What to Expect

• Arrive a few minutes early to complete the client profile

• Be ready to relax

• Change into a plush robe and sandals

• Your massage therapist will greet you and take you into the treatment room

• They will ask you if there are any areas where you would like them to focus

• If there are areas you do not want massaged, i.e. stomach, scalp or face, please let your massage therapist know

• If this is a repeat massage visit, they will refer to notes taken during your last treatment

• They will exit the room and allow you to undress to your comfort level. Enter the massage table and settle in between the two sheets

• Upon their return, please let your massage therapist know if they are not applying enough pressure or if they are applying too much pressure in a particular area

• The unscented massage cream we use is paraben free and locally made

• If you choose Aromatherapy for your massage treatment, you will select one of three aromatic blended oils

• We have both female and male massage therapists available. Please make your request known at the time of scheduling

• Each massage therapist on staff has completed a 700+ hour massage therapy program

• If you would rather your massage therapist spend time on a certain area such as back and neck, they can tailor the treatment and only work your upper body

• If you prefer a little bit of time spent everywhere, your massage therapist can give you a massage session that includes, face, scalp, neck, back, arms, legs, hands and feet

• Your therapist will let you know when the treatment is finished

• After your massage treatment, we advise you to sit up slowly. You may experience slight lightheadedness due to changes in circulation, heart rate and blood pressure. In addition to normal fluid intake, we encourage you to drink at least eight extra glasses of water over the next 48 hours.

• Have some water to drink in the lounge

• Arrive a few minutes early to complete the client profile

• Be ready to relax

• Change into a plush robe and sandals

• Your esthetician will greet you and take you into the treatment room

• They will exit the room and allow you to undress to your comfort level. (Ladies, there will be a sarong to put on)

• Enter the massage table and settle in between the two sheets

• Upon their return, if this is your first facial with us, your esthetician will go over your client profile and talk about your skin history

• If this is a repeat facial visit, they will refer to notes taken during your last treatment

• Now is the time to let your esthetician know if you are using Retin-A, Accutane or any other topical skin medications that are prescribed by the dermatologist

• This is crucial. You should not be waxed on your face if you are using Retin-A (or any topical skin medications prescribed by the dermatologist)

• You should not be waxed anywhere if you are taking Accutane

• Aggressive exfoliation such as peels should not be performed on your face if you are using Retin-A or Accutane (or any topical skin medications prescribed by the dermatologist)

• If you prefer more of a spa experience, let your esthetician know you would like more massage during your facial

• If you would rather more time spent on extractions, let them know

• Please keep in mind that many extractions may cause redness to the skin

• It is not uncommon to be somewhat red during or after a skin care treatment, especially if you are prone to it

• Redness usually goes away by the end of the day

• In Pennsylvania, we are not allowed to break the skin with a blood lancet in order to extract a  pimple

• Using lancets may scar the skin actually

• NOTE: plan your facial at least four weeks before an important event, i.e. your wedding

• The pressure applied to your face during your facial should be light and gentle. However, every esthetician has different levels of strength

• Please let your esthetician know if they are not applying enough pressure or if they are applying too much pressure in a particular area, i.e. on the neck, shoulders, hand and arm

• Each esthetician on staff is licensed and continues their education at the International Dermal Institute

• Your esthetician will let you know when the treatment is finished

• Take your time and get up slowly

• Your skin should feel hydrated and dewy

• Your face should look relaxed and well rested

• Have some water to drink in the lounge

• Arrive a few minutes early to complete the client profile

• Our waxing services are very manageable

• We recommend that you freshen up by using the feminine wipes (in the rest room) before your service

• Your esthetician will greet you and take you into the treatment room

• They will exit the room. For any of our bikini wax services, you will be asked to undress from the waist down

• We have disposable bikini thongs to wear if that makes the experience more comfortable

• If you are receiving a Hollywood bikini wax, or a Brazilian bikini wax, wearing a disposable thong is not recommended. The thong gets in the way of performing a thorough wax

• You will lie on the massage table with a towel over your bikini area

• Upon their return, now is the time to let your esthetician know if you are using Retin-A, Accutane or any other topical skin medications that are prescribed by the dermatologist

This is crucial. Aggressive exfoliation such waxing should not be performed on your face if you are using Retin-A (or any topical skin medications prescribed by the dermatologist)

• If you are using Retin-A and you need your eye brows shaped, we will tweeze instead

• Waxing should not be performed anywhere if you are taking Accutane

• Please keep in mind that waxing may cause redness to the skin

• It is not uncommon to be somewhat red after a wax treatment, especially if you are prone to it

• Redness usually goes away by the end of the day

• NOTE: plan your lip or eye brow wax (or any waxing on the face) at least two weeks before an important event, i.e. your wedding

• If your lip or eye brows need to be cleaned up again before the event, we will tweeze instead of waxing

• Your esthetician will let you know when the treatment is finished

• If your skin feels sticky in places from the wax service, we will apply oil to those areas

• Take your time and get up slowly

• Have some water to drink in the lounge

 

• Arrive a few minutes early to complete the client profile

• Be ready to relax

• Change into a plush robe and sandals

• Your spa therapist will greet you and take you into the treatment room

• They will exit the room and allow you to undress to your comfort level

• Please put on the disposable underwear (bra and panties) for women; disposable briefs for men

• Enter the massage table and settle underneath the bath sheet

•The table will be heated with a thermal heating blanket

• Please let your spa therapist know if the temperature of the blanket needs to be adjusted (warmer, cooler)

• For an exfoliating scrub service, we use a body polish and apply with our hands

• In a body wrap service, we apply a stimulating gel to the skin, then we dry brush exfoliate over it

• It is not uncommon to be somewhat red from the application of the gel, this is normal

• Redness usually goes away by the end of the treatment

• Once the gel is absorbed, we apply detoxifying mud mixed with essential oils

• You are wrapped in a thermal heating blanket for several minutes

• Please let us know if you experience claustrophobia

• Both the exfoliating scrub and the body wrap services involve showering off the treatment ingredients

• You may leave disposable underwear, soiled towel and robe in the shower

• A fresh robe and towel will be available for you when you finish showering

• Once you’ve showered, the massage table will be redressed for your moisturizing treatment

• This portion takes a few minutes while the spa therapist applies a hydrating body cream

• You will experience a medium to light touch as the moisturizer is massaged on the skin until it is absorbed

• Your spa therapist will let you know when the treatment is finished

• Your skin should feel hydrated and dewy

• Have some water to drink in the lounge

In a perfect world, you should get a massage every week. However, if time does not allow, plan a massage once a month. If you are experiencing pain, i.e. in your shoulder, lower back or hamstring, you may want to get a few massages until you gain better mobility in those areas. Your massage therapist will recommend when you should return for your next session. If you've received enough pain relief from several massage sessions and you feel you are functioning at your best, schedule your follow-up massage appointment next month.

 

Let’s say you have chronic pain underneath your shoulder blade. You may need three massages over the course 10 days until the pain is under control. View massages as a maintenance tactic in managing your health and stress levels.

It’s up to you to invest in the product recommendations made by your esthetician. This may dictate how often you need a facial. Home maintenance is important to maintain better skin health. Seeing a dentist for a teeth cleaning every six months will not ensure you have fresh breath on a daily basis. It’s the oral care you practice every day that contributes to good oral hygiene.

 

If you have a specific skin problem such as acne, a facial will address those concerns. The esthetician will extract and empty your pores of dirt and debris. She will also replenish your skin with the appropriate masque. But realistically, only so much can be done in a 60-minute facial treatment.

 

We’ve divided the typical skin care user into four levels. Which one are you?

 

Level 1: The Bar of Soap User

 

If you are using a bar of soap on your face and a drug store moisturizer for hydration, you may not have any skin care issues that concern you. At least consider coming in for a facial and skin analysis so you have some direction of what products you should be using. Then you can decide if this is something you want to pursue.

 

Level 2: The Basic Three-Step User

 

If you are cleansing, toning and moisturizing with SPF every day, you are practicing the basics of skin care.  It would be beneficial to come in for a “skin tune-up” once a season and allow us to do some skin maintenance. As the weather changes, we may need to adjust the products you are using and recommend, i.e. a lighter moisturizer in summer or a heavier moisturizer in winter.

 

Level 3: Treatment Product User

 

If you are aware of your skin's imperfections, you are most likely putting forth an effort to improve your skin. For example, you are using treatment products to reduce the appearance of fine lines around the eyes or fade brown spots caused by the sun. If you are looking for powerful results, you will need to be consistent in your use of the treatment products in between spa visits. Your facials may need to be scheduled closer together in order to achieve the results you desire. Clients who invest time (and money) in their skin care routine usually come for a facial every six weeks.

 

Level 4: High Performance User

 

If you've been diligent in the use of treatment products but seek more dramatic results, you will need to consult a physician for treatments that are supercharged with results almost over night. This is completely out of our realm at Body Restoration Spa. Perhaps the skin care products you are using can only do so much that you need a treatment only a physician can perform. Or you may need a prescription for a topical cream that is much stronger than what is offered in the spa.

 

A skin care client who wants an aggressive chemical peel to freshen their complexion after years of acne scarring and discoloration will need to see a physician. Or, they may want to erase expression lines on the forehead that a heavy moisturizer can only soften. A physician can perform injectables, chemical peels, skin tightening etc. In this case, a skin care client should check with the physician as to when it is appropriate to return to the spa for a facial. Always make your esthetician at the spa aware of any aggressive treatments you have had.

We have a first time Virgin Brazilian Wax price for the client who has never had all of their hair removed from the bikini region. But we adjust the price when the client returns for their follow-up appointment, a.k.a. Maintenance Brazilian Wax within four to six weeks. Note: If you return for a repeat Brazilian Wax appointment later than six weeks, you need to schedule another Virgin Brazilian Wax.

 

If you are growing your eye brows in to look full and natural, refrain from tweezing them in between your wax visits. It’s tempting to tweeze them. But it can be tricky to balance your eye brows and frame your face on your own. You may need to let them grow past the six week mark until they are full and able to be shaped. We recommend an eye brow wax every four to six weeks. But depending on your brows, you may need to wait even longer until we can shape them.

 

All waxing prices on the menu are quoted in ranges. For example, a Virgin Brazilian Wax is quoted as $85-$100. We mostly charge $85 for this service. But on rare occasion, someone will have hair that is very difficult to remove. We may need to adjust the price (at most to $100) to cover the cost of extra wax needed to remove the unwanted hair.

 

If a client is taking Accutane, how long do they have to be off of Accutane before they can get waxed? After they complete their course, it would be 6 months before we would wax.

If a client is using Retin-A on their face (or any other topical medications prescribed by the dermatologist), how long do they have to be off of these medications before they can get waxed? For Retin-A based medications or products it would be up to 3 weeks but we usually check the barrier function of their skin as it may be longer depending on sensitivity.

 

If a client is taking Accutane, how long do they have to be off of Accutane before they can receive a peel (salicylic peel, a glycolic peel, or a lactic acid peel)? After they complete their course, it would be 6 months before we would exfoliate.

 

If a client is using Retin-A on their face (or any other topical medications prescribed by the dermatologist), how long do they have to be off of these medications before they can received a peel (salicylic peel, a glycolic peel, or a lactic acid peel)? For Retin-A based medications or products it would be up to 3 weeks but we usually check the barrier function of their skin as it may be longer depending on sensitivity.

Why don’t all spas use the ‘Blue Wax’? Well, the Blue Wax we use is very expensive. Our supplier is far away and it takes days by ground to get to us. There is a bit of a learning curve when using hard wax such as the Blue Wax. Most estheticians would rather take the easy way out by applying soft honey wax with a wooden applicator and then putting a piece of cloth over it to rip it off. This is the way we are all taught in beauty school. Those of us who wish to offer the very best in waxing will attend trade shows for the latest in technology. We discovered the Blue Wax at a trade show in 2001. It revolutionized how we waxed and it put Body Restoration Spa on the Philadelphia map for the finest Brazilian bikini waxing in the area.

 

A lot of waxing spas will say they use the ‘Blue Wax’ when you call and inquire. This is a tactic they use to get you in the door. What our clients are telling us is this: They head to the spa that claims they use hard wax. When the client is positioned on the table ready for her bikini wax, the esthetician talks her out of using the hard wax because, she tells her, it is not as good as the soft wax. The esthetician probably hadn’t mastered the use of the hard wax and did not want to wait for each piece of wax she applied to dry and set. Using the soft wax is faster but much more painful for the client. The client ends up struggling through another painful wax. Thus, her search continues for a waxing spa that will keep its word.

 

We checked with our supplier as to what other accounts (spas) in our area are using the same formulation of Blue Wax as us, and they said the closest one was in the suburbs. You will only get the quickest, gentlest, most thorough wax from this specific formulation of Blue Wax. There are other blue colored waxes out there. But they aren’t the same formula that we use.