The Spa People

A new high end spa in Mthatha is seeking a Spa Manager and multi skilled therapists to join their team

Who is as excited about 2024 as we are?
New goals and resolutions abound!

Day of Reconciliation 2023

What do people mean when they say they feel ‘a sense of belonging’ at their jobs? Belonging doesn’t necessarily mean being popular with colleagues, nor does it mean feeling connected with work peers because you attended the same schools or live in the same neighbourhood.

A sense of belonging is rooted in four elements:

Being seen and appreciated for your unique contributions.

Feeling connected to your co-workers.

Having a sense of support in your daily work and career progression.

Pride in your clinic’s values and purpose.

People who experience “high belonging” at their workplace feel more engaged with their work, they plan to stay at their job for at least two years, and they feel very loyal to their company. Those who experience “low belonging” are four times more likely to say they feel stagnated in their roles and careers.

How to build and foster a culture of belonging in a clinic environment:

Senior managers must act as role models and set the tone by embodying the company’s values. Demonstrate excellent leadership skills by listening to all voices on their team and seeking to connect with all staff members

Managers improve the culture by praising their employee’s work, providing regular honest feedback to improve the work of the team members, responding to employee concerns, publicly praising employees, and empowering staff to make quality decisions

Team members drive belonging with one another and ultimately build an inclusive culture if they can respect their colleagues’ commitments outside of work, praise and thank colleagues for their work, while also communicating assertively with one another about their working relationships.

Everybody will perform better when they feel seen, connected, supported and proud

Source: PB SA

Creating a culture of belonging in the clinic workplace What do people mean when they say they feel ‘a sense of belonging’ at their jobs? Belonging doesn’t necessarily mean being popular with colleagues, nor does it mean feeling connected with work peers because you attended the same schools or live in the same neighbourhood. A sense of belonging i...

Surging interest among men in non-invasive anti-aging solutions for combatting fine lines and wrinkles is challenging the myth or perception that aesthetic treatments are only for women.

Dr Reza Mia, an aesthetics and anti-ageing specialist, notes that since starting in the field of non-invasive beauty treatment, he has seen an increase from 10% to 40% in male patients at his clinic seeking to address common aging concerns, improve their looks, and boost their confidence.

“We’ve observed a significant shift as more men are motivated by their partners or friends to visit the clinic for assessment. More men have also seen and recognised that modern aesthetic treatments do not create noticeable or unnatural-looking distortions to facial proportions, and can significantly enhance their appearances,” he says.

He explains that the influence of social media and mass media communication have further shifted men’s perceptions of cosmetic treatments, debunking the stigma associated with getting work done.

Source: Skin Inc

What men want: Healthy, younger-looking skin Surging interest among men in non-invasive anti-aging solutions for combatting fine lines and wrinkles is challenging the myth or perception that aesthetic treatments are only for women. Dr Reza Mia, an aesthetics and anti-ageing specialist, notes that since starting in the field of non-invasive bea...

1)Get clear on your goals and on your intention with your communication. What do you want to make sure all parties walk away with? What do you need to delegate to who? What is the order of priorities?

2)Schedule regular meetings that everyone can count on and plan for. Whether it’s a daily huddle, monthly team meeting or annual planning meeting, find a system that works for you and your team. Recurring meetings provide an important touch-point for continued goal alignment, news, updates, team feedback, etc. Create something fun and engaging, and your team will actually look forward to these opportunities to connect.

3)Create scripts for every step of the client experience process. From welcoming clients when they first come in and conducting a consultation to booking the client’s next service, scripts are an essential roadmap for employees learning the ropes when it comes to effective, professional communication, and they can ultimately lead to increased profits.

4)Invest in yourself as a leader. Continued education and practice will help ensure that you maintain strong communication skills, and this will be reflected in the level of communication between members of your team.

Source: Skin Inc

4 Steps for Empowering Communication with Staff & Clients spa business tips, spa business, spa staff communication, spa customer service, spa leadership, spa consultation, spa continued education

1. Cold Plunge Therapy
Gyms, spas and physical therapy centers on Yelp are benefiting from muscle recovery trends as active people look for ways to maintain performance while improving their bodies’ resilience. Searches for cold plunge therapy increased by 521% on Yelp in 2023 compared to last year, with more clients looking for improved circulation, reduced inflammation and increased energy levels.

2. Sober Options for 'Zillennials'
Gen Z and millennials are embracing alcohol-free drinks, with searches for mocktails increasing 137% on Yelp compared to last year and new openings like New York City's first-ever dry speakeasy, Fat Tiger.

3. Waterless pedicures
Promoted as more hygienic, environmentally conscious and better for nail health, waterless pedicure alternatives are gaining traction, with searches increased by 177% on Yelp compared to last year.

4. Infrared therapy
Infrared sauna therapy is a self-care practice growing in popularity, with a 40% increase in searches on Yelp compared to last year. Infrared sauna therapy promotes increased energy levels, better recovery from hard workouts and improved skin health.

5. Waxing and the ’90s Skinny Brow
Searches for waxing services surged nearly 700% on Yelp, with a focus on brow maintenance and brow styling, as well as the resurgence of the skinny brow. With some of the biggest celebrity and beauty influencers embracing styles and fashion influenced by the ’90s, Yelp predicts that this style of waxing will see a huge resurgence in 2024.

6. Stretching & Pilates
Stretching classes are becoming a popular alternative to yoga, with a 35% search increase on Yelp for stretching and flexibility training, compared to a 10% for yoga searches. Pilates searches increased by 71% compared to last year, step aerobics were up 54% and Jazzercise increased by 16%, per the report.

7. Vinyl Audio Bars
Vinyls continue to be back in style and now the experience is becoming communal at vinyl audio bars. The bars allow audiophiles to connect and enjoy immersive music together from a variety of genres and eras for self care and community. Searches for listening bars are up 306% on Yelp in the past year, per the report.

Source: Skin Inc

7 Beauty & Wellness Trends to Look for in 2024 beauty trends, skincare trends, spa trends, wellness trends, Yelp, trend report, cold plunge therapy, yoga, stretching, waterless pedicure, waxing services, infrared sauna, Pilates, spa and wellness

A new report finds that 95% of surveyed beauty enthusiasts intend to spend the same or more money on beauty in 2024 compared to 2023, with 18-34-year-olds over-indexing on these positive responses. In 2023, almost 50% of those under 55 report spending somewhat or significantly more on health and beauty versus 2022.

Increased spending is being driven primarily by price increases and a desire to maintain wellness and self-care routines, followed by a desire to try something fun and new.

The data comes courtesy of Harris Williams' annual health and beauty report, which surveyed 1,250 U.S. beauty enthusiasts (38% aged 18-34).

Across generations, 27.4% spend $50-99 per year on health and beauty products, while 20.1% spent $100-149. Furthermore, 39% are spending $150 or more per year on these types of products.

About 51% or respondents plan to spend more on daily skin care in 2024, while 58% plan to spend more on male grooming, 49.2% expect to spend more on beauty and wellness supplements, 46.9% plan to spend more on facial tools, and 45.5% plan to spend more on sun care/SPF and hair treatment products.

Purchases are primarily being driven by product efficacy and functional benefits ahead of clean claims, the report finds.

This is reinforced by consumer responses that note brands founded or led by dermatologists, hair stylists and makeup artists outweigh brands led by other founder types.

Finally, product discovery is dominated by personal research and in-store or online browsing, according to the survey data; 53% of 18-to-24-year-olds discover products through TikTok.

Across generations, shoppers' preferred retailers include in-store mass (87.1%), Amazon (79.6%), in-store beauty specialty stores (79.5%) and online mass retailers (76.8%).

Source: Skin Inc

2024 Beauty Spending Forecast Points to Increased Buying Across generations, 27.4% spend $50-99 per year on health and beauty products, while 20.1% spent $100-149. Furthermore, 39% are spending $150 or more per year on these types of products.

Trending cosmetic treatments for summer

According to Dr Reza, the most popular treatments among South Africans in summer include:

1. Botulinum toxin and fillers

Patients commonly choose botulinum toxin and fillers, mainly because of their different uses, he notes.

“Fillers offer quick results for a multitude of concerns patients may have regarding their look, and can bring about dramatic changes with small amounts. These are a popular treatment in aesthetics due to their versatility and relatively fast recovery time. Patients generally come into the clinic with concerns of facial sagging, fine lines, and wrinkles, which can all be effectively treated with filler injections.”

Meanwhile, another unexpected use for botulinum toxin is the treatment of hyperhidrosis or excessive sweating, which people tend to experience more during the warmer months.

“Going into summer, more people suffer hyperhidrosis which can be corrected by targeted aesthetic treatments such as botulinum toxin injections. These offer a highly effective short-term solution for hyperhidrosis that can last between six and nine months,” he explains.

2. Chemical peels

Chemical peels are recommended for ageing skin to alleviate wrinkles and invigorate the skin to look more youthful and hydrated. But while chemical peels are a popular treatment in the summer months, it’s important to note that you should avoid direct sunlight for 12 hours post-peel as exposure to UV rays could damage your skin.

“This is a procedure where a chemical solution is applied to the skin to remove the top layers, following which the skin grows back smoother and healthier. It can be done at different depths for more dramatic results, but this will result in a longer recovery time,” says Dr Reza.

3. miraDry

The miraDry is a non-invasive, permanent solution to hyperhidrosis within the space of a single appointment by using thermal energy to target and eliminate sweat glands.

Dr Reza advises that patients should only seek treatment for hyperhidrosis when it has a significant impact on their daily life, and they feel self-conscious or avoid certain clothing choices due to their sweat problem.

“If you sweat a lot when you gym or experience minor sweating in general, we avoid this treatment as we don’t want to administer treatments unnecessarily. It’s best to seek treatment if it’s affecting your lifestyle.”

An alternative sweat treatment that has recently been introduced at Dr Reza’s clinic is EndyMed. This solution is not toxin-based or a permanent solution like the miraDry, but can treat overactive sweat through microneedling radiofrequency to kill the sweat glands.

4. Fat freeze and fat-dissolving injections

Targeting stubborn fat pockets on the body can be achieved through fat-dissolving injections and cryolipolysis.

Fat-dissolving treatments involve the use of injectable phosphatidylcholine to target stubborn fat pockets. When injected it breaks down fat cells, leading to their natural elimination.

Cryolipolysis subjects fat cells to cold temperatures, and crystallises them, which results in gradual fat cell death. It’s gradually expelled from the body naturally and can lead to effective fat reduction with minimal downtime.

5. Skin Tightening

These are non-invasive cosmetic procedures that aim to improve the firmness and elasticity of the skin to address the signs of ageing, such as sagging and wrinkles, and methods include:

Redermalisation

This non-invasive procedure combines the benefits of skin-boosting injectables like hyaluronic acid and succinate with the skin's natural regenerative processes. It stimulates the fibroblasts to make collagen and elastin while improving the skin’s density and texture.

EndyMed

This innovative system utilises radiofrequency to precisely deliver thermal energy to targeted areas, stimulating collagen and elastin production deep within the skin. Patients gain noticeably firmer and more youthful-looking skin with minimal discomfort and downtime.

Exilis

This technology utilises radiofrequency energy to stimulate collagen production in the deep layers of the skin. It’s painless and requires no downtime, which makes it a sought-after solution to achieve a more youthful and revitalised appearance.

Biostimulators

Biostimulators, or injectables, work by stimulating the body's natural collagen and elastin production by causing the migration of fibroblast cells to the injected area. Poly-L-lactic acid is the most common biostimulator which gradually reinforces skin structure and improves texture.

*Source: PB SA*

Get summer-ready with these popular trends in cosmetic beauty Summer is in full swing and with the holidays coming up, more people will be looking toward aesthetic treatments to improve their look. Looking your best no longer requires extensive plastic surgery with painful side effects. Non-invasive cosmetic procedures are gentler and necessitate less healing....

Beauty and wellness changed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a shift towards at-home services and online marketing. Now three years removed from the beginning of the pandemic, Square Appointments took a look at the habits of the spa and wellness industry pre- and post-pandemic to see how consumer and merchant behavior has changed, releasing its analysis in its 2023 Beauty and Wellness Trends.

Increased and Early Bookings
The 2023 Beauty and Wellness Trends report analyzed transactions, services and booking behaviors across beauty businesses using Square Appointments primarily from January 2019 to December 2022.

Between 2020 and 2022 there was an increase in sole proprietors in the beauty and wellness space that earned over $250K in annual revenue, according to the report. The most successful entrepreneurs were barbers, nail stylists, spa owners, skin aestheticians and practitioners at med spas, with those professions growing by 5% since 2019, per the report.

Wellness services have taken off in popularity as consumers invest more in self-care and mental and physical wellness. There was a 9x increase in botox or injection treatments booked from 2019 to 2022 and a 37% increase in appointments for IV therapy. Crystal healing massage services were the only service types to double their booking rates in 2021, only to return to their pre-pandemic levels by 2022, per the report.

From 2018 to 2019, clients would book their salon, barber, med spa and spa appointments on average seven days in advance and 20% of clients booked within 24 hours of their appointments. According to the report, consumer booking behavior has changed since the pandemic. In 2022, clients prefer to book their beauty and wellness appointments even more in advance. Clients also want to book appointments when it’s most convenient for them. Beauty businesses that used Square Loyalty increased 38% from 2020 to 2021 and increased another 30% from 2021 to 2022

Source: Skin Inc

How Beauty and Wellness Has Changed since the COVID-19 Pandemic beauty trends, wellness, spa and wellness, trend report, Square Appointments, COVID-19 pandemic, post-pandemic, wellness bookings, Botox, selfcare, wellbeing

What’s been your biggest life lesson?
The first is to never rely on a contract or ethics. I was naive and unaware of this in the early days when setting up a Raison d’Etre spa at a resort in the Maldives. It went so well the owner ripped up our contract, took down our sign, poached our staff, concept and products, gave it a new name and ran it himself. He was able to do that because he had more money and power.

The second is to never give up. During the financial crisis in 2009, Raison d’Etre almost didn’t make it. We hung in, got creative and founded LivNordic, a brand based on Nordic health traditions, which is now highly profitable. What you can do with a dedicated, talented and passionate team when everyone feels part of the whole is fantastic and many are still with us today.

The third is not to be afraid to take risks – you either succeed or you fail and learn a valuable lesson. When I was given a blank canvas to turn Six Senses into a wellness company, there were a lot of non-believers in the initiatives we created. However, we walked the road less travelled and it paid off.

Source: Spa Business

Spa People: 20th anniversary issue - Anna Bjurstam | spabusiness.com When I graduated with a master’s degree in finance and joined the industry, my father thought I’d thrown away my education and career

Here are the responses when respondents were asked which of the following marketing strategies were most effective at generating sales for their business.

1. Influencer marketing - 24%

2. TikTok - 11%

3. Instagram - 8%

=4. Twitter (X) - 6%

=4. Google Analytics/Google Adwords - 6%

=4. Physical mailouts/direct mail - 6%

=5. SEO - 5%

=5. Leaflets - 5%

=5. Offers via email - 5%

=5. Local periodicals - 5%

6. National periodicals - 4%

There are various types of influencers in the digital world, making this channel more accessible for smaller brands. This includes:

Nano influencers (1K–10K followers)

Micro influencers (10K–100K followers)

Macro influencers (100K–1M followers)

Mega or celebrity influencers (1M+ followers)

Source: https://professionalbeauty.co.uk/site/newsdetails/influencer-marketing-top-marketing-method

Study finds influencer marketing more effective than traditional social media marketing A survey conducted by payments solution company Dojo reveals that influencer marketing is currently the most successful marketing channel to generate sales among consumers. The study, which surveyed a sample of 197 small and medium beauty and hair business owners, makes the point that influencer mar...

I asked her “What 2 or 3 things does a salon owner today have to do to become successful?”…

Her answer:

1 “Change your attitude and mind-set, it’s that that was holding my salon back, once I realised that and changed with education, then my salon became easier to run, in fact it became a business.”

2 “Hire a business coach, but not just any- chose someone who knows this industry inside out.” (She did suggest talking to me but that would just be selfless shameless promotion wouldn’t it!)

3, “Attend any business courses that are offered, especially ones that are industry specific, you’ll always pick up a few things that you can take back to the salon to implement that work.”

4 “(bonus one) “Always measure the results (and test where you can too) you need to know that the changes you are making are worth it.”

A very interesting interview and an insight that I have long subscribed to – education is really a great business strategy!

Source: Malcolm, Salon Business Coach

What to do to get a successful hair or beauty salon or spa What you need to have in order to keep growing your hair, beauty salon or spa. A salon owner reveals her secret to success, and it's not what you may think.