Advanced Aesthetics - LNE #97

Advanced Aesthetics

By Jacoline Wentzel, Managing Director of The Spa Warehouse

Advanced Aesthetics has become an intricate part of our offerings in our spa and beauty industry, and advanced anti-ageing treatments specifically is now one the biggest beauty trends world-wide and a billion-dollar industry. But when we hear the words Medi-spa, advanced aesthetics, or advanced aesthetic equipment, it often conjures up a stark white, cold and impersonal atmosphere, or service, which is exactly the opposite of what we are trying to achieve in our spas.

So how do you incorporate this popular trend into your spa without losing the essence of what your spa stands for or without losing the essence of what your spa client is accustomed to?

Plan Plan & Plan

Before turning a part of your spa into an advanced aesthetic area, it will be advisable to plan your treatment offerings first. First determine what type of treatments you will be offering. Choose your product lines and your advanced aesthetic equipment wisely and design your treatment menu according to what you have chosen. Make sure your treatment offerings suit your clientele and is on par with offerings around your area. If this feels like a daunting task, employ an experienced consultant that can help you with choosing the best for your spa, as this could be an expensive exercise if not careful. This will be one of your biggest investments for your spa,

but could be one of your most profitable if managed properly.

My suggestion would be that you have a separate advanced aesthetic treatment menu from your normal spa menu. Once you have determined your treatment menu, you can now start to design the area according to what will suit your offering.

Waiting Area

The perfect solution for a medical advanced aesthetic area would be to have a separate entrance for your medical aesthetic customers. Privacy is key, and it would be preferable for customers not to wait and pay in the same area as your regular spa goers.

Most customers who frequent Medi-spas prefer that they are not seen after invasive treatments as the skin might be red, blotchy and make-up free. If this is not possible to do, have a separate reception desk and waiting area for the advanced aesthetic client in your spa waiting area.

Consultation Area

A diagnostic consultation will be needed on every client before her treatment program can be tailormade to suit her needs. This area should be a private area, where a full assessment can be done by a medical practitioner or qualified therapist. Carpeted flooring is a great option in this area as it helps to dampen any noise and private conversations. Comfort is key in this area, as you would want your client to feel comfortable from the get-go.

There are various diagnostic tools on the market that could be of help to assess the skin effectively. Look out for photographic technology for in-depth analyses like the Visio Complexion Analysis from Genop, Sylton Observ 520X from Do pro health care systems and hydration meters like BT-analyze from Bio Therapeutics to help you make an accurate assessment of your client's skin and to assess wrinkle depth, sunspots, hydration levels, pigmentation and other skin damage. Various advanced aesthetic brands like Biologique Recherche will also have brand specific diagnostic tools to use before administering their treatments. Diagnostic tools will be worth investing in, as it shows professionalism and enhances your effectiveness in treating your client.

You will also need a comprehensive consultation card to keep records of the client's medical, health and treatment history. Detailed records in this area are vital and expected by law and should be kept on file.

If your treatment room is large enough, you could combine your consultation area with your treatment area.

Treatment Room

Comfort is still key in your treatment room. Comfort for your client as well as for your medical practitioner or therapist administering the treatments. You can still use your soothing colouring of your spa in this area, put simplicity and cleanliness is very important. Keep your décor accents to the minimum and do not use plants, flowers or decorating objects that collect dust. Keep your artwork simple to suit your décor. Avoid using medical charts and visuals that might be offensive to others.

Make sure you have enough space for a large comfortable electrical treatment bed that can set in height and adjust while you client is on the bed, hydraulic therapist stool with backrest as well as for any large aesthetic equipment like laser equipment, slimming equipment, radio Frequency, Hydra Facial Units. UV sterilizer and hot towel cabinets. Your therapist must be able to walk around the treatment bed comfortable, to be able to treat all areas effectively.

Your treatment bed should be one of the biggest investments that you make in this area. It should be a very stable treatment bed, preferable wider and longer than normal, with the cushioning at least 812cm thick for extra comfort. I would suggest a 4 electrical motor treatment bed that easily sets the height, the backrest, the footrest and is ergonomically designed to enhance the customer's comfort. If your budget allows it, you could also choose extra specifications like internal heating and foot controls. This investment will be key to your customers comfort and key to how your therapist will function in this treatment room. A great example of these are the Lemi range or Esthetica range available from The Spa Warehouse. These treatment beds are a combination of beautiful aesthetics, 5 star quality and excellent craftsmanship. They have various designs, colours and specifications to choose from to suit any décor or size room. For an excellent treatment bed you can expect to pay from about R60 000 to R140 000 depending on what you choose. Their durability, comfort and functionality, is worth the investment.

Flooring and work surfaces in your treatment area should be easy to keep clean as hygiene is a very important part of advanced aesthetic treatments. Great surfaces are copper, stainless steel or manufactured stone. Make sure you have a basin with hot and cold water taps available and if you perform body treatments that require a shower, it would be advisable to have the shower area and toilet facilities part of the treatment room if possible.

Retail Area

This area is an intricate part of your offering and could be part of your waiting area or adjacent to your reception area. There should be no chairs in this area, as no one shops sitting down. Design this area with a mixture of open shelves, closed shelves and display area to create an interesting shopping experience.

Proper lighting of your retail area can increase sales by at least 20 percent, so it's worth bringing in a lighting consultant, especially for this particular area of your medical spa area. Retail products should be lit from the front with directional lighting and not from the back. Make sure your lighting does not heat up the area too much as heat can have a negative effect on the chemistry of the product.

Lighting and Electricity

Lighting is a critical component of any design. Treatment rooms need to be appropriately lit with task lighting (bright enough to perform any medical procedure with) and ambient lighting with dimmers for relaxation times. A LED magnifying lamp, will also be needed for better vision when treating specific areas.

Once you have chosen your aesthetic equipment that you will be using, make sure your electrical plugs and adapters are suitable for the plugs used on the equipment as most equipment are imported and might use international plugs. Check with your supplier what plug points are needed. Make sure your plugs are situated as close to the equipment

as possible, to prevent any cords from lying on the floor. The more plug points you have the better.

Place some plug points flush with the floor where your bed will be standing as your electrical bed will need at least 2 to 3 plug points for operating. Check with your supplier what you will need for your bed.

As you will be using allot more electrical equipment in your spa now, check with your electrician if your electrical supply grid you are currently using will be sufficient or whether you would need to increase to a 3 phase option or when in South Africa, you might need to invest in a solar and lithium battery system. Also check with your supplier of your equipment what your electrical needs will be for using that specific equipment.

Staff

The staff chosen to work in this area must be fully trained and cross trained so that even your receptionist making the bookings are as conversant and knowledgeable about your treatment menu as the medical staff and therapists themselves. However, that does not mean that he or she should start giving medical advice over the phone to your clientele. Make sure your staff is regularly sent to conferences and trainings to stay informed about any new developments in this industry. Your staff must be fully qualified, knowledgeable and adhere to strict hygiene and safety standards. They must be qualified in basic first aid and prepared in case of emergencies.

Consultant

If you are not sure where to start or how to implement advanced aesthetics into your existing spa or start a new medi-spa, my suggestion would be to get a knowledgeable spa or aesthetic consultant, who can assist you with the design, layout and budget. It might be an initial out lay but their years of experience will save you from investing in the wrong items. Once again, do your home work and make sure you choose the right person for your project as they will be an intricate part of your team until your spa opening.

For more information: The Spa Warehouse

The Spa Warehouse is one of the leading spa & wellness design, consulting and supply companies based in South Africa. They have been offering a personalized and bespoke spa consulting service to the spa and wellness industry in Africa & Mauritius since 2005.

Jacoline Wentzel

Tel: 066 234 2779

www.thespawarehouse.co.za