TRENDS To de-stress, more teens are spending time, money at spas

Spa owners say their teen business has increased since the terrorist attacks last year.
By MARTHA IRVINE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DEERFIELD, Ill. -- There's nothing like a good massage or even an eyebrow waxing to relieve a little teenage angst. So says 17-year-old Jessica Schwartz, who frequents a day spa in her suburban Chicago hometown every other week.
"It's something we do to de-stress ourselves from homework, boys, things like that," she says. "There's a lot going on in the world."
With more disposable income than any young generation before them, a growing number of teens -- like Schwartz and her friends -- are pampering themselves with spa services traditionally sought by adults.
Mary Bemis, editor-in-chief of American Spa magazine, says it's a trend that's been building in the last three years. And many spa owners say their teen business has really taken off in the last year, post-Sept. 11.
"Everybody's scared right now with what's going on in the world," says Anna Pamula, owner of Renu Day Spa in Deerfield, Ill., which has become Jessica's regular retreat.
Who pays?
Jessica's mother, Betty Schwartz, sometimes pays for her daughter's visits, which can top $100 each. But more often, Jessica uses money from her after-school job, often opting for a massage or facial over dinner out with friends or concert tickets.
"I think it's really decadent, but it's probably cheaper than psychology," her mother quips.
According to a survey this year, more than a third of International Spa Association members now offer services for young people -- including group parties, date specials and mother-daughter nights.
Belle Visage Day Spa in Studio City, Calif., where more than half the clientele is younger than 21, offers "teen clean" facials to help clear up acne.
And this past summer, Canyon Ranch, a health resort with facilities in Tucson, Ariz. and Lenox, Mass., started a three-week summer camp for teens. Some spa managers have seen children as young as 5 coming in for parent-supervised massages and other services.
Parents say it's an attempt to help their children find a little inner peace early in life.
Alison Schmitt, a 12-year-old cadet from Rutherford, N.J., says yoga and breathing exercises help calm even her biggest fears.
"Like terrorism and the possibility of war," the seventh-grader says, noting that her father worked two blocks from the World Trade Center.