If you’re feeling frazzled, burnt out, perhaps need a little facial work, there’s a medical spa that will meet your needs. But how can you be sure you’re in safe hands? Here, two experts explore the growth of this trillion-dollar-plus industry and explain why the ISO standard for medical spas is a valuable tool that not only keeps the sector healthy and innovative, but also ensures quality.
Once upon a time, and not so very long ago, spas were all about manicures, pedicures, massages – lots of massages – from Swedish massage, sports massage, therapeutic massage to Eastern-inspired Ayurveda massage, hot stone massage, the list goes on. Every hotel and resort that claimed to offer luxury facilities had a spa attached, offering all of the above, and people flocked to these spas in their droves to be oiled, pummelled, pampered and swathed in fluffy towels. They were the go-to places to step out of the fast lane, to switch off, wind down and de-stress.
Then the industry moved on and, along with it, the menu of therapies and treatments. The emphasis shifted more to wellness and well-being. The new thinking was that as well as the massages, facials and body wraps, why not take a more holistic approach and focus on treating the whole body? So along with beauticians and physiotherapists, medical experts were on hand to check on health and advise on procedures to improve and maintain it. The medical spa was born.