Breaking News! There is a new treatment quietly making waves in spa-land, and it’s gaining popularity in Southern California amongst women who live by the “pamper your whole body from head to toe” philosophy. We thought bikini treatments reached their peak after the vajazzle, but here we are reporting on yet another hidden gem, the Vaginal Steam Bath.

The ancient Korean treatment better known as chai-yok is said to reduce stress, fight hemorroids, regulate menstrual cycles and aid in infertility among countless other benefits. The LA Times describes the treatment as follows: ”Pungent steam rises from a boiling pot of a mugwort tea blended with wormwood and a variety of other herbs. Above it sits a nude woman on an open-seated stool, partaking in a centuries-old Korean remedy that is gaining a toehold in the West.”

The LA Times reports that Niki Han Schwarz believes it worked for her. After five steams, she found she had fewer body aches and more energy. She also became pregnant at the age of 45 after attempting to conceive for three years. Although Dr. Vicken Sahakian, medical director of Pacific Fertility Center in Los Angeles says, “It sounds like voodoo medicine that sometimes works.”

If you live in New York, the treatment is offered at Juvenex Spa in Manhattan for $75. A complete setup for a do-it-yourself steam, seated stool, boiler and herbs  can be purchased online at for $330. What say you? Are you on board for the vaginal steam baths?

Photo courtesy of theuserpool.squarespace.com

Spa Week isn’t forever, but the wellness benefits and memories are everlasting! We asked for your Spa Week stories to share with our readers (see the contest HERE); we’re so thrilled to have been able to touch so many lives with a small dose of pampering! We’ve managed to narrow it down to 5 winners, each of whom will be receiving a $50 Spa Week gift card to use toward their next spa visit. You’ll see them published here throughout the week. Here’s #4–enjoy!

Take it off or leave it on? We’ve asked before. We chose Victoria’s spa story to showcase a very real concern she shares with many spa-goers. The answer? There is no right or wrong way! Just do what makes you feel comfortable. Here’s a great How-To on the subject, courtesy of Well and Good NYC: Nudity in the Spa: Your Right To Bare All

Submitted by: Victoria Lester

We’re all for a relaxing mother/daughter day of pampering, but we think this takes it a little too far. On a recent episode of TYRA The Tyra Show, she talked to parents who spend up to $150,000 a year on spa treatments for their kids. This is not just your occasional birthday manicure… but massages, facials, pedicures and even waxing at age 6. While about 75% of the adult population has never even had a massage, so we’re confused as to what kinks an 8-year-old might have to get out. Each guest proudly bragged about their superfluous spending of mandatory upkeep. One parent claimed to spend over $80,000 in weekly spa treatments for her son and daughter, both under 10. So gung-ho on the importance of maintaining a flawless appearance, the parent even removes her daughter’s nail polish every Sunday night before school on Monday… because it isn’t allowed.

Now, we’re all for exalting the spa lifestyle, but we think treatments should be used for bettering the overall health, wellness and happiness of a person, not to show off your fortune and impose perfection on your offspring. Do you think these parents have gone overboard, or should they be able to spend their money however they choose? Do you think the kids have it real good, or are they in potential danger of any ramifications later in life? Watch the video below and tell us what you think.

Image Courtesy of the Luxury Reporter

Video Courtesy of BellaSugar.com

Spas, salons, nail places… these are some of the most relaxing havens in the world, but also some of the places most susceptible to awkward situations. But we say: instead of getting embarrassed or upset about the quality of your experience… embrace it! Cause the best thing about any awkward moment? Telling the world about it after.

I was multitasking at the nail salon—getting my 10 minute massage (face down in the massage chair hole) at the same time as my manicure—so I couldn’t look up to see the situation begin to unfold. All I could do was listen:

A heavy-breathing man had come into the salon requesting the fanciest, most expensive pedicure on the menu, as though his feet were covered by insurance. He sounded like he’d been smoking a cigarette for the past 20 years without once stopping for fresh air. I guessed he was at least 300 pounds, and I later learned it was an undershot. But first… I learned what happens when someone of that size starts letting intercourse-like groans in a nail salon. “YES! Right there!” (insert loud, passionate groaning here.) “Keep doing that! Harder. Ahhhhhh, yes!!!”

Forget about how awkward I felt… those poor little nail ladies were so concerned about all their customers that they began scurrying around apologizing to everyone. “It’s okay!?” I assured them. What were they going to do? The man was a spender, he could orgasm if he wants to?

When my massage was over I looked up to check out the situation… and to be honest, felt a little bad for the guy. I mean, either he had a seriously bizarre foot fetish or he hadn’t been in a room with a female in over a year. Maybe both. The moaning finally settled once the salt scrub/massage portion of the pedicure ended. He then proceeded to put on his headphones and blast terrible rap music for the entire salon to hear. It was a huge relief.

Have YOU ever had a SPAwkward moment? I’ve got plenty more where that came from! Email me (michelle @ spaweekmedia.com) about your SPAwkward moment and I’ll post it on Spa Week Daily! (And if it was THAT awkward, we can keep you anonymous. Up to you.)