Text and Photos Copyright © by May DeLory
What’s in a word? A lot if you don’t know your Ps and Qs, or your spas. Professionally trained women these days seem to be at the forefront of tending to women’s medical and cosmetic concerns. It takes a love of beauty and health and wellness and doubtless a great deal of dedication to make it in the big business of beauty. But there is much to learn if you’re at the other end of the spectrum: the consumer.
You may have concerns about brown spots, acne, lesions, skin pigmentation, unsightly hair on your face or body and are confused as to what kind of spa to visit. If dealing with a “medical directed” spa, ask for clarification as to how often the physician is in the spa; otherwise you should ask for clarification on any of the information you read on the clinic’s website or in promotional material delivered to you – say in a brochure that lists treatments and procedures at the clinic or office.
Many spas and medical spas offer professionally trained and experienced staff in the discipline of nutrition and homeopathy. Spa Eastman in the Quebec Eastern Townships (Canada) offers the services of a naturopathic consultant to determine which treatments best suit the client. Each consultation begins with a set of questions to determine the client’s medical history and nutritional condition. A urine analysis is performed by Spa Eastman’s naturopath. www.spa-eastman.com
So, how do you know who is qualified to administer Botox, injectable fillers, skin peels, certain cellulite treatments, or lasers? Your family doctor is always a good point of reference.
Dr. Wendy Smeltzer chairs the Standards & Practices committee for the Leading Spas of Canada www.leadingspasofcanada.com , the only National Association of spa owners and operators in Canada, and is herself owner of the first medical day spa in Calgary, Institut de Santé with a Victoria, British Columbia clinic www.santespa.com . The intimate day spa is designed to help you change the way you look, feel and live; she believes the term medi-spa is overused and needs careful scrutiny by the public and industry. “The definition being used by Leading Spas of Canada,” Smeltzer says, “is a spa or an institution that is comprised of both medical and spa professionals.”
Pure glycolic acid is one such ingredient used for skin peel that needs to be in qualified hands: a registered nurse should administer concentration over 30%, and in the hands of a physician or physician trained RN for concentration 70% or higher. Estheticians use a weaker 30% solution. Botox®, and cosmetic filler by injection i.e. Juvederm®, Restylane®, Radiesseä, can only be administered by a physician or RN or other person trained by a physician and under the supervision of a physician—same for the fine needle injection cellulite treatment known as Mesotherapy.
Echo Valley Ranch & Spa
Dr. Smeltzer points out that some provinces, such as Nova Scotia, have spa licensing guidelines in place—although limited— in areas of training, education and procedures; but, for the most part, the individual spa owner/operator is left to decide what standards to follow. Smeltzer does suggest a consumer take a good hard look at a facility and ask questions before undergoing any spa treatment, and suggests ask: “Is it affiliated with a reputable organization that is monitoring and setting standards?”
There are now starting to be established facilities and schools such as Elmcrest College
www.elmcrestcollege.com , located in the city of Toronto, dealing in far more depth than a weekend course. Aesthetician is a trade with training in vocational or industrial arts programmes followed by an apprenticeship period, which differs province by province.
Joyce Palmer of Age-Less Laser, Skin Rejuvenation & Vein Clinic in Richmond Hill www.theagelessclinic.ca becomes concerned at the lack of government regulation in Canada. “In the states—you burn somebody and you’re out,” says Joyce. Even with almost twenty-years experience with lasers, a biology background and teaching credits, Joyce is constantly upgrading her knowledge in the field of laser technology. One of the benefits to attending a spa with a physician and/or physician-trained aesthetician, Joyce outlines, is medical costs may be tax deductible.
Age-Less employs state-of-the-art equipment and a staff with upwards of twenty-years’ experience. Treatment procedures are extensive with removal of vein and pigmented lesions, sclerotherapy and laser skin-resurfacing paramount. The clinic uses filler for acne related skin depressions for both adolescent and adult application.
Dr. Marc Du Péré, a board certified cosmetic surgeon, conducts Age-Less plastic surgery consultation. Nancy Luther, R.N., works with patients who want spider veins removed; she has twenty-years’ experience working with laser machines for spider and superficial veins procedures and ten-years’ experience with removing veins. Teresa Fraser with twenty-four-years’ experience is Age-Less’s clinical esthetician and Obagi specialist, having trained at the Zehava School of Esthetics. Teresa also specializes in Para-Medical Anti-aging treatments. Age-Less Laser is proud to offer the services of Denise Ferris for medical cosmetic tattoo procedure, scar camouflage, permanent cosmetic makeup repair, and treatment for cancer survivors who desire scar camouflage treatment. Age-Less uses the Apogee Elite Laser for hair removal and the Fraxel Restore Laser for skin-resurfacing.
Drs Saibil and Gerstein, owners/operators of True MediSpa, www.truemedispa.com believe people should not be fooled into thinking there is little difference between one laser and another; she offers that there is sophisticated laser equipment sold only to physicians and then there is run-of-the-mill laser equipment that could itself in the hands of an unqualified and inexperienced operator cause more skin problems than first encountered. “They’re into the 13th or 14th treatment and wondering why it’s not working,” Dr. Saibil says. The doctors offer EVLT (endo-venious laser treatment) in laser technology.
Spa Eastman, Quebec, Canada
FYI
Dr. Wendy Smeltzer, 403-228—2772, www.santespa.com
Dr. Marc DuPéré MD, CM, FRCSC, www.visageclinic.com
Joyce Palmer, 905-773-9675, www.theagelessclinic.ca
Drs. Francine Gerstein & Romy Saibil, 416-780-1100, www.truemedispa.com
Ste. Anne’s Spa www.spavillage.ca 1-888-346-6772 Located on 570-acres in Grafton, Ontario. Repeatedly voted the number one spa in Canada by Spa Finder Readers’ Choice. Dini Petty, well-known on-air tv and radio personality loves Ste. Anne’s, and Dini knows a little something about stress, having been married four times. http://bit.ly/xPuJEO Original 1858 stone complex accommodation and separate cottages. Aveda Spa. Cuisine created by an award-winning chef, Christopher Ennew, with a view to health and wellness menus. Massaage treatments available outofdoors. Take the train from Union Station in Toronto one hour east to Cobourg’s VIA RAIL station where a member of Ste. Anne’s Spa will shuttle you to the spa (ten-minute ride by automobile). www.viarail.ca
Echo Valley Ranch & Spa http://www.evranch.com Private plane whisks a client from Vancouver to just north of Whistler, British Columbia to the spa ranch in approximately one hour. Vancouver to Echo Valley Ranch is approximately 5.5 hours’ drive by car. The drive from Calgary or Jasper to the ranch takes you through the Canadian Rocky Mountains for a breathtaking scenic journey. Fly from Kamloops airport to Echo Valley Ranch & Spa: 1-800-253-8831. Echo Valley Ranch & Spa Baan Thai Conference Pavilion http://youtu.be/XKSzwrImc5Q Labour Day Long Weekend Package at Echo Valley Ranch& Spa August 31st – September 2nd 2013 http://ow.ly/kx8zS
Spa Avania mineral pool / Hyatt Regency
www.scottsdale.hyatt.com (Spa Avania at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainy Ranch, Arizona) Arizona is ideal for those persons suffering with an allergy. The air is clean, dry and energizing. Spa Avania specilazies in hydro-therapy treatments as well as treatments that correspond to the body’s metabolic rhythms. The French Celtic mineral outdoor pool is a treatment all on its own and is highly suggested to reintroduce mineral content balance for jet lag. The mineral water is ideal for soothing itchy and dry skin, too.
www.hastingshouse.com Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.
Hastings House Country House Manor on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia offers an idilic setting on a hill overlooking Ganges Harbour. If you enjoy your spa quiet, intimate and whimsical you’ll not be disappointed here. The spa is housed in a separate cottage from that of the main manor house which offers accommodation and award winning dining. Cocktails are served in the great room by a roaring real fireplace. I don’t know about you but the smell of real hard wood burning in the hearth sends me into a very pleasurable state of mind. Wood burning fireplace in some rooms/suites with romantic views to water. Wedding photo ops are perfect at Hastings House due to the woods and manicured fruit trees and flower gardens. Gehwol products are used in foot treatments at the spa. Newly installed at Hastings House is a helipad for door-to-door service. Think celebrity wedding arrival/departure…. As I had visited Hastings House before the installation of the helipad I inquired of the sound level. Management informed me the helipad is quiet and extremely popular. I fell in love with the meandering forest and floral garden trails at Hastings House. Fab wedding op! The wedding reception cabana is very sweet-looking. Toll Free from North America. 1-800-661-9255
Villa Kennedy Spa Tea Lounge / Overlooks Indoor Heated Pool & Gardens
www.villakennedy.com Villa Spa is located at Villa Kennedy hotel in Frankfurt, Germany. Frankfurt is the heart of the German financial sector. Villa Kennedy was originally a grand manor house and is the go-to spot for weddings and conferences as there is a grand ballroom and 5-star hotel facilities. Your entire wedding party will be pampered with Villa Spa’s unique wedding spa packages. There is a spa programme for young ladies new to spa treatments. The spa is 850 square meters and includes a 15-metre indoor heated pool, Techno Gym, 8 treatment rooms, 3 separate nail treatment areas, private yoga & Pilates classes, elevator access from guest rooms to spa, separate steam and sauna areas, lounge area, and spa gardens. Villa Spa offers “Top Rose Crystal Lymphatic Facial” using 100% natural and organic products in the Organic Pharmacy line. The Sepai Skincare anti-aging treatment is the beauty revolution of the 21-century and used by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and Eva Longoria.
Just in time for Christmas! Get 20% Off a 5-day German Rail Pass for Travel Between Nov 15 – Dec 31, 2012. Details: http://www.raileurope.com/rail-tickets-passes/german-rail-pass-christmas-market-sale/index.html … Check their website for 2013 rail specials.
Lotus Spa is found on Princess Cruises www.princess.com . Botox, Restylane and Perlane treatments are on most Princess ships including Ruby Princess and Diamond Princess and Crown Princess. The Lonithermie Cellulite Reduction Programme (skin) and Musclease Aroma Spa Ocean Wrap (arthritis) are very popular. With four pools on Crown Princess swimming or exercises while standing in the water will facilitate with improving circulation. Crown Princess has a swim-against-the-current lap pool and pools for children. The Sanctuary is an adults-only spa-like outdoor retreat ideal pre/post spa treatment… or simply watch the sea pass by in all its splendor. Spa cuisine served to your lounge chair. Keep in mind: you can be married, or renew marriage vows, by the Captain, on Crown Princess.
Golden Door Spa
The Golden Door Spa at the Boulders Resort (A Waldorf Astoria Resort) www.theboulders.com in Carefree, Arizona offers the health and wellness programme of a world renowned facility. The finess center is 2,000. The heated outdoor swimming pool faces ancient boulders formed over twelve-million-years’ ago. The 33,000-square-foot spa uses ingredients from the desert environment as well as treatments original to the first Golden Door Spa fifty-years-ago in California. Essensial oil treatments are highly suggested for the respiratory system. It’s a truism that healthy lungs equal healthy skin. The famous Labyrinth walk inspired by ancient Hopi medicine wheels is a must-do at the Door. March 10, 2012 DETOX day. $85. Per person. April 14, 2012 VEGETARIAN/VEGAN day. $85. Per person. Telephone 1-888-579-2631
www.hotsprings.ca Banff Upper Hot Springs is located in Alberta’s Banff National Park and is the highest elevation in Canada (1,585 meters) (5,200 feet). The hot springs were discovered in 1884. UNESCO site. Travellers “take the waters” ever since! The modern spa is in a historic bathhouse building with alpine landscape. Enjoy outdoor mineral pool with Sulphur Mountain as backdrop. Spa & bathhouse open year round. The natural mineral water temperature: 98 – 104 F (37 – 40 C). You’ll find the hottest mineral water in the Canadian Rockies at Miette Hot Springs, Jasper National Park, Alberta. Don’t forget to take a roll in the snow! VIA RAIL gets you here, too. www.viarail.ca
http://wp.me/pDQWN-in Information on Botox® and other cosmetic procedures at Toronto’s only licensed cosmetic surgery private hospital:
Lloyd N. Carlsen, M.D., C.M., F.R.C.S. (C), F.A.C.S. cosmetic & Plastic Surgery
Sandra Voice, M.D., F.R.C.S. (C) Cosmetic, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
Dana Khuthaila, MD. Minimally Invasive Approaches to Today’s Aesthetic Patient
www.lemeurice.com Spa Valmont, Paris, France
www.fairmonthotsprings.com Radium Hot Springs in Kootenay National Park, British Columbia. Canyon setting. Great family spot.
www.balnea.ca Telephone 1-866-734-2110 Set in peaceful views of Bromont-sur-le-lac in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. Wellness/relaxation treatments based on the Finnish love of the sauna, and hot/cold baths (thermotherapy) used to treat mild depression.
www.elementalembrace.com Telephone 1-866-212-9355 30-acre, sensory paradise in rural setting of Brighton, Ontario. Authentic Ayurveda treatments and ingredients. Ayurvedic doctor (Vaidya)on site. The retreat offers two-days’ supervised weight loss or detoxification programs as well as colon therapy.
www.fairmont.com/banffsprings The Willow Stream Spa. Banff, Alberta, Canada. Telephone 1-800-257-7544 A popular destination for the rich and famous. Known as the “Castle in the Rockies”. Overlooks the Bow Valley. Known for mud baths and European style body treatments. Wildflower Body Polish treatment uses chamomile pumice and loofah scrub to smooth and slightly lighten skin tone. Five minutes’ drive to the town of Banff, Alberta. Banff is an all-year resort town and known for much more than skiing. World renowned film, book, food, theatre and adventure festivals/events take place in this mountain-vista town. What’s even better is that Banff Springs hotel often hold special holiday rates so you can feel and see for yourself just how fun this historic hotel really is.
www.santespa.com Telephone 1-866-550-0772 Popular day spa in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The medical esthetics team designed an advanced retinol and collagen facial for anti-aging. While you are in the city of Calgary check out www.sky360.ca for lunch or dinner. You’ll be flying high.
Kur-Royal Day Spa, Bad Homburg. One of many spa theatres for unique treatments
- www.kur-royal.de/en/ The Kaiser-Wilhelm-Bad’s Kur-Royal Day Spa in Bad Homburg, Germany is known world wide for its health and wellness facilities. Situated in an historic neo-Renaissance-style building constructed over several years beginning in 1887 on 100-acres you’ll find both traditional and modern health applications. Many of the treatments offered at Kur-Royal are not to be found anywhere else in the world. You’ll find an indoor mineral pool, sophisticated therapeutic medical equipment, several treatments rooms and spacious treatment theatres offering treatments such as Odorium, Stone Oven, Sand/Light Bath, Wave Dreams with the Dr. Eigenmann Method…all to induce psychological well-being. Over 20 massage treatments are on tap including skin treatments that use a local fine chalk from Rugen and sea salt as an exfoliant. The Hay Steam treatment I found exceedingly beneficial for the lungs. I felt at ease at once in the ceramic chamber room as there was no chance of finding even a speck of dust. Cumarin is released in the hay mixture of grasses, flowers and herbs gathered from Kurpark in Bad Homburg; the hay treatment is suggested for the lung region to retard edema and act as an anti-inflammatory in the respiratory system. Drink the mineral waters from special fountains throughout Kurpark as well as in special locations in Bad Homburg (free).
Kur-Royal Treatment Theatre
www.Wedgewoodhotel.com Telephone 1-800-663-0666. Day spa in Vancouver, British Columbia. The hotel is on the Conde Nast Travellers Gold List. Special eucalyptus vapor sauna. Day spa offers maternity and couples massage. Signature Cinnamon Enzyme Facial and Tree Bark Enzyme Mask. I love the Gilchrist & Soames Spa Therapy line in guest rooms.
Photos copyright © by May Georgina DeLory; May DeLory; Kur-Royal; EV Ranch; Banff Tourism
