BIG MENUS A multi-page
treatment menu featuring
dozens of options might’ve
been all the rage a decade ago, but spa-
goers nowadays are increasingly seeking
a curated set of treatments. Rather than
making a choice themselves, they’re
leaving it up to therapists to help them
choose the best treatments. Not only
does offering fewer treatments lower
your spa’s costs, but it also allows your
therapists to gain a deeper knowledge of
the treatments you do offer.
1.
“Pets are serious
business, and dogs
especially are a
fast-growing market
sector in fashion,
organic products,
accessories and spa services.”
— PuLSe, 2008
FISH PEDICURES These
pedicures, in which spa-goers
submerge their feet in a tub
filled with fish that eat away at dead skin,
were all the rage several years ago.
However, concerns with sanitation, not to
mention the “eww” factor, caused this
treatment to fall out of favor. Now, a quick
google search of “fish pedicure” primarily
yields articles about a woman’s toenails
falling off after receiving one—and that’s
not very spa-like.
2.
DOG SPAS Not even Pulse is
immune to being hoodwinked
by the occasional trend. We
wrote in 2008 that “dogs especially are a
fast-growing market sector in fashion,
organic products, accessories and spa
3.
services.” While that statement isn't
wholly wrong—dog boarding and dog
daycare is more popular than ever—true
dog spas never really came to fruition.
Just a few of the treatments that
were on the rise at the time: dog
massage, water therapy, dog yoga and
aromatherapy paw-dicures.
ANIMAL-BASED FACIALS
The 2000s have seen a
number of facials based on
animal byproducts come and go. Spa-
goers have gotten snail facials, caviar
facials, placenta facials and the geisha
facial, which features an application of
nightingale feces. As effective as they
may be, never forget that these lucrative
treatments are ultimately subject to the
whims of guests (and the influencers
who inspire them) who are always
looking for the next skincare trend.
4.
EXTREME TANNING The
deliberately overly-tan Jersey
Shore look, ca. 2010, is
officially on its way out. Last year, the
American Council on Science and
Health reported that use of tanning beds
dropped 33% from 2010 to 2015. This
goes hand-in-hand with the rising preva-
lence of sunscreen use and natural skin
care; more spa goers than ever are
actively seeking to limit any sun damage
to the skin. n
5.
December 2018
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PULSE
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