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Day Spa De-stressing

Day spas are rapidly becoming the definition of a hedonistic doctrine--the belief that what is pleasant or has pleasant consequences is intrinsically good. Working too hard? Don't have a moment to spare? Feeling pressured? You don't necessarily have to leave town to get away from all that stress. A visit to a day spa may be just the ticket to the de-stressing and the "pleasant consequences" you need and deserve. And you don't have to be rich or famous to use a day spa. All you have to do is believe you deserve or need an oasis of personal attention. According to Hannelore Leavy of the American Day Spa Association, www.clubspausa.com, there are more than 4,000 facilities offering day spa services across the nation. This represents an explosion of service providers over the last decade.

Day spas differ from destination spas in that services are completed in a day or a fraction of a day. Prices do not include food, beverage or overnight accommodation so costs are lower. Day spas offer a wide-ranging, à la carte-style menu of body and beauty services, which include hair and nail treatments, massage and other body therapies. Day spa packages may combine treatments that complement each other like massage and aromatherapy, or may focus on rejuvenating specific parts of the body like weary legs. For an explanation of terms and services see A Glossary of Spa Terms. Services typically range in price from $30 to $150.

New to day spas? See Neophyte Know How.