In the Midst of a Spa Boom, How to Choose Wisely

The Mayan Riviera is the fastest growing tourist destination in Mexico. Every day more travelers leave behind their routines to soak up the warm Caribbean sun and escape the stress of big city life. Outpacing this growth is the number of spas now found rushing to open their doors to meet the demands of foreigners seeking alternative solutions to looking and feeling their best.

Due to unprecedented demand for spa treatments of all kind, we find ourselves in the midst of a spa bubble. “North Americans have suddenly caught on to what other countries have been doing for years, giving themselves a two-week vacation to pamper themselves and heal from inside out,” Paulene McNair, a registered nurse and Toronto native, told MedToGo.

But how does one decide on the right spa? And what is the difference between the several types of spas there are to choose from, ranging from a day spa to the medical spa? Spas in Mexico not only offer the typical services of face masks, massages and manicures but also New Age and folklore remedies such as aromatherapy and herbal baths used by the Mayans as well as advanced medical services such as bio-cell treatments.

“Health spa is an outdated term. In response to growing demand, there are now destination spas, resort spas, day spas, holistic spas, wellness spas, medi-spas, and medical spas,” said Sharon Sedgwick, long time spa consultant and current owner of Spa Itza in Playa del Carmen. “Medi-spas and Medical Spas have licensed physicians to undertake procedures whereas a wellness spa is more of a German tradition of spas,” she explained.

There is a thin line separating the various spas and types of services offered. “They all offer unique services and receive clients who swear by the treatments. But this is simply to pinpoint a potentially dangerous trend with demands for quality spa treatments – is there a parallel supply of qualified, experienced practitioners to provide these therapies?” McNair inquired.

Needless to say, spa hunters must know about the treatments they are interested in and recognize who are licensed practitioners capable of providing the correct services. The other possibility is being duped out of your money or worse, receiving a potentially harmful treatment from an unqualified practitioner.

Dr. Ron Klatz, who coined the term “anti-aging medicine” and is the physician founder and president of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine Inc. (“A4M”) provide the rules of thumb when selecting a medical or medi-spa in Mexico. First, the facility should have a licensed full-time medical director and full-time registered nurse. Second, the physician should be active in his medical practice with recent training in laser, injection and suspension procedures. If performing medical procedures, the practitioner should also be a member of either the American Society of Aesthetic Medicine, the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, an equivalent Mexican professional association (such as the Sociedad Mexicana Científica de Medicina Estética) or be a licensed plastic surgeon. Some doctor listings can be found on the Internet at www.worldhealth.net. Third, to ensure communication, the physician should speak English or the patient Spanish. Fourth, the facility’s equipment should be modern and in excellent condition, demonstrating an investment in quality. The facility should have microdermabrasion, laser and emergency resuscitation equipment. Lastly, the facility should be clean and well maintained.

Spas in the Mayan Riviera offer a plethora of low-risk therapies. While not therapeutic in the strictly medical terms, they do improve one’s health in the holistic sense. Several types of baths using a mix of Mayan infusions with traditional healing herbs can soothe irritated skin and burns as well as relieve aching joints and muscles. Many spas also have temazcals, or Mayan vapor baths, which operate similar to saunas by generating high heat and high humidity. The benefits of using the vapor bath include improving circulation to the skin, opening the skin pores and activating the immunological system. Although temazcals are considered a low-risk activity, pregnant women and people with heart disease or diabetes should avoid use of these items because temperatures can exceed 104 degrees.

Spa consumers should take more precautions when receiving medical and experimental treatments at spas. Services like botox, intravenous vitamins and bio-cell treatments are more frequently offered in medi-spas or medical spas but could be provided in any type of spa adopting a new and catchy title. The jargon describing the different types of treatment can be confusing yet denote different levels of care. For example, a cosmetology refers to the use of creams and products such as a hydrating mask to enhance the exterior beauty of skin. A cosmeceutical, on the other hand, are medicines that contain active pharmaceutical ingredients (API’s) that should be prescribed by licensed physicians. While the former primarily involves the outer layers of skin, the latter impacts the deeper layers.

There are many therapies and medicines available in Mexico that either have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration or are not practiced on a widespread basis. One such treatment offered at Mexican spas for a much cheaper price than in the United States is mesotherapy. This involves microinjections of conventional or homeopathic medicines into the middle layers of the skin to treat a variety of conditions. Some caveats when undertaking this treatment are to ensure that the physician inform you of all the drugs and medical technology which have been approved by the FDA. Also the practitioner should have proper accreditation. Lastly, you should choose a physician that you feel you can trust. One way to make this judgment is by the level of commitment by the doctor.

Dr. Carlos Baldwin, who practices mesotherapy and bio-cell techniques, explained the new paradigm in patient-physician relations that he practices: “The patient has to commit to you, the doctor, be a partner in a life-long project.” Baldwin, who is general practitioner, and member of the Mexican Society of Aesthetic Medicine and the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, stresses the shift in mentality from fix-it to preventative medicine.

Travelers to the Mayan Riviera can come to relax for a few weeks and enjoy economical spa treatments or even start off a new health trajectory. The important thing is to understand the treatments offered and to trust those offering them.