Spa Basics by Diane Goldberg
No matter the season or the reason, whether you need to soothe your soul or soothe your soles, you can treat your feet or do an overall overhaul at a spa. Need to energize, revitalize, lose weight, de-stress or tone your body to fit a new dress? Somewhere in the array of spa services you?ll find a perfect match.
Standard spa services divide into two major dimensions --- those that are geared toward stress management and those that focus on aspects of your appearance that you want to refine or change. Many services fall into the kill-two-birds-with-one-stone category. For example, while a deep cleaning facial may give you an immediate visible glow, the process can also fade your cares away while the moisturizing processes fades wrinkles and laugh lines.
Before booking a service it helps to know a little bit of the lingo.
Aromatherapy services involve the use of essential oils and scents to create a variety of mood changes. Some smells energize you and others relax you. Aromatherapy is often part of a massage or facial skin treatment. Body wraps are generally designed to tone your body by removing bloat or give your skin a super-charged moisturizing treatment. Services involving mineral mud are almost always designed to deep clean and moisturize. Dead sea mud in particular has a high mineral content and can help heal psoriasis and other serious skin conditions. Any treatment involving hydro anything is a water-based treatment.
Almost all spa staff are able to describe treatments and recommend the right one for your needs. Spas have some services that are strictly cosmetic, such as deep conditioning hair treatment and some that can assist with medical conditions involving muscles or skin problems.
Spas go beyond girly with services to suit both sexes. Weight loss programs are part of many packages and use a combination of techniques to start sliming you down. You?ll learn lots about proper nutrition to feel and look better and begin an exercise routine that works for your temperament and body type. Stress management services are the perfect antidote for business folk who are overwhelmed and close to burn out. In fact, the best way to avoid burn out is a series of stress management services before meltdown. Spas are a getaway where you invest in yourself: your health, happiness and fitness.
If you need to feel pretty spas can glam you up and bring out the best in your looks. Waxing treatments are ever popular and can simplify your daily routine. Waxing is a near painless method of hair removal used for legs, bikini line, and other unwanted hair. Eyebrow waxing lasts as long as six weeks and you can toss out your tweezers. Currently, extreme bikini area waxing is in vogue; called a Brazilian it removes hair from the entire pubic area, ensuring security for scantily clad bathing beauties.
A bewildering variety of therapies are popular worldwide and almost all of them are available at spas in the USA. Shiatsu massage is an oriental technique similar to acupuncture which uses fingertip pressure instead of needles to aid in energy flow and some specific physical problems. The Alexander Technique is a method of getting rid of harmful tension in your body taught at some spas. Hydrotherapy covers a group of treatments calculated to relax, aid muscle healing, and lose weight. Additional hydrotherapy services are for the skin. LaStone therapy is a technique involving the use of alternating hot and cold stones to relax muscles and repair stressed bodies.
Aerobics, water exercise, hiking, tennis, oriental energy exercises and even golf are only a few of the activities under the spa umbrella. A trip to a spa is a great way to sample several activities and find one or two that you can incorporate into your life. Where else could you follow a pedicure and a facial with a class in Chi Kung (a Chinese exercise to increase energy) and have a perfectly balanced low-fat gourmet meal?
Many spas offer romantic packages where a pampered couple can fan their mutual flame while cooling off occupational overload. Spas offer bridal services, honeymoon and anniversary packages. If the idea of a hot springs bath leaves your honey cold - a spa is a great girl?s getaway pre-wedding weekend to chill out after endless hours of gown fitting and cater consultation. You reach the altar with an enhanced complexion. You're well rested after a weekend of spa style pampering.
Budget-conscious folks wanting a short break will find many spas offer midweek specials that have all of the goodies available at a reduced price. Pregnant ladies will find a spa stay a great way to start self-care early in the pregnancy. The curious can arrange a stay not far from home to test the therapeutic waters.
Spas aren't for everyone, only for folks who want to feel good and look great. Or people wanting to relax and
restore.
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