A day spa is an organization that offers a wide variety of different services for the purpose of enhancing beauty, health and relaxation through various personal spa treatments including facials, hair massages and manicures. In some countries spas are legally registered as charities with tax status also called as social responsibility or civic service. Some people think that a spa is similar to a hair salon and in reality they are two different concepts. Hair salons are places where one gets his/her hair cut and styled by professionals whereas a spa comprises of many such services apart from hair styling.
Facials are one of the main services provided by a spa and there are several types of facials available for customers according to their skin type. A facial can be a steam or hot stone session, the hot stone technique which involves application of hot stone on the face to remove unwanted skin and surface dirt etc. A spa also offers a variety of other services apart from facials such as exfoliation, massage, reflexology, aromatherapy, and Thai massages. Massages are therapeutic massage given by trained professionals at spas whereby the client is made to lie down on a flat surface and the masseur uses his hands for massaging the body from head to toe. Reflexology is a type of therapy wherein the masseur stimulates the pressure points of the body to relieve tension and pain, and Thai massage is one of the most popular forms of massage that incorporates gentle stretching and bending.
Massage therapy is another of the different services offered at a spa and usually takes place in the form of a spa pedicure or facial. Spa pedicures include manicure, pedicure and facial treatments. Massage therapy is also used to treat conditions such as joint pains, back aches, headaches and other similar conditions. Many times a spa resort includes sauna facilities to relax the body and nerves after the extensive facial treatments.