Medical Spas the Focus of Keynote
Naomi Serviss

Strong therapist/client relationships are a key to successful delivery of spa services and client health, according to a leader in the spa industry.

Dermatologist Nicholas Perricone, M.D., best-selling author of The Perricone Prescription and The Wrinkle Cure, was the keynote speaker at the first annual Medi-Spa Expo and Conference held in New York City in late April. That conference was held in conjunction with the Spa & Resort Expo and Conference; the combined attendance for the conferences was more than 4,000.

In his keynote address, "Where The Medical Spa Industry Is Heading," Perricone made a strong case for alerting spa owners to the importance of cultivating and maintaining a strong client base. He emphasized the need to personalize the client-therapist relationship by focusing on positive solutions to health issues. He urged professionals to use positive reinforcement when guiding clients to adapt lifestyle improvements through sound nutrition in addition to body therapies.

 "Medical spas will be a center for wellness in the future," he said. "One of the biggest issues is improving quality care. We have an opportunity to guide people as to the quality of their health, and it's great to use topical products and procedures - but we all know it takes more than that."

Perricone spoke passionately about informing clients of the benefits of achieving and maintaining optimum health through a combination of proper nutrition, exercise and medicinal, as well as restorative, spa treatments.

"We need to teach clients the connection between how they look and the way they're taking care of themselves," he stressed.

For example, if therapists and spa owners do nothing else, he said, they can encourage clients to substitute green tea for coffee, because coffee raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol while green tea contains beneficial antioxidants. He outlined points made in his book, including eating a balanced diet to include fats, protein and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

"You have the opportunity help [clients] more than their own physicians," he added. Therapists can spend more quality time with clients than a typical medical doctor and in doing so, establish a relationship that encourages regular visits to the spa, whether it's medically oriented or not, he said.

"There's no reason why it can't be a profitable experience," Perricone added, "because they'll keep coming back to you if you teach them how to look and feel better."

Medical spas are becoming the fastest-growing segment of the spa industry. Spa owners, estheticians, dermatologists, plastic surgeons, dentists and massage therapists were among the professionals who attended this conference to learn of the latest medi-spa techniques, treatments, products and services.