spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
"Any diet that limits your food choices will help you lose weight," said Zied, a registered dietitian and certified nutritionist.
And weight loss, even a modest amount, can improve health and reduce the risk of obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes, doctors say.
Moderation, moderation, moderation
While low-carb diet supporters say it's best to force the body to use fat as a fuel source, many nutritionists continue to teach that carbohydrates should be the principal energy supply for the body.
People who have diabetes should carefully monitor their carbohydrate intake, but for others, Zied said, carbs are an important foundation of a healthy diet.
Glucose (from carbohydrates) "basically feeds your central nervous system, which includes your brain," Zied said.
"Carbohydrates from foods provide a variety of vitamins, minerals and nutrients, when you are talking about less refined sources such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. They also provide an abundance of fiber and fiber keeps your gastrointestinal system healthy."
Zied said she agrees with low-carb supporters that nutrient-deficient, highly processed carbohydrates such as cakes, potato chips, cookies and sweetened drinks have played a role in the nation's obesity problem and diseases caused by being overweight.
But even those indulgences have a place in a healthy diet -- if eaten in moderation.
"Not all carbs are created equal," Zied said. "While I don't support eliminating or drastically reducing your carbohydrate consumption, I do appreciate that it is important for people to watch their portions of carbohydrate-rich foods and make healthier selections within that category of food."

What is a detox diet?

2004-11-18T17:37:00.000-08:00

The purpose of detox is to neutralize and eliminate any compound in the body that can be toxic. Detox is a natural process occurring on a continual basis in the body, but because of the modern diet, the enormous number of chemicals we ingest daily, and the increase in chronic degenerative diseases, many people believe that regular detox is necessary. A detox diet strengthens the organs involved in detox and releases stored toxins, expelling them through the organs of elimination: the skin, intestines, liver, lungs, kidneys and lymphatic system. A detox program may consist of a special diet, nutritional supplements, herbs, hydrotherapy, exercise, breathing techniques and/or sauna.Where do toxins come from?A toxin is a compound that can harm the structure or function of body cells and tissues. Toxins can come from the environment (alcohol, tobacco, pesticides, heavy metals such as mercury, food additives, oral contraceptives, and drugs). The body, during its normal functioning, forms by-products that could also have toxic effects if the body didn't neutralize them.Can't the body handle these toxins on its own?Many people in the medical community still see detox as a treatment for drug or substance addiction only. However, the rising prevalence of diseases such as cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity, attention deficit and hyperactivity (ADHD, ADD), and autoimmune disease plus the fact that there are few long-term studies on the cumulative health effects of all sources of toxins in our environment make periodic detox diets a prudent preventative measure. In addition, we have to factor in the role that stress, sedentary lifestyles, use of prescription drugs and hormone therapies, and the increasing proportion of dietary fast food, saturated fats, salt and sugar play in our body.What health conditions benefit from a detox diet?Detox diets are believed to:
help prevent disease, especially when someone has prolonged exposure to chemicals or hormones (such as oral contraceptives)
improve symptoms of low energy, joint pain, headache, pain, premenstrual syndrome, unhealthy skin, anxiety and irritability, frequent colds, heartburn, constipation, and gas.
treat disease such as autoimmune disease, multiple chemical sensitivity, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, digestive disorders, heart disease, arthritis, attention deficit, and other chronic degenerative disease. I have some of these symptoms. How do I start?It is important to see a primary health care practitioner, such as your family physician, for a thorough assessment of your symptoms to ensure that you do not have a medical condition that requires treatment. Even serious disease, such as cancer, can present with seemingly minor symptoms such as fatigue and back pain or may only be detected by lab tests during routine physical examination.

Opening a Medical Spa

2004-11-16T21:24:00.000-08:00

As owners of a medical spa and principals of Aesthetic Marketing Concepts, an advertising and practice management resource for cosmetic physicians, we routinely consult with physicians who are considering or have opened a medical spa. In many cases, we find physicians are experiencing financial difficulties, and struggling to stay current with aesthetic procedures and technology. There is optimism for the existing medical spa owner to restructure their business plan in order to augment the business. Correctly initiating this process is vital for a successful and profitable practice!
Physician Partnering With Non-Physician
This type of partnership has been very successful in producing strong clinical and business structures. The recommended and most common approach is to first form a corporation that functions as a practice management/marketing group that owns all business assets. The next step is to establish a contract between the management/marketing corporation and the medical corporation to provide clinical direction and malpractice insurance. Regulations vary from state to state, but federal pandects mandate that a physician cannot partner with a non-licensed medical professional in performing medicine. Such partnerships violate federal regulations along with various other guidelines that physicians must adhere to. Consulting with legal counsel is advised.
Create A Menu of Services Based Around Popular Medical Cosmetic Procedures
Most of our client's practices provide PhotoRejuvenation, Laser Hair Removal, BOTOX[R] and Restylane; all principal revenue producers. In addition, they offer microdermabrasion, chemical peels, skin care products, and spa facials to be full service providers. Ironically, many patients come in for the initial consults for microdermabrasion or laser hair removal (the lower priced items), and graduate to having more expensive procedures such as PhotoRejuvenation, Restylane, and BOTOX[R]. PhotoRejuvenation, laser hair removal, microdermabrasion, and cosmetic injectables, provides a solid foundation to secure a full service medical spa. From this platform, one can augment a variety of other treatments.
Create A Business Plan
Not developing a business plan is having a plan to fail. If bank financing, is required a good business plan will be necessary to secure a loan. The process of creating this plan requires a significant amount of research. This research will uncover the start-up costs, operating expenses and will determine how much revenue is needed to cover costs.
This plan will be a metrics for measuring progress. With any new business it is very difficult to predict exactly how long it will take to become established, however, from projections in the business plan one can evaluate progress, measure results and come closer to understanding how long it will take to become profitable. The process of developing a business plan can expose "unknowns" and thereby enhance opportunities to succeed. There will always be a few bumps along the way that are impossible to anticipate but this.
Building a Cosmetic Team Is The Most Critical Step
Having an exceptional practice manager is crucial! This individual should possess the insights into the nuances of the cosmetic patient. They must have the ability to finesse patient scheduling to optimize efficiency and productivity. Demonstrated sales and supervisory skills should be a prerequisite. Understanding the significance of the role that internal and external marketing plays is an additional asset. It is strategic to have the manager's compensation tied to profitability.
The staff should be composed of people who understand how to provide comfort and compassion to patients. The team should be self-motivated, high-energy individuals who have a thirst for knowledge. A bonus program, tied to attaining specific revenue goals, can have a very positive impact on keeping the staff focused and functioning as a team. The net result is a successful business.
Marketing and Advertising
Not advertising and marketing your services is akin to engaging in a senseless risk like deep sea diving without an oxygen tank!
For a competitive start, the essential tools needed are: logo, business cards and letterhead, print advertisements, a custom brochure listing the menu of services, a telephone messaging system, custom marketing posters, a website, and marketing training for one's staff. Patient education brochures for medical procedures, promotional gift cards, mailers and various other marketing materials are beneficial if the budget allows. Do not skip the basic steps for driving patients to your business!
Practice Marketing
Margaret Mitchell
President and Founder of Aesthetic Marketing Concepts and CEO of Epi Center Medical Spa. Margaret is a nationally renowned practice management consultant who specializes in developing and managing aesthetic/cosmetic practices. Margaret opened one of the first Medical Spa facilities in the United States in 1998 and today has assisted in the opening and evolution of hundreds of new and existing medical practices.
Tom Miller
Vice President of Sales and Business Development. Tom graduated from Harvard University and has over 21 years of experience in the medical device and health care industry. He has held key sales and management positions with American Hospital Supply (Baxter Travenol), Cooper Vision Systems, Laserscope Inc., Guidant Corporation and ESC/Sharplan//Lumenis.
Since joining Aesthetic Marketing Concepts in 1999, his focus has been to provide physicians and entrepreneurs with business/marketing strategies, advertising tools. and the direction, which will enable them to be profitable with their investment in aesthetic technologies.
As owners of a medical spa and principals of Aesthetic Marketing Concepts, an advertising and practice management resource for cosmetic physicians, we routinely consult with physicians who are considering or have opened a medical spa. In many cases, we find physicians are experiencing financial difficulties, and struggling to stay current with aesthetic procedures and technology. There is optimism for the existing medical spa owner to restructure their business plan in order to augment the business. Correctly initiating this process is vital for a successful and profitable practice!
Physician Partnering With Non-Physician
This type of partnership has been very successful in producing strong clinical and business structures. The recommended and most common approach is to first form a corporation that functions as a practice management/marketing group that owns all business assets. The next step is to establish a contract between the management/marketing corporation and the medical corporation to provide clinical direction and malpractice insurance. Regulations vary from state to state, but federal pandects mandate that a physician cannot partner with a non-licensed medical professional in performing medicine. Such partnerships violate federal regulations along with various other guidelines that physicians must adhere to. Consulting with legal counsel is advised.
Create A Menu of Services Based Around Popular Medical Cosmetic Procedures
Most of our client's practices provide PhotoRejuvenation, Laser Hair Removal, BOTOX[R] and Restylane; all principal revenue producers. In addition, they offer microdermabrasion, chemical peels, skin care products, and spa facials to be full service providers. Ironically, many patients come in for the initial consults for microdermabrasion or laser hair removal (the lower priced items), and graduate to having more expensive procedures such as PhotoRejuvenation, Restylane, and BOTOX[R]. PhotoRejuvenation, laser hair removal, microdermabrasion, and cosmetic injectables, provides a solid foundation to secure a full service medical spa. From this platform, one can augment a variety of other treatments.
Create A Business Plan
Not developing a business plan is having a plan to fail. If bank financing, is required a good business plan will be necessary to secure a loan. The process of creating this plan requires a significant amount of research. This research will uncover the start-up costs, operating expenses and will determine how much revenue is needed to cover costs.
This plan will be a metrics for measuring progress. With any new business it is very difficult to predict exactly how long it will take to become established, however, from projections in the business plan one can evaluate progress, measure results and come closer to understanding how long it will take to become profitable. The process of developing a business plan can expose "unknowns" and thereby enhance opportunities to succeed. There will always be a few bumps along the way that are impossible to anticipate but this.
The staff should be composed of people who understand how to provide comfort and compassion to patients. The team should be self-motivated, high-energy individuals who have a thirst for knowledge. A bonus program, tied to attaining specific revenue goals, can have a very positive impact on keeping the staff focused and functioning as a team. The net result is a successful business.
Marketing and Advertising
Not advertising and marketing your services is akin to engaging in a senseless risk like deep sea diving without an oxygen tank!
For a competitive start, the essential tools needed are: logo, business cards and letterhead, print advertisements, a custom brochure listing the menu of services, a telephone messaging system, custom marketing posters, a website, and marketing training for one's staff. Patient education brochures for medical procedures, promotional gift cards, mailers and various other marketing materials are beneficial if the budget allows. Do not skip the basic steps for driving patients to your business!
Practice Marketing
Margaret Mitchell
President and Founder of Aesthetic Marketing Concepts and CEO of Epi Center Medical Spa. Margaret is a nationally renowned practice management consultant who specializes in developing and managing aesthetic/cosmetic practices. Margaret opened one of the first Medical Spa facilities in the United States in 1998 and today has assisted in the opening and evolution of hundreds of new and existing medical practices.
Tom Miller
Vice President of Sales and Business Development. Tom graduated from Harvard University and has over 21 years of experience in the medical device and health care industry. He has held key sales and management positions with American Hospital Supply (Baxter Travenol), Cooper Vision Systems, Laserscope Inc., Guidant Corporation and ESC/Sharplan//Lumenis.
Since joining Aesthetic Marketing Concepts in 1999, his focus has been to provide physicians and entrepreneurs with business/marketing strategies, advertising tools. and the direction, which will enable them to be profitable with their investment in aesthetic technologies.

Bahamas

2004-10-31T16:02:00.000-08:00

The Bahamas: Hit or Miss
By DENNY LEE
O see how the Bahamas bowed to the vicissitudes of hurricane season, swing by the straw markets of its rival port cities.
As an armada of floating resorts pulled into Nassau in early October, the Straw Market on old Bay Street brimmed with tourists haggling over souvenir T-shirts and flimsy straw hats, even though Hurricane Frances had upended the market's rickety stalls only a few weeks earlier.
The scene in Freeport, on Grand Bahama, could not have been more different. In fact, there was no scene at all. The Straw Market at the quirky International Bazaar was shuttered behind pastel-colored doors, its wooden booths devoid of any life.
"It's a little lonely here," said Sandra Webb, 37, from Huntersville, N.C., one of the few tourists in Freeport that day. "We went to a couple of shops yesterday, and they were surprised to see us."
Although the whipping winds of Hurricane Frances extended 300 miles in diameter, it sliced through the Bahamas in early September with the precision and ferocity of a tornado, sparing most of the archipelago's 700 islands but wreaking havoc in two places: Grand Bahama Island and the small island cluster called the Abacos.
The eye of the hurricane never grazed Nassau, the touristy heart of the island of New Providence, and by the first weekend of October, its low season, the pulse had largely returned to normal. Some visitors were oblivious that a Category 4 storm had even passed. "What hurricane?" asked Chris Wimer, 25, a student from Dewey Beach, Del., as he polished off a frozen banana cocktail at Señor Frog's, a dockside bar. "We haven't seen any damage. No uprooted trees, no missing roofs, no nothing."
West of the tourist districts, the 145-mile-an-hour winds did manage to topple cedar trees along Cable Beach and hammer truck-size sinkholes into West Bay Street, the arterial road to the airport. The SuperClubs Breezes, which suffered the most damage of any large resort on New Providence, resealed its roof and welcomed visitors back on Oct. 1. By the next afternoon, half of its 400 rooms were occupied, as were its 300 blue beach chairs set up along sugar-white sand and turquoise surf.
Across the harbor on Paradise Island, the Las Vegas-style Atlantis resort was its usual frenzy of screaming kids, dewy-eyed honeymooners and tipsy gamblers. Next door, at the exclusive One & Only Ocean Club, not a blade of grass seemed out of place. The only whirlwind to hit was the social kind, with boldface guests mingling and marveling at the superficial damage.
"It looks like the palm trees went to the army and got little crew cuts," said Thom Filicia, the interior designer from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," who had flown in for a wedding that everyone seemed to know about. (The bride was Susan Magrino, Martha Stewart's publicist and friend, and her bouquet was occupying much of Ms. Stewart's time in her final days of freedom.)
Ordering lunch at the Dune, a restaurant at the Ocean Club that claims a menu conceptualized by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Mr. Filicia had this assessment of the hurricane aftermath: "I think they lucked out."
Few would say that about Grand Bahama, 45 minutes away from Nassau by plane, where the resort industry is newer - and some say scrappier. Hurricane Frances lingered over Grand Bahama for two days, flattening homes, snapping thick trees and peeling off rooftops. Three weeks later, in late September, Hurricane Jeanne essentially finished what Frances had started there, flooding roads and pulling down utility poles that crews had just straightened.
Tourist officials played down the devastation, saying, among other things, that the new Grand Bahama International Airport in Freeport was "fully operational." But an early October visit suggested an airport on life support. Telephone lines were down, computers were off-line (which meant that some tickets had to be handwritten), and flights were limited to daylight hours because the navigation system required for instrument landings had been washed away. Next door, the airport's old pink terminal had been submerged; it has been deemed not worth saving.
Not that tourists were battering down the terminal gates. A month after Hurricane Frances, the island was still digging out. No one was swimming with the dolphins at the Underwater Explorers Society, roads were littered with uprooted mahogany trees and abandoned cars, and one of the few resorts to reopen - the Pelican Bay Suites at Port Lucaya - looked more like a construction zone, with scaffolding and exposed roofs, than like one of the island's latest forays into the upscale market.
"Everything stopped," said Shantel Robinson, 26, folding and refolding T-shirts at Booth 42 in the Lucaya Marketplace. "I sold two items today. We need help."
Most resorts on Grand Bahama are closed at least until December. The Westin and Sheraton at Our Lucaya, a 1,260-room minicity on 372 acres, recalled an abandoned Hollywood set. Pools were drained, the landscaping looked singed, and hallways echoed with the humming of dehumidifiers. The Sheraton reopened on Oct. 14, but most of the waterlogged Westin section, where air ducts were yanked out like spaghetti by 150-m.p.h. winds, is not scheduled to accept guests until Dec. 17.
Some tourist hotels are teetering on the brink. The Royal Oasis Golf Resort and Casino in Freeport, the island's aging grande dame, retracted its opening date. The hurricanes tore open a new skylight in the Crowne Plaza Tower and reduced the Holiday Inn to a disaster area.
Elsewhere on the island, most residents were without power, telephone service and, in some places, drinking water in early October, prompting the State Department to issue a travel alert, good until Nov. 19, discouraging Americans from visiting the Bahamas. The alert also reinforced the flawed perception that all of the Bahamas are damaged goods. According to a survey last month by the Orlando-based travel marketing firm of Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell, nearly 25 percent of leisure travelers polled said they were "less likely" to visit the Bahamas later this year as a result of the hurricanes.
For the tourism sector, which accounts for 70 percent of the Bahamian economy, the visitor fallout may prove worse than the storm. The biggest concern, more than the straightforward task of rebuilding, is luring visitors back.
But resort operators are upbeat. A few are even whispering that the loss of outmoded hotels may help Grand Bahama reposition itself as a more luxurious vacation spot. "When this reopens, it will be more gorgeous than before," said Harris Chan, the general manager of Our Lucaya, which is using an insurance payout to help revamp several wings. "It's survival of the fittest."

The New Spas: Suffer by Day, Get Pampered by Night

2004-10-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

By CHRISTOPHER SOLOMONPublished: October 29, 2004T. GEORGE, Utah — AT 7:20 a.m., when the hikers gather, the desert heat hasn't yet awakened, and a headlight moon still shines over Utah's red-rock country. The air is herbed with sagebrush. The 10 guests who have signed up for the hardest of Red Mountain Spa's morning hikes punch buttons on their heart-rate watches and smear their noses with sunblock.
"This one's got a little bit of everything," the guide, Connie Triplett, announces to the group, detailing the 4.5-mile hike up a nearby cinder cone. Some ramps across slickrock. Some sandy stretches. Just enough climbing among boulders to make the acrophobic among the group nervous.
Ms. Triplett is dressed in the olive-and-tan of a safari guide. This is misleading. She is actually a smiling drill sergeant. At the trailhead she sets off at a double-espresso pace. The group chases her boot prints along a sandy wash, through gantlets of prickly pear and cholla cactus and past creosote bushes perhaps hiding sleeping rattlesnakes. She strides across 180-million-year-old dunes that have hardened to rippled sandstone, pushes past spiny agave, billy-goats up short rock walls. Often, she calls back hiking tips and encouragement. At a rest break, the only sound is the noise of 10 pairs of wheezing lungs.
"Any blood yet?" Ms. Triplett asks a hiker from Detroit — an amply scuffed man who has been out here each morning this week.
"I try to pick up a souvenir every day," he replies. He dabs at a scratch, but smiles big.
Then Ms. Triplett is moving again, upward and into the waking day. Coyotes yip from the juniper. The sun reaches the horizon, and striated cliffs turn the colors of Neapolitan ice cream.
"This is just like I imagined," says Michelle Evans, 39, a fit mother of three from Covington, La., breathless as much from the view as from the hike.
"I wouldn't want to go to a spa that was just massages and facials; I'm too active," Mrs. Evans says, adding later, "I can only be puffed and fluffed so much."
PUFFING and fluffing? That's not the focus at the newest breed of destination spas cropping up around the country. Once, people went to spas to submit to celery sticks and weight loss. Then spas bloomed as "pamper palaces," all about sumptuous surroundings and morning-to-night coddling. The latest evolution has spas providing what a growing number of people like Mrs. Evans want: a very active, outdoorsy but balanced vacation — one in which the price of the evening's pampering is their own perspiration.
The United States is home to an estimated 12,000 spas of all stripes, a more than fourfold increase in the last decade, according to the International Spa Association. While the bulk of the growth has been in day spas, the number of places generally described as "destination" spas has increased 170 percent since 2002, according to the association. Increasingly, spas need a way to distinguish themselves from the pack.
Many of the new active spas take a page — but not much more — from places like the Ashram in the Santa Monica Mountains of California, the ascetic New Age boot camp in which participants pay $3,500 a week to do five-hour hikes and three hours of yoga daily while subsisting on very modest portions of vegetarian fare. "I like to say the New Age became the Now Age," said Liz Mazurski, editor in chief of Spa magazine. "People finally accepted that taking a hike could be good for them, and that it was a great way to spend a holiday — and all the better if after having a hike they could have a really delicious but healthy meal and sleep in a very comfortable bed."
And so spas from British Columbia to the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico are offering carefully calibrated combinations of high-activity days in the Great Outdoors and fall-into-bed-tired nights, with varying levels of frills. The costs range from $200 a night on up. At Las Olas Surf Safaris in Hawaii, a women's surfing camp, on-the-water lessons are mixed with yoga, good food, body-conditioning classes and spa treatments. At Mountain Trek near Nelson, British Columbia, guests can hike up to 4,000 vertical feet daily with a guide, but still return to a massage and ample food. At Cal-a-Vie, 40 miles north of San Diego, the hikes are more modest and the spa treatments more lavish — as is the price: $2,795 for a three-night program.

Botox

2004-10-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

Botox is the brand name of a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. In large amounts, this toxin can cause botulism, which you probably associate with food poisoning. Despite the fact that one of the most serious complications of botulism is paralysis, scientists have discovered a way to use it to human advantage. Small, diluted amounts can be directly injected into specific muscles causing controlled weakening of the muscles.
The FDA approved such usage in the late 1980s upon the discovery that Botox could stop ailments like blepharospasm (uncontrolled blinking) and strabismus (lazy eye). Cosmetic physicians have been using Botox for years to successfully treat wrinkles and facial creases. In April 2002, Botox gained FDA approval for treatment of moderate-to-severe frown lines between the eyebrows - called glabellar lines. However, Botox is often used for other areas of the face as well.
How Does Botox Work?
Botox blocks signals from the nerves to the muscles. The injected muscle can no longer contract, which causes the wrinkles to relax and soften.
It is most often used on forehead lines, crow's feet (lines around the eye) and frown lines. Wrinkles caused by sun damage and gravity will not respond to Botox.
How Is the Procedure Performed?
The procedure takes only a few minutes and no anesthesia is required. Botox is injected with a fine needle into specific muscles with only minor discomfort. It generally takes three to seven days to take full effect and it is best to avoid alcohol at least one week prior to treatment. Aspirin and anti-inflammatory medications should be stopped two weeks before treatment as well in order to reduce bruising.
How Long Does a Botox Injection Last?
The effects from Botox will last four to six months. As muscle action gradually returns, the lines and wrinkles begin to re-appear and wrinkles need to be re-treated. The lines and wrinkles often appear less severe with time because the muscles are being trained to relax.
What Are the Side Effects of Botox?
Temporary bruising is the most common side effect. Headaches, which resolve in 24-48 hours, can occur, but this is rare. A small percentage of patients may develop eyelid drooping. This usually resolves in three weeks. This development is usually caused by migration of the Botox and for this reason, you shouldn't rub the treated area for 12 hours after injection or lay down for three to four hours. There have been no allergies associated with Botox to date.
Who Should Not Receive Botox Injection?
Patients who are pregnant, breastfeeding or have a neurological disease should not use Botox. Since Botox doesn't work for all wrinkles, a consultation with a doctor is recommended.
Will My Insurance Pay For It?
Insurance coverage varies for Botox injections, depending largely on the medical necessity of your condition. Botox is not generally covered by insurance when used for cosmetic purposes. Check with your insurance carrier for coverage details.

Body Wraps Unravelled

2004-10-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

Every night, you may like to curl up under the covers. You may like to surround yourself with pillows when you were a kid. They all do the same thing: They make you feel warm, protected, and nurtured. That is what body wraps are great at! Besides enveloping you in a safe cocoon, your general well-being can be enhanced and your skin can benefit in a variety of ways, depending on the type of wrap you choose. Today, the range of options is wider than ever. At Spa Indrani alone, you can find the Traditional Wrap, Detox Seaweed Wrap, and last but not least their signature Anggur Indrani, which includes a grape body wrap and scrub. More about this later! Generally, you perspire while being wrapped. This is your body’s way of cleansing the skin. It is also believed that wraps help the skin absorb therapeutic ingredients. While some spas use anything from traditional blankets to silver sheets, Spa Indrani’s Anggur Indrani delight envelops you with fresh banana leaves. Body wraps cause your body temperature to rise, which in turn opens up your pores. This gives access for the beneficial mixture of herbs and other secret ingredients to seep through to your dermis and epidermis. It takes approximately 20 minutes for the heat to help the ingredients through the process of nourishing you skin and beyond. However, treatments are often longer to make time for what you love to go to a spa for : RELAX! The Anggur Indrani prolongs your most blissful of spa moments with dry body brushing a special grape-seed scrub, the grape wrap with banana leaves and moisturising oils slathered all over your body at the end of it all. The Anggur Indrani deeply moisturised my crackly dry skin – it should do wonders for yours too! It also clears the body’s lymphatic system. Various wraps benefit you in different ways. Here’s a rough guide: Traditional (Herbal) wraps, which encase you in warm linen sheets steeped in fragrant herbs, provide a dose of mind-soothing aromatherapy along with muscle relaxation. Mud wraps (such as moor mud wraps) are the best bet for nourishing and softening your skin. Clay wraps (and those with certain mud types, such as Dead Sea mud) are often meant to draw out waste from the skin, on top of feeding your skin with nourishments to keep it supple and firm. Other wraps include Seaweed wraps that help the body eliminate excess fluid and tone the skin. Aloe wraps are used to soothe. [You can try this at home with the help of a friend!] Honey, shea butter, and herbal oils help to hydrate the skin. However, since a wrap will likely make you perspire, drink plenty of water before and after the treatment to keep your body hydrated. TIP: If you start to feel claustrophobic during your wrap, please ask your friendly therapists to uncover your arms. You will feel a lot better after that!

Link Partners Update

2004-10-22T13:40:00.001-07:00

Hi- this section is for webmasters interested in trading links, but not expecting a reciprocal link from this site. Your link will be placed on our other spa site, and vice versa. For example........... We are currently trading links for LivingSpas.com but your reciprocal link would not be placed on LivingSpas.com, rather the link section of this site, SpaIntelligence.Blogspot.com

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2004-10-22T10:10:00.000-07:00

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Todays News

2004-10-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

A walk on the luxe side Customized scents, private fitness rooms might be over the top today, standard tomorrow - Jeanne Cooper, Chronicle Staff WriterSunday, October 3, 2004
Pillows fluffed to your personal specifications. Customized scented sheets. An in-room fitness center and a bath butler to prepare your après-workout tub. Your own private tropical island. These are the trends of the moment in luxury travel.
Why, you may ask, should the rest of us care? Because of the trickle-down and save-up aspects of high-end travel.
The trickle-down theory: From terrycloth robes to high-speed Internet connections, today's up-market amenities are tomorrow's mid-market standard features. Five years ago, for example, Westin Hotels analyzed the sleeping setups of the most luxe chains and came up with its Heavenly Bed. Last year, Sheraton followed suit with its Sweet Sleeper Bed, and now even budget hotels can tell you their mattress-coil counts.
The save-up scenario: Each of us has at least one special occasion worth splurging on a hotel room we'll remember forever -- a birthday or anniversary with a zero on it -- but if we're going to have to scrimp to afford it, we should feel confident we're getting our wads-of-money's worth.
Here then are our favorite, no-expenses-spared trends in elite accommodations:
Custom comforts
In the world of luxury lodgings, one size does not fit all, and keeping track of guests' room preferences involves far more than "smoking" or "nonsmoking."
Pillow talk
Forget the room-service menu; the first thing you'll want to peruse at your hotel is its pillow menu -- and we don't mean a simple choice between down or foam. Among Expedia.com's top picks for pillows a la carte are the French Quarter Inn in Charleston, S.C., with buckwheat and Swedish memory foam among its six options; and the Benjamin Hotel in Manhattan, which includes lavender aromatherapy and a 5-foot body pillow among its 10 options. (In an example of the trickle-down trend, the more affordable Chancellor Hotel on Powell Street in San Francisco has a 12-pillow choice menu, including a "snore-no-more.")
But the more luxurious Pan Pacific Hotel in Union Square, which has "luxury lockers" to stow frequent travelers' clothes and free butler service for every guest, may top all the pillow pushers. Guests can order from a pillow menu, or request a made-to-order pillow thanks to an on-site fluffing machine.
Scents and sensibility
In the exclusive Valley Wing of the Singapore Shangri-La Hotel, guests receive a scent menu for their bed linens: sandalwood (stimulation), green tea (rejuvenation), lavender (relaxation) or eucalyptus (invigoration). A natural essence "diluted only with filtered water" is then lightly spritzed onto the sheets, with the hotel taking note of aroma preferences for future visits.
Music to your ears
In the three new villas at the 109-room One&Only Ocean Club on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, the kitchens and bars come stocked with your preferred food and drinks -- and no need to worry about preparing, serving or cleaning up: A private chef, butler and housekeeper are also on hand. But if music be the food of love, play on: Villas also come with iPods already loaded with customized play lists of digital songs.
All the world's a spa
Just cocooning in your plush hotel room isn't enough these days: With the help of ever-enlarging in-house spas and in-room services, you're expected to emerge like a butterfly, beautifully primped and ready to soar.
In their rooms...
It's not easy to make a splash in the one-upping world of Las Vegas, but Bellagio is expected to do just that when its new Spa Tower opens in December. One of a number of luxury hotels that have recently expanded their spas, Bellagio says its new spa and salon will be a 65,000-square-foot, Zen-inspired fantasy world, including 54 treatment rooms, a 6,000-square-foot fitness center with flat-screen TVs in mirrored walls, a 1,000-square-foot bamboo-floored exercise room and a meditation room with a reflexology pebble walk.
Among the new treatments: The "Golden Experience," an exfoliation and moisturizing procedure in which gold dust is applied to the face and body as the final step. Said to be based on an Egyptian ritual (shouldn't Luxor have this?), the look will be familiar -- and maybe a little nervous-making -- to fans of the James Bond flick "Goldfinger."
... or in your room ...
At the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, you don't have to traipse far from your room to get the spa experience. The hotel opened seven Signature Spa guest rooms this summer, featuring fresh flowers, candles, a bathroom "spa bar" of skincare treatments and fragrances, CDs of soothing music, massage cubes for tired feet and comforting Kashwére (synthetic cashmere) fabric in bedding and robes. The rooms (starting at $575 a night) are adjacent to the 16,000-square-foot spa, where guests receive a 10 percent discount on treatments and the help of a "dedicated Spa Concierge."
Even if you're not in a Signature Spa room, you can always call on the services of a "bath butler" to fill your tub with bubbles, flower petals or scented herbs, and serve Champagne or tea (depending on your post-bath purpose).
... or in your head
It's not enough for luxury hotel spas just to make you look good and feel good. Apparently you need to live good, er, well. Health and wellness seminars, stress-reduction training and lifestyle-analysis sessions are increasing as fast as on-site Botox injections. The Hyatt Grand Champions Resort in Indian Wells (near Palm Springs) offers "Active Aging" weekend seminars at its Medical and Skin Spa that assess participants' fitness, nutrition, stress and skin quality. Clients receive counseling, meditation training and time in the 30,000-square-foot Agua Serena Spa.
The spa at the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur added four Native American shamanic sessions to its menu last month. The 1 1/2- to two-hour consultations, led by healer Jon Rasmussen, include "Illumination," "Soul Retrieval," "Destiny Retrieval and Divination" and "Bands of Powers." (Curious? According to a press release from the inn, "He works on behalf of the guest between the physical reality and the non-physical reality, which is the essential and energetic source and template for the physical." Um, OK.)
Private matters
Nothing says you're rich and famous like paying lots of money to safeguard your privacy. But even if you really are just shy, luxury hotels are finding more ways to cater to your whims in confidence.
Isometrics in isolation
Those who took the phrase "Never let them see you sweat" to heart will find comfort in the private fitness suite that opened this summer at the Affinia Dumont Hotel in New York. The 675-square-foot suite has a separate living room, bedroom and gym. The last includes an elliptical machine, stationary bike, cable-motion circuit trainer, free weight stand, medicine ball rack, mats and stretching bands. A collection of workout CDs, tapes and DVDs are on hand to spur guests into shape.
After their private workout, they can relax in their own full-sized dry sauna and call the Oasis Day Spa for a complimentary in-room treatment (a massage table is already there). Questions? Just ask the hotel's Fitness Concierge. A two-night stay with two personal training sessions and other services starts at $1,499.
Almost-uninhabited island
They call it the Robinson Crusoe package, but there's definitely more than one pal Friday to serve you. The Banyan Tree Maldives resort, a handful of villas on a small Indian Ocean island in the Republic of Maldives, offers the entire, newly renovated complex in a package deal for one guest (and his or her selected companions, if any). You can stay in one villa or a different one every night -- and of course, have unlimited spa treatments, use of the facilities and access to activities. All meals are included, with the option to dine on a private sandbank that's a 20-minute speedboat ride away. The cost? A mere $50,000 a night (three-night minimum), with reservations required at least six months in advance.
OK, so that's one pricey trend that might not fit the trickle-down or save-up scenarios. But there's good news for daydreamers: Armchair travelers never have to pay full price.

Spas in Los Angeles

2004-10-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

You might not be able to afford the Champagne lifestyle of a millionaire celebrity but you can probably afford being pampered like a celebrity at a day spa. Make an appointment for a massage at a celebrity favorite Spa on the rooftop of a famous Beverly Hills Hotel or relax in a natural outdoor hot springs and mud bath. Be soothed by an aromatic sea mineral body scrub followed by a refreshing facial. Make an appointment to be pampered at one of the top day spas on this list.
1) Glen Ivy Natural Outdoor Hot Springs and Day Spa - RiversideGlen Ivy is the nation's only natural hot springs to offer the purifying benefits of red clay mineral mud baths. Admission price of $30-42 includes use of all pools, sauna, steam room, Roman Baths, Club Mud, towels, and lockers. Spoil yourself by adding on a variety of massages and body treatments. One hot deal is a $20 special where guests have a rich, body moisturizer made of sea kelp and aloe vera applied then relax while the treatment nourishes their skin.
2) The Spa at The Peninsula Hotel - Beverly HillsThe hotel charges $350 a day but you can be pampered with a variety of luxurious treatments at the day spa with prices starting at $95. Try a Pineapple-Papaya Enzyme Scrub to help stimulate circulation and exfoliate the skin. The Green Tea and Ginger Seaweed Body Wrap starts with a citrus herbal body scrub, then a seaweed wrap for detoxification and finally a moisturizing cream massage. The Spa is on the garden retreat rooftop surrounded by ten private cabanas a jacuzzi and 60 foot lap pool.
Exotic Spa Beverly HillsAwarded luxury Day spa with suites 5 diamond celebrity zen spa retreatwww.seamountainspa.com3) Ole Henriksen Face and Body Shop - West HollywoodImmerse yourself in a therapeutic "Jet Tub" filled with muscle relaxing aromatic extracts for 20min $32 or enjoy a refreshing eucalyptus steam for $25. For $60 you can indulge in a 30min aromatic sea mineral scrub and tropical rain rinse. There are a variety of massages from Thai to hot stone and reflexology, starting at $30 for a soapy Oriental foot bath and massage. Buy a travel kit with six skin care products in a zippered bag for $68.
4) Connie Stevens's The Garden Sanctuary - West LA-adjacent Beverly HillsThe 30min $70 Dead Sea Salt Scrub massages an energizing blend of sea salts and essential oils into the skin to encourage circulation, remove dead skin cells and nourish the body. The 60min $120 Algae Wrap stimulates toxin elimination and promotes circulation throughout the body while enhancing weight loss. Your body is dry brushed, then a seaweed based slenderizing gel is applied to the entire body; next you are enveloped in an enriching blend of algae and covered in a Cellophane Wrap.
5) Spa Mystique at the Westin Century Plaza Hotel - Century CitySpa Mystique has an array of Asian spa services, sauna, eucalyptus steam, and whirlpools. The 25min $60 Akasuri Scrub uses an exfoliating cloth and body gel to vigorously scrub the body then warm oil is applied while the face is cleansed and nourishing ground cucumber is soothingly applied. The Sugar Body Polish stimulates circulation exfoliates and moisturizes using unrefined cane sugar and palm oil that is scented with a mixture of rosemary, rose, geranium, mandarin and sage essential oils.
6) Aqua Day Spa - Santa MonicaAqua Day Spa offers his and hers pool and spa areas, lunch and a wide variety of facials, wraps, scrubs, hydrotherapy and body treatments starting at $50 for the short and sweet 25min calming citrus aromatherapy facial. The Parafango Wrap hydrates and relaxes the entire body by starting with a dry brush body massage and exfoliation using essential oils and mineral salts. Next, you are slowly painted in a warm parafin and detoxifying famgo, and wrapped while receiving a calming hydrating facial.
7) Spa 415 - Beverly HillsSpa 415 offers many specialty body treatments including lymph drainage body sculpting and anti-cellulite starting at $85. Spa 415 also offers many facials available starting with the 30min $65 basic mini-facial that includes basic cleansing, toning and hydration of the skin. Try a Hawaiian Lomi Lomi energetic healing combined with a full-body massage using the palms, thumbs, knuckles, fists, fingertips and forearms.
8) Spa Xanadu - ArcadiaSpa Xanadu provides facials, 12 types of massage, cellulite and body treatments. Body treatments include body wraps, hydrotherapy, salt glows, body polishes, spray tanning, and specialties. All body treatments include spa access to the herbal steam room and dry heat sauna or Swiss shower. Experience the 45min $85 Ginseng Body Glow which blends ginseng with honey, fine grains of organic brown sugar and is then infused with essential oils to create an invigorating and energizing exfoliation.
9) Enessa Wellness Spa - Los AngelesEnessa offers aromatherapy and oxygen facials, body treatments, shiradhara dosha, reflexology, massage, acupuncture, and body waxing. Try the 45min $65 Seaweed Body Polish using Enessa's Body Polish, French Seaweed and therapeutic essential oils to stimulate circulation, prevent cellulite formation, exfoliate and polish the skin, leaving it soft and velvety smooth. The Body Polish is removed with hot towels, followed with an application of Enessa's aromatherapy body oil to seal in moisture.
10) Illusions Full Service Salon and Spa - Manhattan BeachIllusions Spa offers aromatherapy, pedicures, manicures, hair treatments, massage, facials and paraffin treatments. All Spa Services include the use of the luxury steam room, shower, and lockers at no additional charge. Experience a relaxing and calming Shirodhara massage, 25min $45 or 50min $65. Essential oils are applied to your forehead in this ancient Asian technique, followed by a soothing scalp massage that eases facial tension. The session is finished with a hand and foot massage

Welcome to Spa Intelligence!

2004-09-28T13:21:00.000-07:00

wow. are we excited about our spa newsletter, Spa Intelligence, slated to launch January 2005!
In the meantime, we plan on sharing news, articles, and insight to the worlds most prestigious spas!

See again tomorrow with more Spa Intelligence!