Fortunately that is changing as more males are discovering the relaxing, soothing, therapeutic value of spa treatments.
Most men can thank their wives, along with positive personal experiences, for the transformation.
You can count me as one of the nonbelievers who learned the easy way: by going to a spa and seeing for myself what being pampered is all about. I came, I saw, I liked. Now I’m a card-carrying spa promoter who likes to spread the good word.
For years, I thought treatments that benefited and pleasured the body and mind, were a feminine thing. It was a woman’s way to get back at the golfer, hunter, fisherman, the runner, cyclist and the workout fanatic in the family. Now those guys are a spa’s best customers!
Men may be slow to learn, obviously, but once we get the picture, we are avid and enthusiastic spa proponents.
One of the reasons I shied away from spas in the beginning was the many confusing terms spas throw at you. I was at a loss in translating such mysterious words as exfoliation, rolfing, herbology, detoxifying (I thought that was for drunks), hydrating, wraps, and reflexology.
I still don’t understand much of that, but I know that I like it. And since it’s good for me, who is to argue?
My introduction to spas was slow. Over the years, I had an occasional massage when I visited a swanky resort that had such facilities. But I picked up the habit at Pinehurst and at Rock Barn where modern, full-service facilities were added recently that took the resorts to a higher level and a new dimension.
After a round of golf, I dropped in for a massage. It was soothing and relaxing, and I almost fell asleep. Later, I moved on to such services as pedicures and facials, even hair cuts.
Pedicure? My male friends heehawed when they learned I had had a pedicure and a facial. “What a pantywaist you are,” one exclaimed. “I can’t believe you’re that big a wimp.”
Sticks and stones…..
“Ah, ha,” I exclaimed. “Now I know what a bunch of dumb dodos you are.”
For the novice, a pedicure is not just a procedure to trim your toenails, as I mistakenly thought for years. That’s a small part of it, to be sure, but in reality it’s a foot-soaking, massaging experience that increases circulation and helps alleviate the pain of tired, achy feet and legs. It can make the entire body feel good. You do remember the adage that “if your feet hurt, you hurt all over?”
During the process, calluses and dead skin are exfoliated (removed), and feet and calves are massaged.
It’s much the same with a facial. Again, there is exfoliation, a cleansing of the skin that rinses away impurities.
A moisturizing cream for hydration is added, and to help reduce wrinkles. Then the face, neck, scalp and upper back are gently massaged. If that’s feminine, so be it. By any description, it’s an excellent therapeutic experience.
My advice to men is whatever you do when you go to a spa, don’t let the fancy terminology throw you: ask questions if you are not sure what to expect. And if the word “massage” is included, go for it.
“Our percentage of male customers increases each month,” said Kim Huber, spa director at Pinehurst Resort. “Men are very health conscious and have found out that spas are a special amenity as important as recreational facilities.”
Shanda Wyant, director of the Rock Barn Spa, fully agrees.
“It is encouraging to see the number of men who come in often,” she said. “Many of them work out at our fitness center, take a sauna, go for a cool dip in the pool, and then have a massage or other treatment.”
The typical spa offers a wide variety of services that include massages, body therapies, scrubs, wraps and exfoliation; skin care treatments, baths, pools, whirlpools, steam rooms, saunas; hydrotherapies; manicures, personal training sessions and exercise equipment.
Also, a guest can do yoga, pilates and have a fat analysis. Some spas — including Pinehurst and Rock Barn — have a hair salon for men and women.
At Pinehurst, the staff consists of 63 persons, including 40 professionals. Rock Barn has a similar staff in a spacious complex that also includes swimming and tennis.
“I’m a spa lover, pure and simple,” said Ben Vernon, a veteran golfer of Charlotte. “A couple of hours at one soothes the aches and pains and make me feel cleaner and better. There’s nothing like a professional body treatment. To me, it’s as essential as seeing a doctor.”
In addition to Pinehurst and Rock Barn, there are state-of-the-art spas at the Ballantyne Resort in Charlotte, Grandover in Greensboro and Grove Park Inn in Asheville among others.
Bill Hensley is a Hall of Fame golf publicist and freelance writer who resides in Charlotte.
