An Informed Consumer is a Spa’s Best Guest

While the methods which we engage in to maintain or improve our health and wellness have changed significantly over the years, the goal to retain a youthful appearance remains as important as ever. Throughout the centuries people have attempted numerous means in their effort to achieve a more youthful and healthier look.

From the milk and honey baths used by Cleopatra to the light zaps of today’s laser treatments, people continue to search for the latest trends that claim to help them restore their youth. With such an increase in demand by individuals seeking for less invasive methods of enhancing their appearance faster and less costly than surgery, thousands of new businesses have opened up, ready and willing to help people thin out their wallets if not their wrinkles.

Which Spa is for You?

While there are many different businesses that use the word spa in their description, for the purposes of this discussion there are only two types of spas. They are, Medical spas and day spas. Medical spas may also be known as esthetic medical clinics, and day spas may also be known as day salons, or destination spas. Destination spas are often located inside hotels, resorts or country clubs, and some of them may offer some limited services usually provided at a medical spa. The availability of high-tech treatments offered at these facilities draws millions of people seeking less invasive ways to look younger and healthier without the costs and risks of surgery.

So, what is the difference between a day spa and a med spa? Well, a day spa is exactly what the name implies. The typical services menu at a day spa include facial massages, full body massages, (from licensed estheticians and licensed massage therapists), manicures, pedicures,  and some even offer  haircuts and coloring. Day spas maintain their focus on a temporary cosmetic makeover, while providing a relaxing atmosphere in a calming environment.

Med spas, on the other hand provide non-surgical medical esthetic procedures from licensed medical professionals in a spa environment. Depending on State regulations, some med spas may be staffed with nurses and supervised by plastic surgeons. All med spas must have a licensed physician of staff. While day spas focus their treatments on the skin’s surface, med spas provide medical procedures designed to “restore” the skin from the inside out.

What to Look for in a Spa?

What if anything do these distinctly different spa types have in common? Well it is the goal of both types of spas to make you look and feel better. In fact we are now seeing advances in science that are leading us to a better understanding of skincare based the new knowledge of the skin microbiome and the benefits of topical probiotic treatments. The rapid increase in the medical use of probiotics has confirmed their excellent safety profile. As immune modulators, they have been used in treating inflammatory skin conditions including atopic dermatitis. Their role in acne, wound healing, and barrier protection from the sun is ubiquitous. Furthermore, probiotics support the quality of cell cohesion with the lower part of the stratum corneum and the stratum compactum, giving aging skin luminosity and elasticity.

Therefore, the inclusion of topical probiotics to skin care protocols represents an alternative and perhaps a more efficacious approach to the skin care treatments currently being offered by many skin care professionals. Cutting edge med spas and  day spas are now offering  probiotic facials. So when you are deciding which spa is the right one for you, it is a good idea to investigate what treatments they offer, how they approach skincare, and are they utilizing the very best treatment modalities that are available today.