Facials, peels, hair removals, body massages, and body treatments are on most spa menus. The fundamentals of the services are similar in all spas, while signature treatments, products used, and personalised methods make each spa unique. Guests select a spa for the experience, stress relief, to prevent premature aging of their skin, or to improve a condition such as acne, skin dehydration or oiliness, rosacea, psoriasis, eczema, wrinkles and loss of elasticity, dark circles or swelling of the eyes, cellulite, or heavy legs, Pre- and postoperative care reduces swelling, bruising and discomfort.
Facials
Facials are the most popular service in spas. The facials introduced in America by European aestheticians (beauticians) since the early 1900s have been commonly termed “European facials.” They are cleansing facials, different from skin treatments. Facials take approximately an hour and include an exfoliation, a massage, steam or a warm towel application, extraction of comedones, a mask, and the application of a serum, ampoule, or essential oils. A treatment consists of the use of equipment, a speciality massage, or a mask. The aesthetician educates clients on the benefits of using recommended home-care products.
Contraindications : Sores or conditions that indicate the need or medical intervention conlraindicate facials. Equipment that applies electricity on the skin should not be used on guests who have a pacemaker or metal plates, or who suffer from epilepsy, diabetes, or other conditions.
Peels
The accumulation of dead cells gives skin a lifeless, ashy lone and uneven colouring. It interferes with the penetration of creams and serums into the living layers of the skin. The purpose of a peel is to slough dead skin off the epidermis. Peels unclog the hair follicles, and with regular use diminish the incidence of pustules, blackheads, and closed comedones. Post-laser resurfacing or dermabrasion help prevent milia and even the skin tone. They can reduce lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation due to sun damage or scarring and enlarged pores. Regular peels indirectly signal the dermis cell to increase cellular activity, which make peels an essential part of anti-aging programme.
Scrubs,also called exfoliating grains, are made of polypropylene, sand, or crushed seed of apricots or other plants. The finest ones are made with very small grains to avoid irritation to the skin. Some are formulated with soothing medicinal plants, such as calendula and are suitable for sensitive skin, acne or for use after medical peels. Scrubs are applied on wet skin with the fingertips or using a brush in a circular motion. Many scrubs are not suited for sensitive skin.
Peelings are made with kaolin and white clay in a creamy substance that adheres to the skin. You can rub the peeling (which mixes with dead skin cells and impurities) off using your fingertips. Peelings are well suited for acne and skin.
Scrubs and peelings are used during facials, and as home-care products.
Enzyme peels are usually made of plants like papaya or pineapple. They are used as part of a facial or treatment. These peels are in powder form, and are mixed with a toner at the time of use or dissolved in an aqueous solution. Some enzymes are formulated for all types of skin. The best formulations ease deep cleansing of the pores without side effects. Others may cause irritation in sensitive skin.
Alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) and chemical peels are another option. Milder AHA peels, such as glycolic acid when used in percentages ranging from 14 to 40%, are applied on the skin and then rinsed off within minutes, as part of a facial or as a separate service. They sting very little and there is no down time. The peels with low pH (2-2.5) and a high percentage of AHAs (30% and higher) work faster and deeper. The strongest AHA peels (those containing 75% glycolic acid, jessner, or non-resorcinol peels) are even deeper peels, causing the surface of the skin to turn brown and shed within about four days. The peels are done without pain reliever. Medical supervision or access is advisable with stronger peels.
Microdermabrasion is done with equipment that projects fine inert aluminium oxide crystals, or corundum powder, through a tube to the surface of the skin. The depth of the peel depends on the setting, the power of the equipment, and the desired result. Light peels are an alternative to enzymes and AHAs. Deeper peels can improve scars, stretch marks, acne scars and discolouration. The quality of the crystals, the equipment, the skin-care products applied and experience all matter. There is no down time for mild peels and the discomfort is none to mild.
Contraindications : AHAs, chemical peels, and microdermabrasion should not be administered on individuals using skin sensitising medication, Retin A, or Accutane. Patch tests are advisable on sensitive skin.
Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) and Lymphobiology
Manual lymph drainage (MLD) was developed by Dr. Emile Vodder in France in 1936. Dr. Vodder was seeking a therapeutic method of improving the health and quality of life of individuals suffering from fluid retention, toxicity, and various skin conditions. The method consists of a light massage that stimulates lymph circulation on the face or the body.
Lymphobiology is a proprietary science inspired by MLD; it uses equipment that produces the therapeutic massage of the manual method, but in less time, through glass tubes sliding on the skin. The equipment is classified as a therapeutic massager by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Information about the method has been published in medical journals following double-blind and single-blind medical studies (see “Noninvasive Techniques of Facial Rejuvenation”, by Steven Bosniak, MD, and Marian Cantisano-Zilka, MD, Saunders, vol. 2, no. 4, Dec. 1999).
Selected skin-care products with integral DNA are used as part of the Lymphobiology procedure to hydrate the tissues and supply nutrients at the cellular level. Lymphobiology cleanses the skin tissues of waste and toxins, and elmiminates swelling and dark circles, even after only one treatment. It naturally stimulates the immune system and lowers the sympathetic nervous system, including deep relaxation. Redness after extraction of comedones or after peels virtually disappears.
Sagging skin tightens on the face and body. The treatments can be done in series or individually; they can be added to facials, body facials, hydrotherapy, and cellulite treatments. The clinical protocol recommends treatments before and after cosmetic surgery to eliminate bruising, swelling, and discomfort, to reduce stress, to prevent cellulite from coming back after liposuction and to improve elasticity.
Contraindications: Phlebitis, communicate with physician before and after surgery, and when medical conditions exist. Safe to use on individuals with pacemakers or metal plates since no electricity touches the skin.
Masks
Besides the classical clay, kaolin cream or gel masks, hydrating and clarifying treatment masks can constitute a service by themselves or be part of a facial. Speciality masks can include an ampoule, the application of a gel (usually made of algae or even single-cell algae so nutrients can penetrate) and a setting solution to turn the mask into a film that can be lifted off the skin.
Masks even skin tone, eliminate redness, and tighten pores. After a mask, the skin feels like silk. Less therapeutic results are achieved with masks that are “rubbery and occlusive”, or waxy such as paraffin. Clay masks harden and get removed in one dramatic-looking piece. Rubbery and hardened clay masks mainly serve cosmetic purposes, as they do not penetrate the skin with active ingredients, but just trap moisture in the stratum corneum.
Contraindications : Do not apply masks that harden on claustrophobic individuals.