A Beautiful Gift For  YOU!
	Your LPG Endermologie services will be featured in the luxurious New Beauty magazine for the rest of 2009!
The beautiful, two-page advertising spread is just our way of thanking you and helping your business to thrive. Order $50 of consumables during March and we’ll send you a free copy!

Cheers ~ St. Patrick’s Day! In ‘Intoxicating Facials,’ we’re going to consider how and why certain liquid excesses can negatively impact skin and well-being – and what you can do to fix them. And in ‘Body Treatments with Spirit,’ we have a few alcohol-infused body treatments that work wonders – but only when they’re applied responsibly.

Speaking of alcohol ‘treatments,’ some spas and medi-spas serve clients wine and champagne.  Should alcohol merriment be mixed with spa services?

If you decide to feature new ‘happy hour’ treatments, and you want to mail your clients to let them know, see our ‘How To’ section on planning a direct mail campaign.

In our spotlight section, we interviewed Dr. Price, one of Miami’s top dermatologists.  She talks about Endermologie…

THIS JUST IN:  We’re changing our newsletter up a bit. We want to get you involved.  So each month, we’ll ask you a question.  When you answer, we’ll
share your response and include you in a raffle for free LPG supplies. 

Email us at editorial@techno-derm.com. Want to stay up-to-date on the latest Techno-Derm news and articles? Subscribe to our RSS feed today.

Q, A & W: We Ask, You Answer & Win!
Question: What are you doing to make your spa more ‘green’?  No, we don’t mean Irish – we mean earth-friendly.

Answer: Email your answer, along with your complete contact information, to editorial@techno-derm.com. The winner will be chosen randomly on April 22 (Earth Day) and notified within 10 business days of the drawing.

Win: This month’s raffle is for 5 FREE Endermowear.

Unlike other Holiday-themed facials you might give your clients, this is one you might want to do after St. Patrick’s Day.  Why?

Because when the drinking starts, the good skin ends. Alcoholic merriment wreaks havoc on skin.  It’s a diuretic, so the body loses more fluids than it takes in. When the body’s dehydrated, skin cells get really thirsty and…

The face, especially the delicate eye area, gets puffy and purplish.  Tired, overexposed skin takes on a blotchy cast and feels tight and dry. And then there’s that ghastly face flush. It’s partially caused by dehydration (as water is really quickly flushed out of skin cells) but it’s also a result of the high yeast and sugar content in alcohol. When the body rapidly metabolizes excess calories, blood vessels are dilated and the face reddens.

Besides the risk of broken capillaries, this inflames acne-causing bacteria and worsens acne rosacea, a skin disorder characterized by redness, blemishes and pimples. If your clients have a post St. Patty’s Day greenish cast, here’s what you can do to help them: 

• Hydrate:  Give clients lots and lots of fluids. Water flushes the liver and skin of toxins. Green Tea, a natural antioxidant, is also great for hydration.  
• Detoxify: Apply Endermologie’s Facial Fitness to the face and neck.  It drains away toxins, purifying and oxygenating suffocated tissues to revitalize a tired complexion and help skin recover its luster.
• Depuff:  Along with a cool compress, use Endermologie’s Facial Fitness on the delicate eye area to refresh and revive tired eyes, tackle dark circles and reduce swelling.  Facial Fitness Treatments trigger collagen and elastin synthesis to provide in-depth skin redensification. Improving microcirculation, the gentle draining action decongests puffy eyes and erases dark circles.
• Moisturize: Before the client leaves, slather on a rich moisturizer. We recommend using the professional-grade Clayton Shagal, because its intensive moisturizers work to brighten, nourish and protect skin.  Other skincare may with calming ingredients that help reduce blotchy redness and calm swollen, puffy skin may also be used.

A ‘Martini Manicure,’ a ‘Beer Pedicure,’ a ‘Margarita Salt Scrub,’ a ‘Vinotherapy Treatment?’

Of course, body treatments should always be done with spirit, but these holiday-themed treatment specials involve literal spirits...
A $10 ‘Martini Manicure’ is being offered in bars to promote spas, and in spas to promote bars.  Ideally, it’s promoted as a post-work cocktail that’s available from 5:00 to 8:00 pm.   The ladies arrive, sip a martini, and go in twos for a 15-20 minute manicure.  Walk-ins are welcome and an appointment book is available to reserve space for groups of 6+.  Owners featuring the special say it’s great for special occasions like holidays, bachelorette parties, birthdays, or for a little R&R on girls’ night out.    

If you want your clients to feel brew-tu-ful, have them jump feet-first into a foamy beer pedicure.  Beer is great for your skin and hair, as evidenced by the recent market surge of beer-infused bath and body products.   Since beer contains yeast and hops, it’s especially good for pedicures; as the yeast softens feet, the enzymes and hops exfoliate skin to smooth callused feet.  And since alcohol is a natural antiseptic, it cleans while it smooths.  You want to attract male clientele? Offer a beer pedi.  Give a guy a remote control to a sports game, a male-oriented magazine or two, a beer bubble bath and a cold one and you’ll have a client for life. And the profits? They’ll pour in too.

To create a Margarita Salt Scrub, use deliciously-scented, margarita inspired salt scrubs and body creams.  Scrumptious ingredients like lemon, lime, salt, sugar and grapefruit will exfoliate rough, flaky skin and revitalize the senses.  Often, such a treatment is followed by a lime-infused shea butter or avocado oil, which contain vitamins A, D and E for skin softening and moisturizing.  There’s a ton of pre-prepared margarita products on the market – or you can ‘mix’ your own. A zesty, ice-cold margarita drink might accompany the treatment.

Vinotherapy – also know as wine therapy – was first popular in France, but has since spread across Europe to South Africa, and now to the United States. Science has long suggested a connection between the polyphenols found in grapes and good health and longer life. According to the National Cancer Institute, polyphenols may reduce abnormal cell growth and inflammation and help the body fight cancer-causing agents.  So too, heart-healthy wine, when drunk in moderation, helps reduce forgetfulness, boost immunity, speed weight loss and prevent against bone loss. Used externally, spa products made from antioxidant-rich wine derivatives like grape skins, grape seeds, grape husks, grape seed oil and vine leaf extracts are great for skin. 

Vinotherapy spas blend grape ingredients with salts, essential oils and creams to create a wide array of exfoliation and moisturizing treatments.  Whether by the glass or by the bath, the fruit of the vine is perfect for spa-going men and women wanting to look and feel wonderful!

Although there’s no alcohol involved, green tea treatments are perfect for raising St. Patrick’s Day spirits. Like wine, green tea is rich in antioxidants and bioflavanoids. Scientific studies have proven that when consumed, green tea helps prevent cavities, supports weight loss and lowers blood pressure.  Used externally, scrubs, facials and wraps that employ green tea help hydrate and nourish skin to protect against environmental age-aggressors. Combined with particle exfoliates, green tea is excellent for sloughing away dead skin for younger, healthier-looking skin. Paired with Endermologie face and body massage treatments, green tea helps revitalize local blood circulation to oxygenate tissues, eliminate toxins and stimulate cell renewal.

Other green-spirited treatments for St. Patrick’s Day include green mud, green apples, cucumbers, aloe vera, seaweed, kiwi, mint and other green-colored herbs. 

The Marketplace: Should you serve clients alcohol?

You’ll need to find your own happy-medium for happy-hour.  But the following points are important to consider in making your decision:

• Licensing Liquor: Serving alcohol may be regulated; county and/or state jurisdictions may require liquor licenses.  In some precincts, there are very specific licenses for spas, salons and day spas; in other municipalities, spas can’t be licensed at all.  Often in these cases, liquor may be served without a liquor license as long as it’s given away (to those of legal age), not sold. Research your local laws before serving up anything.
• Detoxification Detour:  For spas that are less dedicated to pampering and more focused on health, wellness and detox - alcohol doesn’t mix well.   Alcohol expands blood vessels, increases heat loss and prevents the body from expelling toxins. In these cases, water should be ingested instead.
• Phony Perceptions:  All spas want to help clients relax, unwind, and reconnect – and alcohol is a great shortcut – so are you cheating?  Are you giving clients the perception that your spa services are sub par?
• Aroma Ambiance:  Spas should smell as pleasant as they look and the services feel. They most certainly shouldn’t smell like a bar.
• Drunk Drinkers: Some consumer forums have commented negatively on the behavior of spa-goers under the influence of alcohol. Tipsy clients can be loud and obnoxious, disturbing the peace of other clients.  If you do serve alcohol, do it in a quiet, restricted area and be prepared to moderate.
• Manly Magnificence: If you’re looking for male clients, who find spa services discomfiting and unmanly, alcohol might be a good idea.  Many successful, male-oriented grooming spas have wide-screen TVs tuned to ESPN, male-oriented magazines, shoeshine stands and beer and martinis on hand. Experts say this gives men that old-fashioned, big-shot feeling – and it also makes the more ‘feminine’ treatments easier to swallow.

Do you serve alcohol in your spa? We want to know – email us at editorial@techno-derm.com!

The first thing you need to know about direct mail campaigns is that you’re not going to have a line outside your door after sending it... In fact, a ‘successful’ direct mail campaign only has a 1% response rate. But one new spa client can result in several thousand dollars a year, so it can definitely be worth it. Here’s what you should consider when planning a direct mail campaign:

1. Create a marketing calendar. Print and send a calendar with all your early services, including special events and seasonal offers. Mail it to clients and follow it with monthly reminders. It’s practical and cost-effective.
2. Be consistent.  Continue doing direct mail advertising campaigns throughout the year. Multiple mailings to the same list can mean substantial cost-saving incentives.
3. Use good art.  This is your image we’re talking about. If it doesn’t look good, you don’t either. You can get high-quality, cost-effective pictures from sites like istockphoto.com or stockxpert.com.
4. Use the word ‘free.’ It’s a really powerful word, whether in an intro offer to new clients, or a gift certificate designed to motivate existing clients to try new services.  But make it elegant, not cheap or ‘coupony.’
5. Create specials. Specials are great for regulars and newbies. But if you give a discount, say ‘dollars off,’ not ‘percentage off.’ Marketing gurus say it’s more effective.  And don’t worry; discount specials won’t diminish the value of your services if they’re used conservatively. In a troubled economy, people demand a little ‘extra.’
6. Use disclaimers. You don’t want too many; the ‘small type’ can ruin a good incentive, but a few are essential. For instance, you should be sure to hedge your offers with expiration dates and basic inclusions/exclusions.
7. Get help.  Consider using a direct-mail agency if you’re doing a large-scale campaign to potential clients – but if it’s a small campaign to existing clients – you’ll probably do just fine on your own.