Sitting comfortably

Professional Beauty investigates how furniture manufacturers are catering for clients with special requirements, and explains how simple changes can make your business more inclusive

Requests for speciality spa and salon furniture are becoming more common thanks to an ageing population and increasing global obesity levels. While the majority of clients may be able to visit and have a treatment without you needing to adapt anything for them, this isn’t always the case.

Salons and spas regularly come across clients with some type of special requirement, whether it’s a disabled, pregnant, or significantly overweight person for whom mobility is an issue. Regardless, salons and spas need to be able to welcome all guests and give them just as good a treatment and experience as the next person.
Making clients comfortable on the couch is essential to enabling them to relax and enjoy their treatment. “The two main elements you need to take into account when dealing with disabled or elderly clients are comfort and access; getting on and off the couch,” says Elena Meglioli, UK sales and operations manager for the Maletti group. “Motorised couches give by far the most practical assistance for the elderly and those with restricted movement. The ability to raise or lower the bed enables the operator to adjust it to the best height for access for the individual, while couches with motorised leg and backrest sections can be adjusted with little or no need for the client to move,” she explains.

Catering clients needs

As obesity levels continue to rise, so does demand for spa couches wide and strong enough to be comfortable for very heavy clients. “Some couches need to have extra width; that’s important if the client is larger, so they still feel comfortable and secure on the couch,” says Paul Matthes, managing director of PJS Beauty Salon Equipment. “Traditionally, the standard question has always been, ‘what treatments is the couch suitable for?’ But now we’re also finding a lot of salons asking what the maximum weight is that the couch can take,” he says. “That’s something that’s changed in the past few years. Manufacturers are now making couches in excess of 72cm, whereas the standard used to be 65-68cm.”

Carolina Moquist, spa director at LivNordic Spa and Wellness in Dubai says, “We selected Lemi massage tables with both our guests and therapists comfort in mind. The tables are extremely comfortable and the heating function brings extra benefits to the experience by assisting the body and muscles to relax even more. The tables have hydraulic functions so the therapist can work comfortably and safely by changing the height and level of the table depending on what treatments and movements are performed.”

There are a number of other aspects to consider when treating clients with impaired mobility or other special requirements. Dafne Berlanga, vice president of international business development at Oakworks recommends considering “foam softness and tilt function for clients with sinus and cardiac issues and fabric designed to minimise allergy-related sensitivities,” among other aspects.
Moquist agrees that the type of foam used is important. “We’ve got our own anatomic memory foam and we tend to use that with the larger, bariatric-type beds, because it gives more support for people who are heavier,” she says. “If you have really soft foam and you then have a larger person on the bed, the foam would become so compressed that it wouldn’t give much support. You need something of a higher density.”

Tailor-made

Elemis has created a tailor-made couch for its Peaceful Pregnany massage, replacing it with a giant bean bag that moulds to the client’s body to support the bump comfortably. The client can safely lower herself onto the bag on the floor, and the therapist is able to reach the back without the client having to reposition.

While the size and design of a salon or spa can place limits on the adjustments that can be made, Meglioli says there is always something that can be done. “Spas should do all they can to cater for everyone who wants their services, but there are practical challenges, such as access to the building and the size of treatment rooms, that mean not all spas can cater for every size, disability or physicality,” she says. “That said, changing from a fixed treatment couch to a motorised bed in just one room will vastly increase accessibility for the elderly or clients with physical challenges.”

Another area beauty businesses may want to look at, particularly those in the process of ordering furniture and equipment pre-opening or as part of a renovation, is the manicure/pedicure area. “For manicures, you should look at leg space under the desk,” Matthes says. “Is there enough space for a client in a wheelchair to approach the desk and sit comfortably behind it with their hands on top, while still allowing enough space for the therapist on the other side?” Whether it’s ordering a wider bed, adding props to make the client more comfortable or adjusting to make treatment areas more spacious, there are relatively simple changes every salon or spa can make to welcome all clients.