Of algae wraps and choco pedicures

Blame it on the bad roads or a boss from hell, but Mumbai's latest lifestyle fad hardly needs an excuse to flourish. From Ghatkopar to Kemps Corner, Malad to Breach Candy, everyone's talking about skin polishing and algae wraps, hot stone therapy and chocolate pedicures over soothing herbal infusions at snazzy day spas.

But if you really want to know what is catching the fancy of the business-class frequent flyers, check into a medical spa or med-spa right away. High-visibility shopping district or a well-concealed, exclusive property -- med-spas are suddenly springing up in almost every part of the city.

A med-spa takes the concept of a regular day spa a notch higher by offering medical grade cosmetic treatments under the supervision of licensed professionals in an aesthetically appealing, environment. This is often coupled with relaxing massages, nutritional advice and your regular salon services.

If you are unhappy with your nose, teeth or tummy and the cut and dry environment of a clinic puts you off, you may want to try the Evolve med-spa chain. Co-owned by the Yash Birla Group, the Singapore-based Pacific Healthcare Holding and leading dermatologist Dr Abhijit Desai, Evolve's menu features liposuction and tummy tucks, scar-less breast augmentation, rhinoplasty (nose job), facelifts, hair transplants, aesthetic lasers for unwanted hair reduction besides classic med-spa staples such as microdermabrasion, botox fillers, and acne and scar treatment.

This chic chain (Walkeshwar, Prabhadevi, and most recently in Bandra), is endorsed by well-heeled homemakers, jet-setting entrepreneurs and professionals and media-savvy celebrities.

According to Dr Desai, the most popular treatments at Evolve are "Cosmetic dermatology (botox / fillers, laser hair removal, skin rejuvenation, diamond skin polishing etc), treatment for acne and advance dentistry (whitening, invisible braces etc)." Prepare to shell out anything from Rs 1,500 to up to a few lakhs, depending on your choice of therapy.

Besides high-end cosmetic treatments, relaxing and rejuvenating massages continue to be top draw at most medical and wellness spas. The Hot Stone Therapy at the Rudra Spa (Kemps Corner) for instance is quite popular among SoBos. "With the use of volcanic stones on a flat bed and different massage strokes all over the body, this therapy is effective in draining the lymphatic system and dealing with hypertension," says spa manager Raunaq. For a two-hour session expect to fork out Rs 5,000 approximately.

A typical day of indulgence at Iosis begins with a cup of green tea followed by a five-minute foot scrub. Proceed towards a body exfoliation treatment for 40 minutes followed by a wrap of seaweed, chocolate or aloe vera. Top it up with a soak in the Jacuzzi. A foot massage or a scalp massage after this four-hour indulgence, and you'll be ready to take on the world. The damages? Approximately Rs 5,000.

If you are looking for a no-frills specialised programme without lasers, chemicals or fancy products, you could try the ayurvedic therapies at the aesthetically designed Arogya Spa and Clinic at Worli or its humbler counterpart in Andheri.

Their popular Shirodhara treatment, for instance, is an hour-long session priced at Rs 1,800. It includes a soothing application of oil on the head, followed by a continuous, rhythmic instillation of warm oil, medicated milk, buttermilk or herbal decoctions on the forehead from a special pot of specified size from a specific height.  

Dr Rajeev Warrier, director and partner at Arogya claims his ayurvedic treatments are best suited for "prevention" of diseases and "skeleto-muscular degeneration". "Shirodhara has been particularly effective in preventing further degeneration in Alzheimer's," he claims.

Meanwhile, specialised day spas are outdoing each other in their offers of exotic therapies and treatments with the more familiar massages and services. For instance, the Aroma Thai Foot Spa chain now offers a foot therapy called Arokaya, which uses jasmine, mint, lemongrass and lavender compress with 'kunphu' balm to improve blood circulation and ease muscle ache.

Though there is no confirmed medical benefit of this treatment, those suffering from arthritis recommend this massage highly. Similarly, the Chandan Sparsh Wellness Spa, in Lokhandwala, uses sandalwood oil-based therapies for everything from non-surgical body sculpting to hydrating facials. Specially recommended are the Classic Chandan Massage and the Hydro Back Massage for those who spend long hours at the computer.

A nose too flat or a skin too dull -- whatever be your pet peeve, it seems there is always something on the spa menu begging to be tried. But a word of caution from the experts, "Don't expect miracles and you will not be disappointed."