The Health Benefits of Wellness Treatments

After a busy week of work, chores, and caring for your loved ones, a spa day can sound quite tempting. The luxurious atmosphere and relaxing sensations provide you the peace you crave—and they might offer a substantial health boost in the process. Research shows that some popular wellness treatments might be as healthy as they are enjoyable, a rarity in a world in which unhealthy behaviors are often more enticing.

In fact, certain spa services may even qualify as integrative medicine, or therapeutic treatments performed outside of medical clinics and facilities that have proven medical benefits. So do yourself a favor and check into your local spa, get swept away by the ambience of aromatherapy candles and soothing music, and enjoy the perks of these notably healthy self-care treatments.

Massage

Almost nothing is as relaxing as an hour of massage therapy, and this hands-on pressure may actually be good for your connective tissues too. During treatment, a massage therapist works your soft tissues with varying compressions and motions, which Everyday Health notes can lead to improved blood flow, relief from pain and muscle tightness, faster recovery from intense exercise, and other benefits. Physicians may even recommend massage to treat chronic conditions like migraines and muscle spasms. (However, massage therapists may have to undergo additional or specialized training to perform these types of treatments.)

Keep in mind, though, that not all massages are suitable for everyone. For example, deep-tissue massage, which relies on intense pressure to work out kinks, can potentially be harmful to people with sensitive tissue conditions like arthritis. So be sure to consult with your doctor before going straight to massage therapy for whole-body healing.

Facials

Who doesn’t want to be treated like royalty for an hour and walk away looking refreshed and revitalized? A wide range of skin facial treatments make lofty promises, and many can indeed make good on them. Undergoing a facial “purifies and regenerates your skin, which leads to an overall improvement in its health,” dermatologist Hope Mitchell tells InStyle magazine. There are facials aimed at addressing just about every skin malady, including acne and sunburn.

Spas and wellness centers often advertise facials for their long list of miracle-cure ingredients—a veritable smoothie of fruits, veggies, and oats spread across your skin—many of which offer one common benefit: moisture. For a healthy hydration boost, search for treatments that utilize ingredients found both in nature and in common skin moisturizers, such as aloe vera, shea butter, and cocoa butter. Such therapies can address immediate issues like dry, itchy skin and prevent long-term concerns, including fine lines and wrinkles. However, people with sensitive skin conditions such as allergies and rosacea should be particularly selective about the treatments they undergo. More aggressive spa services like exfoliation may irritate or worsen these skin woes.

Relaxation sessions

Believe it or not, wellness services dedicated to sheer decadence can be healthy. These include classic spa offerings like hot-bath soaks and more recent innovations like sensory deprivation floats. (If you’re curious about this treatment, it involves lying in a completely dark tank of water.)

Their chief advantages lie in stress relief, which alone has broad health implications. Chronic stress is shown to have hordes of documented effects on the body, ranging in severity from headaches to insomnia to a weakened immune system to even an increased risk of heart attacks. But you don’t necessarily need an intense treatment like a deprivation float to release your stress; even ones as simple as scented candles and aromatherapy are proven to reduce stress levels, improve sleep, increase mental focus, and more.

Medical spa treatments

Finally, there are the services that explicitly promote their alignment with mainstream medicine. The med spa industry of relaxing, cosmetic treatments has exploded in recent years and is anticipated to balloon to $49.4 billion globally by 2030, according to consulting firm the Research Insights. You could very well attribute these spas’ success to their comfortable overlap of health care with self-care. But are their treatments truly beneficial?

The answer depends on what sort of condition ails you. Under the supervision of experts like board-certified dermatologists, med spas offer treatments, including microdermabrasion (high-tech skin exfoliation) and laser hair removal, that are clinically proven to address certain cosmetic issues with lasting results. Some of these centers even provide treatments like hormone replacement, which affects whole-body health and can help address specific symptoms, including chronic fatigue and weight gain. And like day spas, med spas often craft a comfortable ambience so your service feels more relaxing than sterile—as opposed to traditional medical exam rooms.

But, again, med spa treatments aren’t a replacement for traditional health care, and your medical insurance may not cover them if they’re deemed cosmetic. So if you’re experiencing a malady beyond the aesthetic, you should see a doctor first, particularly before pursuing body contouring and other weight loss procedures. With their approval, you can securely sign up for med spa treatments and address your cosmetic concerns in a restful atmosphere.

Now go get pampered, settle into your seat or tub, and enjoy the moment! Then walk away with a positive feeling that you have not only soothed away some stress but also potentially made a difference for your health.

*For more info and individualized health recommendations, consult your doctor.