Wellness and Spa Equipment

1. Chapter 4 Wellness and Spa Equipment

2. Spa Equipment • Spa equipment refers to all items and tools used in spa services. • The equipment must be well made, safe, attractive and comfortable for the client and not cause undue stress to the therapist’s body (Williams, 2015) • There are two types of spa equipment • 1. Dry room equipment • 2. Wet room equipment

3. Dry Room Equipment • Dry room equipment refers to a treatment room in which there is no shower or hydrotherapy equipment. • Essential dry room equipment includes massage tables, linens, hot towel heating unit, product warmers, paraffin warmers, body wrap material, body-warming equipment, and other treatment room supplies (Williams, 2015)

4. Dry Room Equipment: Massage Table Features • A stationary table is a good choice for a spa environment because the frame often includes built-in storage space for items such as towels, lotions, and oils. • Most tables have some type of hydraulic or electric lift to raise or lower the table.

5. Dry Room Equipment: Massage Table Features • Portable Tables. Portable tables are designed to fold up to easily transport to different locations. • Portable tables are lighter than stationary tables but can still support large clients safely.

6. Dry Room Equipment: Massage Table Features • Massage table frames are usually made of wood, aluminum, or stainless steel. • The face cradle is composed of a wood, metal, or heavy plastic base and a crescent-shaped foam cover attached by Velcro strips. • Massage tables range from 28 to 32 inches wide. • The height range is from 22 to 36 inches. • Massage tables are about 70 to 73 inches long.

7. Dry Room Equipment: Massage Table Features • Table padding: The padding on massage tables varies from a single-layer to multiple-layer system. • Covers: Massage table use different types of vinyl, with different degrees of softness, to cover the table surface. • Accessories : A variety of massage table accessories are available from table manufacturers such as arm shelf, side extenders, sit-up feature, bolster, massage stool, and step stools.

8. Dry Room Equipment: Massage Chair • The design of a massage chair provides complete support for the client to relax. • Chair manufacturers have different designs with different adjustment features.

9. Dry Room Equipment: Basic Linens • The centerpiece of well-designed linens • - Massage sheets • - Face cradle and bolster covers • - Towels • - Blankets • - Linen storage: Linen is washed with detergent, dried with heat, and stored in a closed container.

10. Dry Room Equipment: Hot Towel Heating Units • Hot towels are required throughout a spa body treatment. These options include the following: • - Hot towel cabinet • - Hydrocollator • - Hot Stone Heaters • - Soda Cooler

11. Dry Room Equipment: Product Warmers • In most cases, a spa product is warmed before it is applied to the body. • There are many different types of spa product warmers. • Some are effectively a double boiler with two pots. • Lotion warmers heat spa products to around 122 degrees F with a thermostat to control the temperature.

12. Dry Room Equipment: Paraffin Warmers • Paraffin warmers (sometimes called “dips”) • Paraffin warmers hold paraffin wax that is used to cover the hands and the feet of a client. • Paraffin has been used to treat arthritis or sore joints but is most often applied to enhance other spa services.

13. Dry Room Equipment: Body Wrap Materials • The client is wrapped to allow the treatment product to absorb or to encourange perspiration. Some body wrap materials that are commonly used: • Heavy wool blankets • Thermal “space” blanket • Wrap sheets • Body wrap plastic and Mylar

14. Dry Room Equipment:Body-WarmingEquipment • In a spa treatment, the client might be draped with only a hand towel across the breasts and a hand towel across the gential area. • If external heating is not provided, the client might feel cold during the treatment.

15. Dry Room Equipment:Body-Warming Equipment • Here are some ways to ensure the client’s warmth and comfort during the session: • Heat lamps • Electric table warmers • Table pads • Fomentek • Microwavable packs • Booties and mitts

16. Dry Room Equipment: Spa Clothing • Clients receiving a spa body treatment may feel uncomfortable with the degree of skin exposed during the session. • Small, medium, and large-sized women’s briefs, thongs, and bras and men’s brief or boxers should be made available to clients.

17. Other Dry Room Equipment • Other Dry Room Supplies • Dry rooms used for massage and spa treatment need certain basic items to be functional and efficient.

18. Other Dry Room Equipment • Other Dry Room Supplies include the following: • Reference library • Clock • Storage area • Wastebasket • Music system • Supplies for cleanliness and safety

19. Wet Room Equipment(Hydrotherapy Equipment) • The term wet room refers to a treatment room that contains specialized hydrotherapy equipment such as professional grade tubs, showers, and wet tables. • Wet rooms will be tiled and have drains in the floor for easy cleaning.

20. Wet Room Equipment • Wet room equipment can be divided three categories: • 1. Tubs • 2. Showers • 3. Specialized environments

21. Wet room equipment: Tubs • Therapeutic baths use a variety of tubs in different sizes with different features to provide clients with a relaxing and beneficial experience. • Essential oil (aromatherapy bath), herbs (herbal bath), seaweed, sea water or algae (thalassotherapy or algotherapy), and mud or clay are common additives that increase the therapeutic benefits of the water treatment.

22. Wet room equipment: Tubs • Types of tubs used in a spa: • Foot soaking tubs • Soaking tub • Whirlpool tub • Hydrotherapy tub

23. Wet room equipment: Showers • Therapeutic showers are used to remove a product from the client, to facilitate a desired physiological effect, to warm the body in preparation for another treatment. • Types of showers are used: • - Hand shower and wet table • - Standard shower • - Swiss shower • - Vichy shower • - Scotch house

24. Specialized environments • Specialized environment are useful at spas to produce a specific therapeutic effect by forcing the body to maintain hemostasis in response to calculated environmental influences.

25. Thermotherapy devices • The types of therapeutic rooms or adaptations often found at spas include the following: • Steam room • Steam shower • Steam cabinet • Steam canopy • Sauna

26. Wet room equipment: Steam room • A steam room is a room that can be filled with steam from a steam generator so that people can bath in the vapor to induce sweating or to aid respiratory condition. • Seats inside the steam room are built with a slop to allow condensation to run off of their surfaces.

27. Wet room equipment: Sauna • A sauna is a room that is constructed of either cedawood or hemlock because these woods can withstand moisture and resist fungi. • Saunas are used to promote perspiration through dry heat and to help the body to naturally detoxify (Williams,2015)

28. Other equipment used in wellness • 1. Devices modeled after baths and saunas • 2. Equipment modeled on graduation tower and light therapy • 3. Equipment for body treatments • 4. Cosmetic

29. 1. Devices modeled after baths and saunas • Herbal steam bath • Stonebath – Sauna stone • Brechelbad – Steam farmers (Sauna fir) • Kraksenofen – sauna in the hay • Body Conclusio • Brotbad – Baths with a smell of bread • In Salve Terra • A shower under a mill wheel

30. 2. Equipment modeled on graduation tower and light therapy • Salina thorn room – salt graduation towers • Sole licht Raum – brine cascade • Brine light room – light and brine therapy • Med Sabbia – Sand and light system • InfraPLUS

31. 3. Equipment for Body Treatments • Soft pack system pure • Hamam by Haslauer Orienal table – table for Oriental treatments • Contour Permanent • Holistic beds for body treatments • Couches • Specialized couches for Ayurvedic treatments • Spa baths • Professional seats designed for medical offices

32. 4. Cosmetic • Raylife multiplatform – the device provides an innovative solution for dermatology, cosmetology and aesthetic medicine • Reaction technology – based core of issuing bipolar energy radio waves of three different frequencies • Dx Twin - a device designed to reduce cellulite and fat • Laser Quadro Star

33. 4. Cosmetic • Cavijet Pro- is based on the LICU technology (Low Intensity Cavitation Ultrasound) used for non-invasive elimination of unwanted fat deposits and cellulite. • Shape trio is a comprehensive and modern system of effective body sculpting. • Doublo is a machine which performs a face lift.

34. Fitness Instruments • Cardio equipment • - treadmill • - Cross trainer • - exercise bike • - steppers • - rowers

35. Fitness Instruments • Power equipment • - atlases • - benches • - poles

36. Fitness instruments • Some examples include: • dumbbells • barbells • rubber • furlers

37. Purchasing and Maintaining Equipment (Williams, 2015) • The right equipment is an absolute necessity to the spa therapist . • Keep these items in mind when you source, assess, compare, and decide on equipment purchases: • - Durability • - Manufacturer’s reputation in business • - Consumer reports • - Return on investment

38. Purchasing and Maintaining Equipment (Williams, 2015) • Durability : Purchase professional equipment that will last your business for at least 5 years. • Manufacturer’s reputation in business: Assess any equipment manufacturers for the amount of time they have been in business. Some equipment comes with warranties that can protect your investment.

39. Purchasing and Maintaining Equipment (Williams, 2015) • Consumer reports: Before purchasing equipment, read the consumer reports on the item to find out about the experiences of people who have worked with the equipment.

40. Purchasing and Maintaining Equipment (Williams, 2015) • Return on investment: Spa equipment is often luxurious and opulent. • Think about how many specific treatments you will have to deliver in order to pay off the equipment when you contemplate what you really need for your business.