Spa consultant Marisa Dimitriadis suggests ways for spas to cater to a very specific client segment, that of menopausal women

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I t is fascinating to me that it has taken until 2022 for menopause to be in the spotlight and a very hot topic, when it’s a natural process that affects almost half of the world’s population at some point in their lives. Forbes estimated that around 1.1 billion women globally will have experienced menopause by 2025 (i.e. 12 percent of the world’s population), with millions more experiencing perimenopause.

The transition between the reproductive and non-reproductive years is accompanied by hot flashes, weight gain, mood swings, sleep issues, loss of libido, anxiety and depression.

‟THE TR ANSITION between the REPRODUCTIVE and NON-REPRODUCTIVE YEARS is accompanied by HOT FLASHES, WEIGHT GAIN, mood swings, sleep issues, LOSS OF LIBIDO, ANXIETY and depression. ″

According to a survey conducted by Carrot Fertility, ‘Few respondents feel prepared for menopause: 65 percent describe their experience as difficult; only 8 percent report feeling very prepared and informed for the overall experience of menopause; and 47 percent say they were not prepared. Additionally, 59 percent of respondents shared that they were more prepared for childbirth than for menopause.’

Changing narrative

There is no doubt that the menopause narrative is changing. Woman are speaking up and telling their stories and one thing is for sure – that just like puberty, there is no fixed start date for menopause and there is no ‘one size fits all’ dynamic applicable.

The wellness industry has woken up and realised that this estimated $600 billion market is an incredible opportunity and so multi-faceted that anyone in the beauty and wellness industry can take part.

Existing menopause focused solutions

Elektra Health is an online women’s health platform offering virtual one-on-one menopause care with accredited providers and accountability counsellors known as ‘menopause doulas’.

There are also specialist integrative doctors offering diagnostic testing with a holistic overview of hormones, vitamin and mineral levels to offer solutions that are completely personalised and multi-layered and include therapeutics in addition to the standard use of hormone replacement therapy. This form of medical care is on the rise as it looks to treat root causes of presenting symptoms rather than relying solely on individual hormone levels, which fluctuate widely during menopause. It is a full body solution focused on how various systems and hormones interact to create the symptoms experienced during perimenopause or menopause.

I personally work closely with Dr Gys Du Plessis and Dr Mary Atkinson, who head up the integrative and aesthetic division at Longiva Medical Centre in Gauteng and the approach they take towards treatment of menopause and perimenopause is very complete.

A London based company, Fifty One Apparel, is harnessing thermos-regulating materials originally developed by NASA for spacesuits to help alleviate menopause symptoms.

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‟TREATMENTS and products for menopause ARE NOT TRENDS – they ARE HERE TO STAY and will show HUGE GROWTH over the NEXT FEW YEARS. ″

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Adapting your business to this market

Firstly, you need to identify if your target market is a woman between the ages of 45 and 55. If yes, what solutions can you add to your business right now without re-inventing the whole wheel? Here are some ideas:

1. Create some treatments exclusively for menopause. You can really get creative here with Cool Down Massages and Hormone Balancing Facials, as well as water retention relief leg treatment and many more.

2. Highlight the products in the ranges you currently stock that are menopause specific, you might even want to create a ‘hot spot’ around this. There are many ingredients making a debut lately that are specific to menopause-thinning skin as well as dry, itching skin, or breakouts, all of which are common during hormone fluctuations

3. Don’t be shy; be loud and proud about menopause by creating photo walls or signs specifically for your menopause clients to take pictures and be open about their life experiences.

4. Host education events around menopause. This could be in the form of a ‘cheese and wine’ or ‘high tea’, where you create a sense of community for women to come and get education and share their own experiences. There is so much power in creating community and harnessing a safe space for woman to freely express themselves.

5. If you are a destination spa, you can easily create a menopause retreat package where you cater specifically to all the needs of menopausal women.

Treatments and products for menopause are not trends – they are here to stay and will show huge growth over the next few years. So be sure to get your business prepared to offer wellness solutions for such an important time in a woman’s life.

Marisa Dimitriadis is the founder and owner of The Spa Consultants and a co-founder of The Spa Professionals Guild. Email marisa@spaprofessionalsguild.com