Spa Career

The term spa is traditionally used to mean a place where water that is believed to have special health-giving properties occurs. This is usually a mineral or hot spring, and can include cold water treatments. The term is derived from the Belgian town of Spa.

A business traveler wants to minimize jet lag. A mother of three wants some time to herself. A group of friends plans a birthday celebration. A man with back pain seeks relief. A teenager is troubled by acne. A weekend warrior is sore from overexertion. A man decides to stop smoking. A busy executive wants to rediscover spirituality. A woman wants help establishing a safe and effective exercise regimen. An obese man needs help controlling his weight. A pregnant woman wants to feel more comfortable. A couple wants to reconnect. Where can all these people go for help? A spa.

The growing spa industry, valued at around 6 billion dollars in the US alone (ISPA Industry Study 2000, Price Waterhouse Coopers LLP), represents more than just another consumer market. It reveals a pressing need for those in the wealthy western world to re-evaluate rather than elaborate their life-styles.

A destination spa or resort spa is a business establishment which people visit for personal care treatments such as massages and facials in a hotel setting. Destination spas are often in exotic locations or in spa towns. Destination spas offer similar services to a beauty salon or a day spa, but people reside at a destination spa instead of just visiting for a treatment. Resort spas are generally located in resorts.

Today’s spa is a center for healing and nourishing mind, body, and spirit. People go to spas for fitness, stress management, peace of mind, pampering and pleasure, and health and wellness. Spas offer a wide variety of techniques and services - traditional and modern, from the East and from the West - to meet the diverse needs of their clients: Swedish, Japanese Shiatsu, and Thai massage, European facials, acupuncture, Dead Sea salt scrubs, Moor mud wraps, aromatherapy, reflexology, reiki, aura imaging, hypnotherapy, classes in nutrition, meditation, journaling, yoga and Tai Chi, state-of-the-art fitness centers with personal trainers, and much more. Other types of spas include day spas, club spas, cruise ship spas, medical spas, and mineral spring spas.

Typical spa services include:

Not every spa includes every domain. Spas come in many shapes, sizes, and focuses - from day spas where you can get a single treatment to destination spas where you can stay for a week or more to medical spas that treat cosmetic and chronic health problems.

For well over a decade now, it’s become increasingly clear that hotel and resort spas are here to stay! Properties that added a spa or upgraded their existing spa have benefited enormously. Increasingly, the savvy, health-conscious guest will choose to spend time at a property where spa services are offered. Since prestige levels, as well as occupancy levels, are elevated, staffing these spas with top-quality personnel will continue to be a priority for these hotels and resorts.

In order to become a spa therapist you need to have a unique combination of skills and require a great deal of training. You will also have to possess an almost unrivalled ability in a vast array of skills. You will have to be an excellent communicator not only with your friends and the people you know well, but with people from every age group, social background, ethnic origin, occupation and gender.

To find all these qualities in a single individual is very difficult. That is why good spa therapists are rare and rare skills should be rewarded. The pay while training may be low, but it is often enhanced with tips and gratuities from clients and will be increased further by commission earned through selling retail products to clients. Spa therapists in top spas and those who progress to supervisory or management positions will earn even more.

Spa Directors

A Spa Director at a top-quality resort or hotel will oversee many areas, such as staffing, training, product purchasing, merchandising, setting up a strong retail outlet, budgeting and forecasting. He or she may be asked to help market the spa and be knowledgeable about Internet advertising and have Public Relations’ contacts. Spa Directors are often asked to help design new or additional spa areas and see the project through to opening. A seasoned Spa Director with a broad range of experience may be compensated in the $70-125K range.

A Spa Director just starting out at a small to mid-sized spa will, of course, not be offered as high a salary. The general salary range for this Director will typically be in the $50-65K range. All candidates must have a high level of operational experience and several certifications, including CPR and First Aid. The letters in CPR stand for cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a combination of rescue breathing (mouth-to-mouth resuscitation) and chest compressions. If a man isn't breathing or circulating blood adequately, CPR can restore circulation of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. Without oxygen, permanent brain damage or death can occur in less than 8 minutes.

Assistant Spa Directors/ Spa Operations Managers

Salary range is generally $40-65K, dependent on the factors cited above and location, cost of living, etc. Candidates must have previous experience in a spa setting.

Taking a CPR Course

Qualified instructors use videos, printed materials, and demonstrations on mannequins representing infants, children, and adults to teach proper techniques for performing CPR. The American Heart Association's basic life support course that includes CPR lasts about 6 hours and is sometimes held in two separate sessions. The courses teach CPR procedures for infants (under 1 year old), children (1 to 8 years old), and adults.

Participants practice the techniques on mannequins and have opportunities to ask questions and get individualized instruction. The final test for the course is a combination of demonstrating CPR skills and taking a written test.

Once considered to be a luxury, the services offered by spa therapists are enjoyed by an ever-increasing number of people. Spa facilities range from day spas, to spas in hotels and holiday resorts, some of which are in exotic locations.

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How to choose the correct health and beauty uniforms for your salon.

Many brands and styles of salon uniforms are available in the health and beauty wear market. I hope this article will give you some insight into choosing the correct uniforms for your salon.

The best source for salon uniforms is the internet. Online ordering is fast and secure. Suppliers can be easily found by using the search terms 'health and beauty wear' or 'salon uniforms' in the Google search engine. Usually the top ranking sites are the best choice as the companies have been in business the longest and offer the best quality and value. Look around at a few online suppliers, choose a site that offers clear concise pictures and lots of information about the products you are about to buy. Check the terms and conditions for guarantee and returns information. Many suppliers offer free delivery when ordering in bulk for your salon. Make sure the supplier has a telephone number listed on the site.

Another good choice for sourcing uniform suppliers is from ads on health and beauty directories such as beautyserve.net or healthypages.net.

If you can find a beauty trade show it is highly recommended you visit and look around the various uniforms on offer. Earls Court London or the GMEX Manchester host such shows.

When you find a supplier spend some time with them and don't be afraid to ask questions and view the full range. Examine the garments and look how they have been cut, sewn and finished. Also check trim detail. Your staff will be wearing these garments for long periods so quality is paramount.

When searching for a salon uniform you will come across many different textiles. A variety of fibers and blends are on offer.

Nylon is strong, durable, resilient and abrasion resistant but subject to pilling and not the best choice for salon wear.

Cotton feels comfortable against the skin but tends to shrink when washed. In a salon environment garments can become heavy and soggy and stick to the wearer after a long day.

A good choice for your salon would be polyester or polyester cotton / blend. Both these choices have good abrasion resistance and are easy to care for and quick drying. Polyester/cotton blends are durable, more wrinkle resistant, and shrink less than 100% cotton.

Many professional high quality salon uniforms contain rayon which, unlike nylon, can absorb moisture. This makes garments extremely comfortable and ideal for therapists who need to wear their uniforms for long periods while practicing. Health and Beauty Wear - http://www.healthandbeautywear.co.uk in the UK supply a good range of rayon blended uniforms for ultimate comfort.

As you consider the different textile combinations, consider your salon needs and preferences. Factors such as texture, contact or feel against the skin, moisture absorbency, and weight relate to comfort. Comfort is a desired feature and will enable your staff to carry out their treatments more happily which will reflect on your clientele.

Other decisions to be made are style alternatives. When choosing your salon wear it is important to consider function, individuality, and fashion appeal. Suppliers offer oriental style tunics, zip front tunics and mandarin style tunics which are available in a variety of colours, including black, white, red, lilac and pinstripe.

The style of salon uniform you choose should look smart and blend in effortlessly within the salon environment, for instance, if your salon has a contemporary feel, you could choose black, white or pinstripe salon uniforms with stylish silver fasteners.

A good choice for your staff could be simple oriental style tunics in black or white. Senior staff could opt for pinstripe suits.

It is recommended to use a mild, colour care detergent to maintain the vibrant colour and quality of your salon uniform.

I hope this article has helped you in choosing the correct salon uniforms for your salon.