Day Spas Go Mainstream

By Jackson, Danielle

WHAT USED TO BE only for the privileged has hit the mainstream in a big way.

Gone are the days when only the rich and famous frequented day spas to receive facials, manicures and massages. Also gone are the days when those were the only services offered.

Today, you’ll find a plethora of specialized services, from microdermabrasion to chemical peels, hydro-tub treatments, prenatal and hot-stone massage therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, and laser hair removal at several establishments throughout the Triangle, with many more sure to be coming down the pipeline.

Day spas as a getaway

More and more, professionals are noticing that clients visit their establishments to help alleviate the stresses of their daily lives.

“A lot of stressed-out people is the common denominator,” says Erika Mangrum, president of Iatria Spa and Health Center, with four locations in the Triangle. “People are seeking various ways to reduce stress and feel and look better.”

Mangrum, who sits on the board of directors for the Day Spa Association and teaches marketing through the University of California’s spa and hospitality program, says she also sees many couples enter Iatria as a way to connect and spend time together while relaxing.

“It’s a place to unwind and relax, be pampered and also come out feeling and looking good,” says Carlton Whitaker, vice president of The Spa by Mitchell’s, a full-service establishment with locations at Cary Towne Center and Triangle Town Center.

The Spa by Mitchell’s offers hair care, manicures and pedicures, facials, hydro-tub treatments and microdermabrasion, as well as hot- stone, pre-natal, deeptissue and Swedish massages.

Above all, says Whitaker – who also is vice president of the International Chain Salon and Spa Association – customer service is the No. 1 goal.

“There’s a lot that guests expect when they come to a day spa, especially ambience,” he says. “We make it so they can come here and get all of their skin, hair and bodycare needs met.”

Seeing results

Iatria is a medically oriented day spa, offering everything from massages to facials and skin rejuvenation, manicures and pedicures, spa day packages, injectables such as Restylane and Botox, laser hair removal, and mesotherapy.

According to Mangrum, clients increasingly want to see more scientific results and evidence that procedures will work.

“Everyone’s bombarded with marketing messages, and people want to see evidence,” she says. “Baby Boomers especially want more proof in the pudding.”

In response, she says national spa associations are working to develop accreditations to ensure proper certifications are in place. A day-spa ethics committee for consumer protection also is developing a list of standards and questions for consumers to ask when visiting day spas, such as what to look for, how to know it’s safe, and when to walk away.

“Holistic or medical, we provide them with the information they need to make the right decision for themselves,” she says. “It’s some way of measuring that for them and introducing more certainty into the practice.”

Another way Iatria is responding to consumer demand is through the TruVu Digital Imaging System, which detects sun damage and other skin problems often invisible to the naked eye. Iatria Spa and Health Center recently was selected by Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies Inc. as one of five sites in the U.S. to host the patented system.

Intended for cosmetic use, the TruVu system does not diagnose cancer, but its algorithms allow it to detect the significance of sun damage before problems such as discoloration or deep wrinkling can develop. It can predict conditions such as where acne might arise or whether wrinkles that are beginning to form might deteriorate into deeper wrinkles.

Iatria also is aligned with Klinger to become a center of excellence – one of two in the country. Through the alignment, Iatria will offer skin-care products approved through Johns Hopkins. Additionally, the company offers a program called Iatria Living, which includes a series of events and speakers on various topics as a way to increase the social day-spa experience.

“Day spas are becoming a lifestyle that was once seen as a luxury, and that’s really changing,” Mangrum says. “People are thinking more that it’s OK to do these things and it’s not frivolous to want to look and feel your best. And I think that’s fantastic.”

Copyright Business to Business,Inc. Mar 01, 2007

(c) 2007 Business Leader. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.