Spas are renowned as wonderfully relaxing, luxurious places to turn to for some much needed indulgence. But why is that? Possibly the answer is because they often contain saunas, hot pools in which to unwind and offer massages? Well, yes, of course. But they also offer a good number of other treatments as well as massages, which do clients a huge amount of good, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually too…
Facials
Your face is the most exposed and, therefore, arguably the most important part of your body. In which case, it needs regular treatments such as exfoliating, moisturising and massages. The face’s uppermost skin layer often becomes dull due to exposure both to the sun and pollution; facial treatments then help remove this dull layer, treating clogged pores, hydrating the skin revealed underneath and removing and thus reducing the number of fine lines and wrinkles.
Quite simply, facials are the perfect solution if you want to bring back your face’s natural shine and your skin’s natural glow. You may require a moisture boost, say, or an enhancement of your complexion. Some treatments will seek to regenerate your face’s skin cells and remove damaging toxins, while others will aim to targets blemishes, uneven skin tone, superficial facial scarring and fine lines, revealing a younger looking skin.When all is said and done then, it’s important you should discuss with a spa therapist what the best treatment would be for your skin and your needs.
Body Treatments
Like facials, body treatments are about moisturising and exfoliating the skin, but they’re often also about encouraging and, if necessary, improving blood circulation in different parts of the body; not least your limbs. Body wraps and polishes help to extract impurities and eliminate toxic waste from the skin and break down and remove fatty deposits on its surface, which is one of the reasons they’re excellent if you want a soothing experience that will result in you feeling fresh and energised when you leave the spa. They are also useful, along with good exercise and a balanced diet, in improving muscle tone and reshaping the body – if a spa attendee is aiming for such a result.
Body wraps are often very popular with spa visitors owing to the exotic sound of their names and those of their ingredients, plus because of their unique and unusual forms – for instance, a chocolate body wrap doesn’t just prove very popular but also very good for your body’s skin, containing exfoliating natural oils and, once removed, leaving the skin nurtured and nourished. Aqua therapy usually offers positive effects similar to those of body wraps and works so effectively because of the aromatherapy oils its type of treatments contain.
Massages
Nowadays, just like the different spa treatments available, there are a large number of different massages available in spas – and massages that target different parts of the body too; those that are applied to the head, the feet, the ‘full body’ or the body’s deep tissues are all commonly popular. Often making use of many and various oils and therapies (which are often derived from ancient Eastern wisdom and practices), massages aim not just to relieve and ease muscle knots, work on and improve blood circulation in different areas of the body and help heal physical injuries, but also – not least because of their regular oil-based ingredients –seek to achieve effective relaxation in clients, in addition to de-stressing their minds and spirit. Some massages may also be aimed at certain demographics; for instance they may be specially designed for mums-to-be.
To give you an impression of the vast array of massages available, at the Spa at the Montcalm, offering as it does some of the best Spa Deals in London and located in the The Montcalm hotel with its fantastic fine dining, you can request any of the following types of massage: aromatherapy, deep tissue, Swedish, reiki, Zen shiatsu, hot stone, reflexology, Ytsara Na Plai (recovery head massage), Ytsara Samunprai (Thai herbal heat energiser), Ytsara Kamatan (‘path to tranquillity’), Ytsara Anamai (body reviver), Ytsara Qi (‘absolute desktop recovery’), Ytsara lazy man yoga, Ytsara Maphrao (‘warm coconut reviver’) and Elemis (face and body sensation).
Manicures and Pedicures
Massages aren’t the only specialist treatments that spas offer to pamper a client’s hands and feet. Any spa worth its salt will also have experts on hand to treat a client to a manicure or a pedicure, cosmetic beauty treatments for the hands and feet, respectively. These kinds of treatments actually include massages, but also the removal of dead skin(hands and feet require regular exfoliation as they are some of the most exposed parts of our bodies) and the grooming, shaping and polishing of nails. They may also include the application of paraffin masks or cream, as well as acupressure – as spa therapists also specialise in massages, they are trained to recognise and know how to expertly treat pressure points.
Unwanted Hair Removal
Waxing tends to be the most common and traditional manner of hair removal offered by spas. Essentially, waxing is a simple procedure – after applying a strip of hot wax, the strip is pulled away quickly, pulling away with it a portion of adhered hair. It can be used to remove hair from any part of the body including the chest, the back, legs, arms, underarms and the bikini line. Also, sugaring (the application of a sugar, lemon and hot water-comprising gel) and threading (otherwise known as epilation, often employed for eyebrow removal and shaping) are both ancient world-derived treatments that are commonly offered by spas nowadays to remove facial hair.
