Would You Send Your Son to a Spa?

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

26 Mar 2009 11:50 PM

I know quite a few young boys who could really benefit from a good manicure and pedicure, but I don't know many who would actually request spa treatments for their birthdays. Yet, studies show they're out there, and their numbers have been increasing over the last decade.

According to the International Spa Association, the number of teenage boys receiving spa services such as hair removal and massages has nearly doubled since the early 1990s. These days some spas even advertise their services specifically to young boys, highlighting the benefits of facials (a good way to get rid of blackheads) and waxing procedures (the preferred method to eliminate the dreaded unibrow).

I didn't get my first professional pedicure and massage until I was nearly 30, so I'm no expert on who frequents spas, but I will admit I would do a double take if I was seated next to a 14-year-old boy at the manicure station. Shame on me? Maybe, but I grew up in the early 1970s with three dirty, stinky brothers, who would have rather made mud pies than sign up for an enzymatic sea mud pack treatment at a fancy spa. Which is not to say that tough guys don't do spas. On the contrary some of the biggest names in sports, including NFL stars Jason Taylor, Jerry Rice and Olympic champion speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno, willingly admit that they frequent posh spas for facials, body waxing, massages, and in Taylor's case, regular pedicures.

But, what of all the teenage boys the International Spa Association claims as customers? What's their story?

Studies show more than half of the nearly 14,000 spas in the United States offer packages for kids. A growing trend is for families to make use of the services together. This is especially noticeable among affluent parents who indulge in spa services and allow their children to experience treatments as well.

The owner of Eclips Kids, a children-only day spa in McLean, Virginia says business is booming and boys make up a good chunk of the clientele. Eclips and other spas treating children generally offer abbreviated versions of facials, hair and nail treatments and massages--with clothes and parental supervision.

Before you roll your eyes and swear on your mother's grave that you would never. Ever. EVER! Allow your young son to frequent a spa, consider the results of a recent study done by the International Spa Association. According to the group, many parents who pay for their sons to indulge in spa services don't view the visits as a luxury but, rather, as a health-care staple. Most survey respondents say they allow their boys to visit a spa to feel better about themselves.

For example, one mother claimed, her son was getting teased by classmates for having a hairy back, so she sent him to the spa for a wax job and now he is no longer the target of taunts. Likewise, another mother revealed that her football-playing son gets regular massages following big games. The boy now receives bi-weekly facials as well, which have reportedly helped with his acne problem.

For their part, the spa-loving teen boys say the services are "relaxing" and have made them more aware of the importance of good hygiene. Research has shown that massages, decrease stress hormones, but I'm still not sure I would run out and get my young nephew a gift certificate for a mani, pedi, and other spa treatments.

How about you? Would you send your young son to a spa?

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Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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