A NEW PHENOMENON IN SPA AND SALON-GOING
The latest industry information on spas and salons show-men and children will be the clients of the future. For the beauty business, which has typically catered to stressed-out females trying to look their best, this is a new phenomenon. With plastic surgery, teeth whitening, Botox injections, laser hair removal, micro-dermabrasion and permanent make-up all the rage now, it seems the Los Angeles mentality has not only slipped east, it has crossed the divide to men and children.
Estee' Lauder-owned Aveda Corporation has not directly focused on the child or male market in the past though product lines such as "All Sensitive," "Personal Blends," "Scalp Benefits" and the popular "Rosemary Mint" may be used by men, women or children. Now, in Doylestown, PA, Annodam Aveda Day Spa and Salon will open Seedlings, the very first Aveda salon designed specifically for children and young adults. They will host birthday and makeover parties for children; give teen facials; and, offer a full spectrum of cut, color and style services.
Youth have long been the subject of modeling shoots and runway strolls. Much of the cosmetics industry is geared towards finding the "fountain of youth" to get rid of wrinkles and accentuate the good while downplaying the bad.
Children brought up on television learn at an early age how important looks are and unwittingly compare themselves to the perfection they see on-screen. Salary studies (among other sociological data) have shown that good looks get you more money.
Teenagers are wearing riskier clothing it seems every day. As parents, we know there is an ever-changing playing field regarding sexuality, children and what's acceptable. We see the low-cut jeans and ten-year-olds wearing make-up. We hear the double messages of ourselves, on the one hand, trying to convince our children that self-worth comes from within and advertising, on the other, saying it's bought.
It is for these very reasons that Annodam enters the child and teen market. Annodam does believe that self worth comes from within, but this shouldn't stop people from expressing themselves and being creative. It's fun to create different looks! If a haircut or make-up or a facial makes you feel good about yourself, what's wrong with that? Change is good! Annodam Aveda Day Spa and Salon believes the power of touch should not be limited to adults. Children need attention, love and affection too.
Don't you remember what it was like to be a child? To be ridiculed for your appearance; to not be taken seriously; to feel anxious and insecure. That's what Seedlings is seeking to counter according to owners Karen Lafferty and Geri Rycharski. "We are trying to show children a healthy way to live. There is no need to go about life in a frantic-stressed-hyper state.
Our interactions, relationships, feelings, sense of well being... all of this can be improved through spa and salon services. Why shouldn't children feel good too?" said Ms. Lafferty, a well known color and style specialist.
Annodam Massage Therapist, Todd Fiorentino, explained, "I was in our quiet room the other day and a little girl who must've been 7 or 8 years old asked for a cup of tea. I prepared the tea and asked her what service she was having. She said with a smile that she was getting a facial and that 'facials feel good.' Then she opened one of our children's books and began reading, sipping her tea. In that instant, I fully realized the Seedlings concept and it made perfect sense."
But it goes deeper. Nervous energy and negative feelings have real consequences for our children and society. As more and more children are diagnosed with depression or ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and medicated, some parents are looking for alternatives. Massage has been shown to release the very same mind chemicals and endorphins as anti-depressants, which block the reuptake of these chemicals by your body into the bloodstream. A great deal of massage work can be done with the child fully clothed, which helps to eliminate awkwardness.
The Touch Research Institute found in a study on a group of children and adolescent psychiatric patients that: "Following five 30-minute massages these children/adolescents had better sleep patterns, lower depression, anxiety and stress hormone levels (cortisol and norepinephrine) and better clinical progress." "It's not about opening up a new market for us," said Ms. Rycharski, "it's about our future and what it's going to be like."