Word: spas
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These days, when the wallets are fat and time is slim, the day spa's the thing. Demand for quick-shot pampering has driven up the number of such spas from 30 in 1989 to 1,600 this year, according to Spa Finders magazine. But it's not just about full-service emporiums like Avon. Barbers are rubbing backs, department stores are doing aromatherapy, and gyms are packing mud. There are spa-mobiles that bring the cosseting to your home, and special "teen" packages for your kids. "The business is going nuts," says Peggy Wynne Borgman, a Saratoga, Calif...
Traditionally spas were places for the sickly to take the waters; later they were known mainly as fat farms. Spas got a better rep as luxurious destinations like Canyon Ranch and Golden Door opened in the 1960s and '70s, but these paradises were seen as remote retreats for the rich and famous. In the '90s, day spas have attracted a more diverse crowd, people who can't afford to spend thousands and linger for a week. "I can't get away for that long," says Connecticut motivational speaker Ronni Burns, 47, who gets a massage and facial twice a month...
Indeed, day spas have evolved from an indulgence to an expected perk. Some health-insurance providers, like Blue Cross of California now cover at least some spa treatments if prescribed by a physician. Better hotels simply have to have one, and companies like Hewlett-Packard are hiring on-site massage therapists for employees. Big Business has had its head turned in other ways too. The French giant LVMH, owner of Dior and Givenchy, last spring bought New York City's ultrahip Bliss spa for an estimated $30 million. Cosmetic companies like Estee Lauder are competing as well, with growing chains...
With spa reviews splashed across the pages of glossy magazines and hot spas turning up in gossip columns, one almost feels swindled by basic treatments. A massage now seems incomplete unless one is rubbed with freshly grated ginger or kneaded with heated stones (some of which are even placed between your toes) culled from Southwestern rivers. Just trying to choose the right facial can raise your blood pressure: Should it be a glycolic peel or a fruit peel? Some dermatologists have even created "medispas," doing cosmetic procedures like dermabrasions in spalike surroundings...
...least, that's the promise, and that's why lasers have become the hottest medical accoutrement since the stethoscope. Plastic surgeons who once spent their time doing nose jobs on teenagers are now turning their offices into decorator-chic "medical spas," where they perform laser "facial rejuvenations" and hair removal as well as cosmetic surgery. At least 50 different laser systems are currently being marketed for cosmetic purposes. The market in hair-removal laser machines alone has risen from $85 million in 1997 to a projected $185 million this year, says Jacob Golbitz, industry analyst at Fector, Detwiler...