There are still so many spa myths standing in the way of spa enthusiasts today. Here are some of the top myths answered, so that you can carry on with what you enjoy best. Test your spa knowledge and see if you have been mislead into believing one of the 10 spa myths mentioned below.
1. Acupuncture is painful and risky
There is no pain involved in acupuncture. You may feel a slight pricking sensation when the needle is inserted, but a number of people do not even feel the needle. The needle is very fine like a hair with a rounded point. In very rare cases a tiny bruise can be left on the skin after the procedure. Disposable needles are used during treatments, therefore cutting out any risk involved.
2. You can catch skin diseases from tanning beds
This fear generated from the fact that many people lie nude in sun beds during their tanning sessions and have direct contact with the tanning bed. Tanning salons are however required by law to disinfect the liner in the tanning bed after each session. If you are concerned that this has not been done at your local salon, you are at liberty to question the salon or spa manager.
3. Sauna's cause hair loss
There is no direct evidence that suggests that individuals using saunas on a frequent basis are prone to premature hair loss or balding. The heat in the sauna ought to aid in increasing circulation in the body which in turn should aid in the promotion of both hair growth and health. Of course, if you increase the heat setting way above the recommended heat setting for the sauna you may experience some problems. You can always wrap a damp cloth around your hair and rub conditioner in your hair before going into the sauna if you would like to ensure that your hair stays moisturized.
4. You have to be naked during a spa treatment
This is not true. There are a number of treatments that can be performed fully clothed or in your costume. It is best to ask your spa therapist before booking your spa treatment. Although some spa treatments are done with minimal clothing on, spa therapists make certain to respect your privacy and keep you comfortable at all times. Therapists often leave the room when you remove your clothes for a treatment and wait for you to cover yourself with a towel before reentering the room. Alternatively, the therapist will lift a towel up to shade you while you lie down and cover yourself with a towel. Special towel techniques are also used throughout treatments so that the only area of your body that is exposed is the section of the body with which they are working on.
5. Real men do not go to spas
The spa industry as well as worldwide ideals have changed drastically in the last couple of years. The increase in men visiting spas has increased profoundly in the past few years and is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Male specific treatments have been designed with the male in mind and the spa has become a place for men to spend some quality time relaxing with their loved ones. Bachelor parties at spas have also become the new trend, while men start to realize the importance of self-nurturing and the fact that spas can be both enjoyable and masculine in nature.
6. Botox can cause permanent facial paralysis
This is not true. Botox can cause temporary muscle paralysis. However, this muscle paralysis usually only lasts 6 months as the substance is broken down by the body during this period of time. You would need to be injected by large doses of the substance if you were to experience severe side effects. Nevertheless, Botox should only be administered by a professional. Booking a session with an unqualified therapist could leave you at risk.
7. Anti-age treatments are gimmicks
Anti-Ageing products used in treatments usually provide skin protecting and nourishing ingredients such as: antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, SPF and skin nourishing oils. This ingredient is highly beneficial to the skin by providing it with all the ingredients that it needs to stay healthy, consequently preventing ageing from the sun, pollution or from lack of moisture and nutrients. Anti-age treatments can definitely assist in preventing premature ageing of the skin and keeping the skin more healthy and elastic. Of course, you cannot expect one treatment to do the trick; this treatment process needs to be an ongoing preventative treatment.
8. Spa holidays are boring and for lazy people
Spa holidays can be as active or as relaxed as you would like. Numerous spa resorts offer spa exercise programs such as Reiki, Pilates, Yoga and water aerobics to name a few. Specialized treatment programs can be arranged for you depending on your needs and requirements. Some spa resorts are positioned near ski resorts where you can enjoy the active lifestyle on the slopes and then retreat into the spa for some muscle relaxation. Depending on what spa you go to, there are diverse treatments and facilities available for both the active and those wanting to relax. Whether you want to lose weight, increase fitness, relax or experience something new, you can definitely find it at one of the many spas listed worldwide.
9. Reflexology is not safe for pregnant women
Reflexology helps balance the body by aiding the body to seek its own equilibrium. Reflexology cannot make the body do something that it does not want to do. It merely facilitates in the process as a guide. Therefore any fears regarding miscarriage or damage to the baby or fetus are most definitely inaccurate. Reflexology would in fact be a wonderful treatment to incorporate into one's lifestyle during pregnancy. Not only will it assist the body in healing and balancing itself but it will relax the mother and in turn also relax the baby.
10. You have to be extremely agile and flexible to practice yoga
Anyone can practice yoga. Although some yoga postures are more complex and more difficult to perform, you do not have to be able to master these poses when you first start practicing the art. Yoga instructors select poses suited to your body and that will benefit you the most. These poses would have just as good effect on your body and mind as any of the other more advanced poses. You will be able to notice benefits from your yoga poses whether you are at a beginner or advanced yoga level.
Every week I get a call from someone wanting to know if we can build a custom spa cover. The answer is yes with a qualification. Not every spa can be covered. Before you let work begin on that custom spa idea you should consider how you plan to cover it. After the spa is built it will often be too late.
Spa manufacturers are building all sorts of shapes and sizes these days that can be purchased and delivered to your home and covered easily. But for high end custom built spas, that often cost six figures it is not so easy. Unfortunately far to often it is after the spa is complete and the owner gets their first heating bill that they think about a cover.
These spas are often featured in spa magazines and truly look amazing. Who would not want one? They look like theme park attractions you can own. They often feature natural looking rock walls and water falls, spill ways and infinite edges so that while you sit on the spa you can see the landscape beyond. All very impressive and expensive. Unfortunately heating and keeping debris out of such a work of art can also be an expensive proposition.
If you ask the designer of one of these spas how they intended it to be covered when the spa was not in use, the answer is they do not want it covered. That may not seem so bad if the spa is in southern California or some tropical island. However even these places need to keep rain water and blowing debris out of the spa. In snow country it becomes even more important to cover the spa when not in use.
If you are considering having one of these spas built, make sure the designer is including a cover into the process and that it does offer insulation. Just having a safety cover anchored over the spa is not going to keep heat in or debris out. To insulate the water when the spa has different heights around the edge such as a spillway, the spa cover should actually rest on the water. By coming in contact with the water the insulating cover will cut down evaporation and chemical consumption too.
In order for the cover to be easy to attach and remove you also need to consider access around the spa. If you have one side of the spa hanging off in space it may be attractive but fastening any cover on that side would be precarious without some consideration of how to safely maneuver around outside of it.
Likewise a spa buried in a rock wall. If a wall of any kind rises up vertically, although beautiful will always be problematic for fastening and keeping stuff out of the spa. Planning on a cover before built is the only way I know of to deal well with this.
There are solutions available to cover almost any spa if the cover is built into the initial design. It will most likely be a costly spa cover and pricey to replace however not as expensive as leaving the spa uncovered. The reason for the cost is that each time it is built is basically a one off production. This is why most concept cars go straight to a museum. If anything breaks on it there are no replacements sitting on a shelf somewhere.
Where is my spa cover? Ever have to ask yourself this question after a wind storm? I have had people tell me they have found their cover a quarter mile from their home. I do not know how they knew it was their cover. Maybe in some parts of the country people write things on their spa covers to help them recover them after a storm. I suppose you could write, If Found Please Call, on the bottom. Maybe, Hope This Spa Cover Did Not Land On Your Sister.
Personally I think it might be time for a different type of spa cover. I found a posting on a spa cover dealers website claiming that they had several covers that made it through Hurricane Katrina. That is a little like saying there were some calvary survivors after Custers last stand. There is a big difference between having some going undamaged and having no losses.
The question to ask is are they selling anything different? So far I have found stronger straps as their solution. Well you could build a solid roof that attaches to the spa but in case you did not notice solid roofs were flying right off houses. The answer is not stronger tie downs for the wing you use to cover your spa but get rid of the wing.
Find a design that does not offer a rigid surface for the wind to lift on. The reason rigid foam spa covers fly is that they make a good wing. Our armed services fly planes with less aerodynamics than the typical rigid foam spa cover.
What causes a spa cover to fly? When wind comes at the spa, some of it hits the side of the cabinet and has to go around. As the air is pushed around the spa it some of it goes up over. As it breaks over the top of the rigid foam cover it starts a little ripple or swirl action that begins to suck upward on the rigid surface. Like when your riding in a convertible, if you have hair like I used to, it does not blow backward like you expect but forward because of the windshield diverting the air flow. If you had no windshield your hair would be blown straight back. This swirl action pulls the foam cover up off the spa.
It does not need to move it very much, just enough to create enough of a gap for some of the air to get under the cover. The second reason rigid foam spa covers fly is they have a nice air space between them and the water surface they are supposed to be keeping warm. Once air starts to flood into this air space it creates pressure. The air rushing in can not push down on the water so it takes the only thing it can move, the spa cover. Once this action starts it is only a matter of what velocity is required before lift off occurs. The first movement of the flying spa cover is straight up.
The pressure in the space between the water of the spa and the bottom of the cover pops the cover straight up. It takes a lot less force than you might think because it is lifting on the entire bottom area of the rigid foam cover at once. Even a saturated rigid foam spa cover that is too heavy for one person to lift will fly when the air is pushing on the entire bottom surface. Once a heavy spa cover gets airborne watch out because anything it runs into is going to get damaged.
So are these spa cover dealers offing anything different? Are they offering a spa cover that is not designed like a wing? Are they selling a spa cover that does not require straps and truck ratchets to secure it to the spa? I propose looking for a different kind of spa cover.
The internet has put the world at your finger tips. Instead of settling for the same old thing, shop the web for a design that makes sense. Look for a design that does not use a rigid foam board resting across the top of the spa. A better design would rest right on the water surface first because the water is what you intend to keep warm and second because this would remove the void that would build up pressure to pop the cover off. If the flexible and dome shaped rather than flat and rigid it would resist lift and deflect even the strongest winds. If you are tired of worrying about your spa cover every time the wind blows, you owe it to yourself to find a better spa cover.