Tag Archives: Club Spa

Aesthetic Medical Predictions for 2010

facelift 751523 Aesthetic Medical Predictions for 2010
By Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider
Francis X. Acunzo from Acara offered up his aesthetic medical predictions for 2010 . I think they are interesting – especially for aesthetic medical spas or medi spas. Here are the predictions in black – my comments in red.
 
1. Dysport will become a strong competitor to Botox.
In time it might, however doctors doing aesthetics who are currently using Botox (that would be all of them) are not all that excited about changing to a new product. I think we need to see a more significant difference in price between Dysport and Botox before it becomes a strong competitor. 2. Non-invasive body contouring will continue to grow in popularity lead by Erchonia's Zerona.
Erchonia's Zerona is new to me – interesting demo on Rachael Ray. 3. Face lifts will continue to drop in demand while liquid face-lifts grow in popularity, especially with the younger market (40 -54 year olds)
I like the term "liquid face-lift." 4. Fat transfer, specifically for natural breast enhancement, will become sought after by women who were previously uncomfortable with implants.
I was surprised to learn that fat transfer or fat grafting can be done in-office under local anesthesia.
5. Laser Lipolysis will continue to be one of the most in-demand medical aesthetic procedures due to its minimal downtime and great results.
This seems to be what others call Smart Lipo. It's less invasive than traditional liposuction, however it is still surgery.
6. The younger audience (24 – 40 year olds) will continue to discover aesthetic medical services for preventive aging. Unfortunately this seems to be true. I have family members and friends in that age group and while a few seem to be thinking prevention, most seem to be using aesthetic medical services to improve what they think needs improving. 7. There will be an increase in the number of men having aesthetic medical procedures starting with facial fillers and injectibles (i.e. Botox, Restylane, Radiesse, etc.)
I definitely agree and it isn't just vanity…they want to stay competitive in the marketplace. 8. The tipping point of when men and women want to have their tattoos removed will arrive and the demand will grow exponentially.
Interesting….I do think a tipping point is coming. Not sure why it would happen in 2010 (especially when money is tight) however it makes sense that tattoo removal will become more and more popular. 9. Facial Rejuvenation will come of age as medical practitioners perfect their skill combining aesthetic medical facial procedures.
The key here is "perfect their skill" as people begin realizing that this isn't just about skill – it is about art. 10. What was an Extreme Makeover in 2003 when the then popular TV show hit the airwaves will now become the Everyday Makeover.
Well…that might be a bit of an exaggeration since most on that show went through major plastic surgery – not just the medical aesthetics listed above. However, I do agree that makeovers are very "in."
 
 
Thanks Francis for keeping us on the cutting edge. (oops, sorry about that pun!)
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Calling All Spas to a Higher Level of Professionalism

Calling All Spas to a Higher Level of Professionalism

By Susie Ellis, SpaFinder Insider

Houston, we have a problem. Within the past two weeks we have had these headlines:

abcnews generic 731096 Calling All Spas to a Higher Level of Professionalism
“What Happened at the Weston MedSpa that Left Rohie Kah Brain Dead?” (Sept. 30)
(A woman in Florida went in for Carboxytherapy, a “medical service” that injects carbon dioxide into a patient to improve the appearance of cellulite or stretch marks.)

nytlogo379x64 761728 Calling All Spas to a Higher Level of Professionalism“2 die and 16 Are Sickened at Spa in Arizona” (Oct. 10)
(They were part of a group of about 48 people taking part in a sweat lodge ceremony at Angel Valley Retreat Center in Sedona.)

nyp logo 360x50 728561 Calling All Spas to a Higher Level of Professionalism“Astoria Spa under fire over ‘fish pedicures” (Oct. 12)
(Astoria’s Ritz Nail and Spa in Astoria, Queens New York practiced a “fish pedicure,” where part of the exfoliation process involves fish nibbling on client’s toes, which is considered by many to be unsanitary.)

Sadly the term “spa” is in each of these headlines. We can no longer argue the case that these facilities were mis-labeled. The term spa has become an umbrella term under which many businesses operate. Categories include: resorts and hotels with spas, new age retreats, med spas, mineral springs spas, beauty clinics, integrative wellness centers and others. The generally accepted definition of spa, as defined by the Global Spa Economy Report (now in wide release and available on the website), states that “spas are establishments that promote wellness through the provision of therapeutic and other professional services aimed at renewing the body, mind, and spirit.” This means that the three places mentioned above would likely consider themselves a spa. In the first case, a health retreat, in the second a med spa, and in the third a day spa.

Even those who have, for years, argued that a spa must have water therapies would not be able to distance themselves totally from the fish pedicure, which originated in a hot spring near Kangal, Turkey. The Garra Rufa fish were well-known there for their benefit in battling skin diseases.

Arguing about labels is not going to be fruitful. We must do much more.

While I have written about this in the past, I would like to emphasize it again: the spa industry must take itself more seriously. Not only should we consider what we do important in terms of contributing to people’s health, transformation, and the prevention of illness in general, but we must also require a higher standard of ourselves, our employees, and all places of business which use the spa label.

Our industry is making a great deal of headway in terms of prevention and providing valuable solutions to lifestyle issues through our emphasis on exercise, healthy nutrition, stress reduction, and education. Just this past month I attended Dr. Brent Bauer’s (Mayo Clinic) presentation at the ISPA conference on prevention, health and spas; presented Dr. Andrew Weil the 2010 SpaFinder Visionary Award here in NYC for his role in embracing the value of spas for health and well-being; and secured Dr. Ken Pelletier, author of dozens of books including New Medicine as a participant and speaker for the upcoming 2010 Global Spa Summit in May.

No doubt negative headlines sadden us all. And just like hospitals, corporations, government agencies, and the like, which occasionally get bad publicity because of mistakes, poor judgment or worse, we must do everything we can to minimize and ideally eliminate negatives associated with spas. Here are a few things I think we could do in response:

1. Headline science and not sensationalism. We should quit feeding the media stories like massages with snakes, pedicures with fish, or massage oils with diamonds (which even I have written about). Drop the tarot cards and astrology readings. Embrace the many evidenced based modalities that have been shown to produce real benefit (massage, exercise, good nutrition, breath work, meditation, body scrubs, etc).

We should produce a work titled something like, “Spa Treatments: The Science” and give it to every spa professional around the world and make it available to the media and consumers. It should catalog scientific studies which support the spa treatments we advocate in our spas.

2. Insist on transparency. We should encourage consumer input, industry feedback and make good use of shopping services – or establish our own. We must be transparent in our dealings and communications and insist on transparency from others.

3. Adhere strictly to regulations. We should confront and report those who are attempting shortcuts. We need to make certain that we are fully licensed in every aspect and even go beyond the minimums in many cases. That includes licensing for medical spas, licensing for massage therapists and aestheticians, enforcing rules on sanitation, how long you sterilize manicure tools, etc. We must commit to adhering to regulations in full and not be afraid if additional requirements are added.

Finally, I think it is important that every spa and every company in our industry does its part. Some initiatives that are helpful include ISPA’s code of conduct to which spas voluntarily submit, SpaQuality and other organizations who check standards, provide education, assessment, and certification programs, articles in industry spa magazines which showcase best practices, the Green Spa Network’s effort to promote sustainability, and many more.

A few examples from SpaFinder:
a) We added and encourage consumer spa reviews to give the consumer a voice in identifying issues that need to be addressed (and we allow the spa manager to respon.d)
b) We do not allow tanning beds to be marketed on Spafinder.com
c) We take spas off of our site when we see a pattern of complaints
d) We try to educate the industry on such things as the impropriety of writing fake reviews
e) We are currently taking
extra steps to check out the medical spas listed on our site to make sure they are licensed and give more information about the doctor’s licensing to the consumer

There are more initiatives in the works however after the recent flurry of unfortunate headlines, I think it would be great if we all step-it-up-a-notch. I hope many will join us.

Please do share your thoughts.
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Most Expensive Spa in the World Opening Soon! Six Senses Spa to Introduce its Destination Spa and 7th Sense Spa Experience

Bedroom 705186 Most Expensive Spa in the World Opening Soon! Six Senses Spa to Introduce its Destination Spa and 7th Sense Spa ExperienceMost Expensive Spa in the World Opening Soon! Six Senses Spa to Introduce its Destination Spa and 7th Sense Spa Experience
by Susie Ellis

Had a sneak peek at the soon-to-be-launched new Six Senses Destination Spa here in Thailand. It was a 30 minute boat ride from the Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi where I am currently staying. During a tour of the property which is nearing completion (although it looks to me will need more time than they think to be ready for opening), I kept saying, “wow,” “wow,” “wow” with every corner I turned.

The opening of this Destination Spa is going to be big news, – both inside the spa industry and outside of the spa industry. My guess is that these will be the big media stories:

1. You can eat the landscaping around your villa and pretty much eat everything else growing on the property.

2. This isn’t one spa – it is literally four spas in one: an Indian spa, an Indonesian Spa, a Chinese Spa, and a Thai Spa. And I don’t mean “area” but “spa”! There is also a salon called the hair spa as well as color therapy spaces, colonics, Watsu area, Pilates, kenisis, a feng shui’d gym (finally!), and a host of other offerings too numerous for me to remember. It would be easier to try and list what they don’t offer.

3. Although not a medical spa per se, there will be master practitioners and medical doctors and an emphasis on both Eastern and Western wellness options – no aesthetic medicine.

4. It will no doubt be lauded for its ecologically embedded practices.

5. The food will likely get rave reviews because of the garden-fresh ingredients, their raw food restaurant option, and the status of their spa-celebrity chefs.

6. The 7th Sense will be introduced which will trump the Sixth.

7. It will be the most expensive spa in the world.

There are very few true destination spas left. In Asia there are just a handful – Chiva Som in Thailand (the most well known), Como Shambala in Bali (very small but exquisite), and the Farm at San Benito in the Philippines (unfortunately, a well kept secret).

North America has Canyon Ranch, Miraval, Rancho La Puerta, Golden Door, Greenhouse, Cal a Vie, and about 10 others. All destination spas are gems in my opinion. Very expensive to create and operate yet offer the greatest chance to pursue wellness and transformation. Bottom line for me is that I always feel my best (and am told I look my best) after a stay at a destination spa.
In fact that reminds me of how I recently heard someone describe the difference between a resort spa and a destination spa: When you return home from a resort spa you tell others how great it looked. When you return home from a destination spa others tell you how great you look!

Stay tuned….and fasten your seat belts.

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Turning Point Gathering – Always a Winner

Turning Point Gathering – Always a Winner
by Susie Ellis

Just reviewed some literature about the upcoming Turning Point Spa Seminar in Thailand which looks like it is shaping up nicely. Turning Point is a conference that is held in Asia (last year it was in Shanghai) every year which either Peter or I have attended for the past four years. Unfortunately, neither of us will be able to make it this time since I am heading to Thailand just four weeks later and Peter will be in India just prior. We have always been impressed with how Don Siegel organizes his Turning Point events and he gets extra kudos from me for his great looking marketing materials.

Because his events are generally fairly small and intimate, it is easy to get to know people and his topics are always timely. This year it appears as if much of the focus will be on the environment and sustainability with LOHAS research and green initiatives on the agenda.

shangri la 779858 Turning Point Gathering Always a WinnerThe location this year is particularly attractive. Chiang Mai is a very special region of Thailand and the host hotel – the new Shangri La in Chiang Mai (photo to the right) – will no doubt be a memorable experience. Ian Brewis, group spa director of all of their Chi Spas, is an extraordinary host. There are two other magnificent spa properties in the area – the Four Seasons and the Mandarin Oriental – which alone would make the trip worthwhile. If you are in the region and have the opportunity to attend, I would definitely recommend it. And please tell Don hello from me.

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No Spa, No Massage, No Facials but a Cool New Year’s Eve!

No Spa, No Massage, No Facial but a Cool New Year’s Eve!

Report Card: Dinner and Nightclubbing in Las Vegas
by Susie Ellis

On the plus side: vegas3girls 763205 No Spa, No Massage, No Facials but a Cool New Years Eve!
My sunless tan lasted and looked pretty darn good
I made it all the way until 5:30 a.m. with only a short nap on the flight back.
Got a taste of the late night “party scene” at Tryst Wynn, Las Vegas.
Enjoyed seeing the young 20 and 30 year old girls in their cute dresses (short, short and shorter.)
Learned that pole-dancing isn’t just for fitness classes icon smile No Spa, No Massage, No Facials but a Cool New Years Eve!
Enjoyed the company we were with – the McCarters and the Turnbull’s (Tracey and Cassandra to the right.)

On the negative side: petehood 729349 No Spa, No Massage, No Facials but a Cool New Years Eve!
I think that Peter and I might have been older than any of the other 500 + people there!
When you wear something that was “hot” 10 years ago, it is still dated (that would be me) When you wear something that is “hot” now, it is hot (that would be Peter – to the right.)
There is no possibility of talking at a nightclub due to the volume of music
Time drags on very sloooowly when all there is to do for 5 hours is drink, dance and people-watch (and you don’t have the same agenda as the singles.)

Bottom line is….I would rather party and hip hop with the youngsters than shuffle around the cha cha floor with the oldsters. However, something in between might be the best of all. icon smile No Spa, No Massage, No Facials but a Cool New Years Eve!

Now, please point me to the nearest spa.

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