THE NEW SPA AT WILLOW BEND SITE IS FINALLY UP!
August 18, 2008 by dr. lam · Leave a Comment
I would first and foremost like to thank my talented sister, Vina, who really did an outstanding job at designing the site. When I took a stab at designing it, it looked so awful I made myself sick. Everyone says not to hire your relative to design a website. However, that is probably because your relative is second-rate (sorry). My sister is amazing. Her design sense and artistry are truly the very best and matches the demands I put on a first-quality job. I would also like to thank Mike who is my webmaster. Everything I asked of him he completes not within weeks or days but within hours. He is truly an amazing asset. Mike is probably waking up this Monday to about 5 of my emails already. Sorry Mike.
Okay, here is the link to the spawb.com site. I am so very proud of the Spa at Willow Bend for numerous reasons. First, it is simply a gorgeous spa. I put over a million dollars into making this 5,000 square foot spa look absolutely the best. In my opinion it beats the Ritz and Four Seasons and that is only because of Roger Leighton who did a magnificent job of making the interior look like a world-class facility. His partner Shirley Flabbiano did a great job in making sure everything was spot on too. Richard Crawford (see last week’s blog) built everything out and really did not scream at me when I had the entire interior restarted from scratch one week before opening. Yes, I am crazy. But I guess you knew that. Gary Williams has an incredible sense of interior space flow and was the architect on the project. It doesn’t hurt that he built the entire building too. I am waiting for him to win the Pritzker Prize.
Besides the interior design, the team at the Spa is imbued with the same culture that I have established in my space, which is excellent customer service at every level. Beyond that, let’s get to the core of what the spa offers, the best services you will find in Dallas, Plano, and beyond. (Obviously, I have no bias). They offer foot detox, massage, reflexology, facials, oxygen therapies, manicures, pedicures, citrus spray tanning, waxing, laser hair removal, cellulite treatments with Accent XL, chinese medicine and wellness therapies, body wraps, hydroinfusion, Sudatonic body slimming, Shirodhara Ayurvedic treatments…That’s just off the top of my head. I can’t recall if I missed something but I probably did. Just check out the site. Also, we have a relaxation room with homemade tea and infused water, and a full locker room with robes, slippers, sauna, showers, etc. Btw, I still have to add the virtual tours and video tours. I need to finish my book in two weeks first so that video project is put a bit back on my priority list for now.
One thing that I have been trying to do is to experience a spa service myself at least once if not twice a week. I am so very busy that I find that the spa services no matter how small allow me to escape the world for a while and get into good rhythm with myself. I truly believe that spa services go way beyond self-pampering but allow oneself to revitalize, which is an essential component to the overall wellness strategy. I believe that the spa is a core feature of the wellness program offered at my Willow Bend Wellness Center.
Mani-Pedi Part II: WAXING POETIC ABOUT MY PARAFFIN TREATMENT
July 24, 2008 by dr. lam · Leave a Comment
At the conclusion of my pedicure (are you sick of my nail and foot fetish already?), i had a really awesome paraffin treatment. Â It was to die for. Â We use PerfectSense Paraffin Infusions which are the top-grade spa paraffin treatment. The advantages are that the paraffin is individually wrapped in single use, disposable sleeves that are preheated to a safe temperature so that you don’t get burned or feel they are too hot. The conventional wax (WHICH WE DO NOT USE) is melted in a crockpot that is passed around (how nasty!!!) As the paraffin is getting heated in a specialized container, the heat package contains an aromatherapy that is emitted with the heat that simply adds another dimension to the experience. As the wax booties are slipped on you enter a delirious nirvana.
I had a long rhinoplasty case this morning and my feet were really sore. The paraffin felt like heaven. Besides feeling good during the treatment, they look stunning afterward and feel soft as a baby’s butt. The medicinal benefits of paraffin (besides the way they make your feet look and feel. isn’t that enough?) are as follows: it helps with arthritis, increases extensibility of soft tissues, removs toxins from cells, enhances blood flow, increases function of tissue cells, and relaxes stiff and sore muscles (I needed that). Call for your appointment at the Spa at Willow Bend. 972-312-8189.
Mani-Pedi Part I: A Healthy Manicure? Don’t Kill My Cuticle!
July 23, 2008 by dr. lam · Leave a Comment
I was having my usual “mani-pedi” the other day (okay, there is the word “man” in mani for goodness sake!!!), and I was learning the difference between a quality job and an average one. Â What I found so interesting was that the great majority of how cuticles are removed in nail salons is different from how we do it. Â In most nail salons, the cuticle is not just pushed back but trimmed down at the base. Â What this does is it frays the area that actually grows the new nail, hurts unnecessarily, can bleed unnecessarily, and also predispose toward infections. Â Wow! Â What we do is just “push back” the dead layer across the nail so that it actually stimulates healthy growth on the surface and permits a shiny glow WITHOUT the pain and destruction done elsewhere. Â The frayed edges of the cuticle along the base and sides of the nail are trimmed but the base of the cuticle is not cut away. OUCH! Â This is bad. Â
Is a manicure addictive? YES. Â Is a pedicure addictive? Even more so. Â I know you guys out there were like me about a month ago. Â Way too tough to have this done. Â Too cool to admit that having nice looking nails would be okay. Â Wait until you try it and especially the quality we deliver.
My mom who did the final screen on all our nail specialists was the Simon Cowell of judges. Â I have no idea between a good and bad manicure (like the people who have been spoiled by my Botox and have never tried it elsewhere). Â She told me that in all her life, she has never experienced as good a nail job as done by these two. Â What is amazing is that reportedly their French nails can last weeks instead of 1 to 2 days like elsewhere. Â Thanks Victoria and Linh for your dedication to the Spa at Willow Bend, and thanks for making my nails awesome looking!
Also, Victoria informed me that the very rough files that are used in conventional nail salons create breaks in the skin that predispose toward infection (which does not help given their non-pipeless chairs prone to infection as it is! read the difference below between our chairs and standard chairs.) and, get this, conventional filing only serves to TOUGHEN and roughen your skin over time. We use a very gentle process that over a few treatments minimizes the regrowth of the problem but certainly does not worsen the condition. We even sell gentle home kits so that you don’t need as much or our services.
One more thing: all of our pedicure stations are pipeless, meaning besides not looking ugly with pipes hanging out the wall, they also entirely drain downward with no backflow. that means no diseases or contaminants. each bowl is vigorously bleach cleaned too. the nastiness of a lot of cheap pedicure stations is unfathomable. what is very cool is that ours look really cool but also have full tilt, recline, massage, heat, vibration, and rolling so you get a massage too! To schedule your appointment, call 972-312-8189.
DELUXE PEDICURE TREATMENT IN MY NEW PLANO SPA
July 1, 2008 by dr. lam · Leave a Comment
All right, I followed my manicure with a pedicure treatment on Friday in my new spa. Â I can say this much, any guy out there who is afraid of the pedicure has never had one or would never admit to it. Â It is simply amazing. Â I resisted all of these years because of the stigma of a “mani-pedi”. Â I was talking to this one lady last week and she said guys in particular once they have had a mani-pedi they are so pampered they can’t go back. Â As I was having a luxurious back massage with my beautiful pedicure station my feet were cleaned in warm organic seaweed water. Â My toes were neatly trimmed, cuticles cleaned and nails buffed. Â I got the bottoms of my feet sanded down as Linh put it to as smooth as “a baby’s bottom”, a phrase that I use all the time. Â The sea salt scrub followed by foot massage were pure bliss. Â There are no words for it. Â Linh is awesome (sorry the photo of her is a bit blurry). Â She and Victoria (see previous blog) are the two stalwarts in nail care. Â My mom is still screaming how after a week her French nails have not been damaged owing to the quality work and quality product we use. Â
Linh has written a little bit about herself: Hi, my name is Linh, and I have been a licensed nail technician since 1998. I attended the Savannah Beauty School in Houston, Texas and have been working in the spa industry ever since. I am always enhancing my craft through continuing education and attend trade shows every year to learn the latest techniques and products in the nation. I specialize in all facets of natural nails, manicures and pedicures. I also have extensive training and experience in Hot Stone Massage, Aromatherapy, Reflexology, and Foot Detox.  If you want to experience the ultimate Day Spa atmosphere, come into The Spa at the Willow Bend, and allow me to create something just for you. For more information, contact our spa at 972-312-8189. You won’t regret it!