Hela special Pumpkin Peel Facial Treatment

It's fall at Hela Spa & Ted Gibson Salon. We've prepared a new special Pumpkin Peel Facial Treatment for you. Suitable for all types of skin, The Pumpkin Peel Facial Treatment is a powerful antioxidant treatment that brightens and rejuvenates the skin.

Pumpkin contains the highest concentration of salicylic acid of any plant and offers more than 100 beneficial nutrients including the highest concentration of Vitamin A, C, and beta-carotene.

The Pumpkin Peel Facial Treatment will exfoliate, hydrate and tone the skin. Your skin will have a healthy glow following the treatment.




Enjoy our special offer of $100 seasonal Pumpkin Peel Facial Treatment until the end of November (regulary priced $150) Call Now +1 301 951 4445 to book your appointment @ Hela Spa in The Collection Chevy Chase.

Beauty Spot Feature: Ted Gibson Salon at Hela Spa

The Beauty Spot featured Ted Gibson and Hela Spa as a new hot spot in DC:

"For the past two weeks my hair has felt like a bad rash. My new job has me more tethered to North Carolina than I'm used to and so, to accommodate the 9 to 5 (or 10:30 depending on the day) life, I've had to abandon my previous hair boyfriends in LA and New York. The results have been much less than satisfactory.

But Ted Gibson, being the patron saint of hair (I say this sincerely as I earnestly believe he was put on earth to help materialize his motto - "Beauty is Individual" - as ultimate truth as well as a chic statement) was two steps a head of me. By opening his DC Salon at The Collection in Chevy Chase he has once again saved my hair and subsequently my self image."

Continue reading the article here.

Hela Spa and Ted Gibson Salon Grand Opening Party

Thursday night was the grand opening of our Chevy Chase location. Present at the party were the Real Housewives of Washington DC (pictured above with Ted). The party was so much fun, thanks to all who attended!
Photos by Kris Connor/ KC Photos

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Our aesthetician JoElle on The Makeup Girl!

Or aesthetician JoElle was featured on the beauty blog
"The Makeup Girl"
Click here to read the full story.

What Skincare I'm Packing for Vacation...

My favorite must have skin care product for this summer is Dermalogica’s Skin Care Essentials Kit. It’s travel size and includes a day cleanser, skin prep scrub, toner, and lotion, not to mention the extra samples of Dermalogica’s products. Summer is a disastrous time for my oily skin so I use the Oily kit, however the skin care line also has a kit for Dry, Acne Prone, or Sensitized skin. Plus, at only $30.00 a kit, it not only fits in my carry-on but also on my budget!

The Hela People Project: Colorist Huda Al-Yacoube

We talked to our colorist Huda about her take on hair, the next big thing, and why Kate Gosselin's hair is a mess.



How did you get into the field of coloring?

I first got into hair coloring by accident. I was a makeup artist for years and was going to school, so I needed a job that was flexible with my hours. I found a job as a receptionist at a salon in Virginia. I became friends with the hairdresser and one of the top stylist was looking for a new apprentice so she said I should try to assist her for 2 weeks to see if I liked it and if she saw potentioal in me. i fell in love with coloring hair and making clients look and feel beautiful and she belived i could be good at hairdressing so i was her assistant for 3 years : )

What hair cuts do you find the most challenging to add color to?

The most challenging are clients who have very damaged hair and want drastic changes within one visit. But as for cuts that are difficult with color, it would be highlight foils with very short hair. In that case it is better to baliage with lightener. But I do prefer pixie short cuts to be a single color.

What do you like most about your job as a colorist?

I love making my clients feel beautiful when they leave the salon. Sometimes I can give them a major change and everything pops on the face. Their eyes, brows and skin can look better. I also enjoy listening to guests life stories. It makes my job even more enjoyable.

What is your favorite color combination to work with?

I love doing solid red hair, shiny and rich. My pet peve is light, blonde highlights with a red hair base. I also love any hair that has demention with highlights, nothing drastic, but ribbons of blonde with lightest brown, or caramel highlights with a chocolate warm base.

If you could pick any person in the world and give them a hair makeover, who would it be and what would you do?

Kate Gosselin! Because her hair is a mess. The color is off, the cut is off. It's just very outdated. The front is disconnected from the back in a strage way. I would also love to make Angelina Jolie dark brown. I don't like her with highlights.



What sources of inspiration do you draw from when you work?

Everyday people watching. Fashion magazines. Music. Seasons. Traveling.

What hair advice would you like to give the average female Washingtonian?

Don't think that DC is that conservative. Express yourself and don't be afraid of rich shiny beautiful color and cuts.

What hair cut/color/style do you think will be the next big thing?

The bohemian look has been in for the last few years and I think will be around for a while. It's a very natural uncoiffed look and the colors in the hair look sunkissed and natural.

The Hela People Project: Andrea Rodgers (aka Miss A)

On Wednesday we hosted an event here at Hela Spa and Ted Gibson in Georgetown that Miss A organized together with the organization 'Innosence at Risk'.

We took the took the opportunity to talk to Miss A herself (>>check out her blog here!)



Miss A, what have you been up to lately?

Well, last night I hosted "Girls Night Out at Hela Spa" with DC Girls in the Know's Chris Jacobs. I got Botox and Juvederm Ultra Plus. I can already see the great results I got from the Juvederm filler injections that Melanie Erb performed, and the Botox is starting to take some effect. I'm very happy and excited about this. Several other women got procedures last night, and booked appointments. After learning more, the women who attended felt much more comfortable with the treatment options that are available to women now.

You are a Washingtonian constantly on the run and involved in new exciting projects. Tell us a little bit about what you are up to in the near future.

Well, I do a lot of charity work. I founded The Courage Cup in 2006, which is an IRS designated 501(c) (3) non-profit corporation which was established to help at-risk urban youth. We support programs in the mid-Atlantic region which give disadvantaged children individualized attention and a positive alternative activity to keep them in school and off the streets. We support the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, and Work to Ride, which is a after school program centered around equestrian sports. They are the very first all African-American Polo Team. On June 18th, The Courage Cup's Leadership Committee is hosting "Summer Swing Under the Stars" on the roof and in the Penthouses of AKA White House, which is a couple doors down from the Metropolitan Club at H & 17th Streets. We will have DC Swing!, an 18-piece Swing band, heavy hors d'ouevres, cocktails, and a great Silent Auction, including some great items from Hela Spa and Alchime Forever. For details on this event, you can go to http://www.couragecup.org/events.php

I'm also on the Board of Innocents at Risk, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to fight human trafficking and sexual exploitation of young girls, boys, and women. We are hosting a screening of the movie, "Taken" at the Letelier Theater, above Cafe Milano on June 29th. We will have a reception with wine and heavy hors d'ouevres in the courtyard before the movie, and then have Q&A with ICE agents, and others fighting Human Trafficking after the show. For more details, visit http://www.innocentsatrisk.org

As a public figure who is constantly out and about, what is your secret to looking so radiant?

Besides the new Botox, and Juvederm procedures, I try to take really good care of my skin, and watch what I eat. I have been wearing sunscreen with a very high SPF every single day since I turned 29. I wear it daily despite the season or weather conditions. It's not just the sun we get by the pool or beach that can age us -- it's the compiled effect of daily exposure to the sun. I just wish I was better about putting it on my hands every time I drive.


As a consumer of beauty treatments, what would be your ideal spa treatment?

The thing I love about Hela Spa, which sets you apart from other spas I've gone to is that Hela is all about the results. Your facials aren't just a relaxing treat -- they actually improve the skin. I don't think I could choose just one ideal treatment, as it's really about the overall individualized plan that Hela creates after doing a VISIA analysis. All the various treatments work together to create healthier, more radiant, younger looking skin.


Lastly, after a week full of social events, what do you do to recuperate and find tranquility?

Honey, I wish I had time to recuperate. Being a blogger means blogging daily, if not twice a day. Like many people in Washington, I'm a Type A, overachieving, perfectionistic workaholic. I am constantly working on PR events for my clients, writing press releases, pitching the media, or planning a fundraiser for one of the charities I support. There is always something to be done! I drink lots of Diet Pepsi and many pots of coffee to keep me going. I should drink more water for my skin!

The Hela People Project: James Henderson

Hela Spa and Ted Gibson are lucky to have colorist James Henderson on our team. To get a better grip on the creative process of coloring hair, we asked him a few questions...

1. What do you like most about your job as a colorist?
What I like most about being a colorist is the ability instantly brighten up a clients skin and eyecolor. Haircolor is a quick way to breathe new life into someone's look.

2. Do you have a favorite color, or combination of colors, that you like to work with?
My favorite colors would be the colors of the different seasons- Reds, browns and golds in the fall. Violets, yellows and pinks in the spring. Whites, grays and dark greens in the winter. We should look to some the rich colors in nature to enhance the natural color of our hair.

3. If you could pick any person in the world and give them a hair makeover, who would it be and what would you do?
Paris Hilton! I would color her hair a rich rose gold and cut her hair super short.

4. What sources of inspiration do you draw from when you work?
I am inspired by art and geometry. By placing color in different shapes we can tailor haircolor for haircuts.

5. What hair advice would you like to give the average female Washingtonian?
Gloss! After every service and in between services! This will keep color rich and shiny.


6. What is the most common question that you get from your clients?
The biggest question is upkeep. For highlights every 6 weeks. For single process every 4 weeks. Remember the further away you go from your natural color the more often you will need to touch up.

7. What hair cut/color/style do you think will be the next big thing?
The next thing will be using different shapes in the placement of color to bring the different angles and lines of modern haircuts.

Screening the sun

We like the sun here at Hela Spa and Ted Gibson. But more so, we like to protect ourselves from the damage that the sun can cause. Therefore we have stocked up on everything you can possibly need for the sunny summer ahead!

The Z-Silc is our bestseller and there are many reasons why. The texture is thin, but not runny, and it doesn't clog your pores. It goes on without making your skin oily and is perfect to use as your day-to-day protection. This sunscreen is best for oily to combination skin types.

If your skin happens to be on the drier side, the Ti-Silc is perfect for you. Ti-Silc also comes in Sheer to eliminate the whiteness that a sun lotion can sometimes cause.

For the guys we have a Ti-Silc Scalp Defense (perfect summer gift). This SPF covers the area on your scalp where the lotion doesn't go on as easily as it comes in spray form.

Really, there are no excuses to not be in the sun, as long as you are protected and safe! For a complimentary consultation on what sunscreen may fit you the best, just come on in.
Our sunscreen goddess Amber peeks up behind the bottles...

Vanja's Pick: The Perfect Party Song

Vanja takes the nostalgic route -- "Part Time Lover" with Stevie Wonder! (Was she even born when this song came out btw??)

Don't Have Weekend Plans?? Brighten up with $75 Spa and Salon Treatments!

Come celebrate with us at Hela Spa and Ted Gibson and receive beautiful savings...

::Sunday and Monday May 24th and 25th @ Hela Spa in Georgetown
*Brazilian Brow Combo (normally $110) $75
*The Lena Ohlin or The Greta Garbo Facial (normally $100) $75
*The Stockholm Swedish Massage 50min (normally $120) $85
*Recieve $100 off any Botox or Filler (normally $350 - $700)

::Saturday and Sunday May 23th and 24th @ Ted Gibson at The Collection in Chevy Chase!
*Recieve $75 OFF any color service with our Fab Colorist, James!
*Add on a Specialized Color Glaze (normally $95 - $130) just $50

::Sunday May 24th @ Ted Gibson at The Collection in Chevy Chase!
*All Haircuts(normally $95 - $150) $75. *All Blow Outs (normally $60 - $95) $40. *Spa Manicure and Pedicure with exfoliating scrub (normally 105) $75


Call 202 333 4445 to book your treatment! (Offer only lasts as long as we have appointments available!)

The Hela People Project: Photographer Ruthi David

Ruthi David. That's the name of a Virginia-based photographer who we are incredibly lucky to be involved with here at Hela Spa and Ted Gibson. She has won tons of awards and been seen in many publications such as the Random House coffee table collection The Big Book of Babies.

Ruthi will be at Hela Spa for a special mini-session photo event on June 1st from 11am-3pm! To make sure you get a slot, reserve now! These sessions are specifically for mom and baby, or baby/child individually. (For individual baby sessions, babies should be able to sit up on their own.) Please email Ruthi David at rdavid@rdavidphotography.com for more information or to reserve your timeslot.

We were so curious about this extraordinary woman, so we had to ask her a few questions....

So tell us a little bit about R David Original Photography, for those readers not familiar with your services. I am a portrait photographer specializing in children. I do the majority of my sessions on location - either in client's homes or outdoors, but I love it when I can meet new people at mini-session events, such as the event we have scheduled on-site at Hela in June. I love talking to children, bringing out a shy grin, coaxing them out of their shell a bit to capture the spark that makes every child unique and wonderful.

What about your job do you like most?
I love meeting people, and I love knowing that I can give a family an image that looks genuine and captures them the way they really were at a given moment in time. Being entrusted with a family's memories is a great privilege.

How did you get started?
Well, I grew up in a house where photography was always an obsession. My mother had a darkroom in our house growing up. You had to be careful that when you got a pitcher out of the refrigerator it was really Kool-Aid and not darkroom chemicals! So I learned to take pictures using film and doing darkroom developing. I went digital when my first child was born, 10 years ago, and just fell in love with the instant gratification aspect. For the next six years I was a serious amateur, and finally decided to make a go of this as a business after the birth of my youngest child in 2005. The rest, as they say, is history!

Where can we find you (website, blog, location)? I live online!! The Portrait Site: www.rdavidphotography.com | The Event Site: www.rdavideventphotography.com | The Blog: www.virginiachildphotographer.com/blog

Our aesthetician Brianne and Mary Amons on Channel 9!

Always wanted to truly understand what's going on with your skin? Check out the video and learn more about the VISIA!

The Hela People Project: Kelly Rose

Name: Kelly Rose

Age: 28

Profession: Aesthetician

Favorite vacation destination: Hawaii, to visit my husband's mom. Or Myrtle Beach in South Carolina, also with family. I'm a family person, I love being with my family.

Three things I can't live without at the moment: Phloretin CF from SkinCeuticals, cute shoes, and the Twighlight series -- I am so hooked I don't even let people borrow them...

Favorite restaurant: La Fourchette in Adams Morgan, for their stuffed chicken with crab and Bearnaise.

In the car I listen to: 91.9 which is the christian station, to avoid road rage, or Dane's selection.

Christy's pick: The perfect party song

Here is what Christy think is the perfect tune for the weekend..

The Hela People Project: Scott Phillips

Name: Scott Phillips

Profession: Massage therapist

Dream vacation: Prague, for the history, culture, architecture, and mix of old and new...

Favorite DC restaurant: Open City, for their Gruyere cheese burger.

Favorite beverage: Bells' two hearted ale, it's a great beer with a cool label.

The Hela People Project

I was talking to one of my colleagues a while ago, and we ended up discussing how many interesting people we have at Hela and Ted Gibson, both as clients and as employees.

After mentioning this to our force of nature, and very own Helle Jeppsson, we concluded that we need to highlight this, and share with the world, or the followers of this blog..., who some of these people are. Therefor I started a series of mini-interviews; The Hela People Project.

Here's to people.





Name: Mary Amons

Age: 42

Profession: Mother of 5, Founder/President of Labels for Love, Inc. a non-profit, 100% volunteer organization that supports women's and children's organizations in Washington, DC, Co-Founder of The District Sample Sale a bi-annual shopping event to support the charities of Labels for Love www.labelsforlove.org/www.districtsamplesale.com

Favorite place in DC for a picnic: The Tidal Basin, especially when the Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom!

Favorite place in DC to go for desserts: Leopold's Kafe, an authentic Austrian Kafe in Georgetown with amazing homemade fresh pastries

Dream vacation right now: Paris! Craving to get back to the cheese, wine, cuisine and fashion in Paris!

Favorite treatment at Hela: Since the doors opened, I have been a Hela Spa fanatic! A few of my favorite treatments.... a deep-tissue massage with Jessica and a "The Greta Garbo" Facial with Brianne or Leslie....Laser Hair removal and Botox with Dr. Rachel! ...and can't leave out my love for Ted Gibson and the hair team at The Collections!




Name: Neven Radovic

Age: 30, just turned last week...

Profession: Hair Stylist at Hela Spa and Ted Gibson at The Collection.

Favorite place to eat in DC: Leopold's, for their croque monsieur.

Dream vacation: Hawaii, where I just celebrated my 30th birthday, for the unbelievable beaches, the sunsets in the North West, and the big lazy turtles that crawl out of the water and hang out in Turtle Beach :)

When I'm looking for a night out with drinks and dancing I go to: Croatia...one of my favorite places is Sontana, where people go to dance and sing. It's mixed ages and I think the whole scene is pretty much a local phenomenon...

Last time I had a fun night out: was when I went to L2 and then Lima. The music at Lima is great for dancing.

Favorite spa product and treatment: Robin's or Theresa's massage here at The Collection. And I would not want to live without the Ted Gibson Beautiful Hold Hairspray. It gives the hair a perfect hold, is very light and has a great smell. I love hairspray...



Name: Danielle Martin

Age: 21

Profession: Visual arts teacher at CHAW (Capitol Hill Arts Workshop).

Favorite neighborhood in DC: Mt. Pleasant. For it's mix of people, openness, and great coffee shops such as Dos Gringos! Don't miss their weekend brunches..

Dream trip: Spain, for an indefinite amount of time.

First experience at Hela: In a word: lovely. Jessica found areas of tension that she worked on and the treatment felt customized.




Name: Zahra Choudhury

Age: 21

Profession: Student at Georgetown University

Favorite thing to do on a rainy day: Wear matching rain boots and umbrella and splash in puddles. *Big smile

Favorite quote: Every day should be a good day to die.

Skincare product I prefer not live without: Night Therapy by Neova ProCyte.

If I could only have one more spa treatment I would get: The microdermabrasion with a deep cleansing facial (the hand massage is to die for).




Name: Tiffany Spruill

Age: 29

Profession: Aesthetician

What is you favorite place for dinner: I'm going to have to say the Cheesecake Factory -- for the variety!

Favorite place for dancing: Zanzibar at the water front in South West DC. Their happy hour goes on until 8pm. Do I have to say more?

Best place to shop: Lord & Taylor -- I just love their shoe department.

For peace of mind and tranquility I go to: Hanes Point, to look at the planes coming and going from National Reagan Airport.

Favorite skincare product: M.D. Forte's SkinRejuvanation Lotion II. It's a lotion that is packed with vitamin A and E and it just makes my skin the softest... *smiles

Feet!

Ha! Check this out. One of our favorites among the skincare brands that we carry -the Swiss darling Alchimie Forever- has a tribute video to their foot cream, 532nm!

Although it's not hard to praise AF's products, this one is special to me. As a choreographer, I am in desperate need of relief for my feet regularly.

The only downside with this cream, and this is a bit of a trauma, is that I once sent it to a couple of relatives in Sweden, as a gift. -- Now they are angry with me for having introduced a cream to them that they are hooked on but can't buy there...! Ada, get on the Swedish market!

Say hello to Ms Erb!

Hela Spa welcomes nurse practitioner and sparkling personality Melanie Erb to our medical team. We are really happy to have Melanie on board. Yes, she brings a wealth of experience from her work in the Division of Plastic Reconstructive Surgery at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University Hospital, but we are mostly excited because her first proposed project was to throw a party!

Melanie is hosting our first Swedish Mother's Day event on Sunday May 10th. Party favors include $100.00 gift cards for botox treatments, and $50.00 gift cards for spa/salon treatments... Fun!

Melanie will be on hand to answer any question (yes any question) about her favorite subjects: Botox, Restalyne/Fillers, IPL, Laser Treatments.

You might just leave looking a little more youthful than when you arrived:)

RSVP to melanie.erb@helaspa.com

We heart cupcakes

May is here, which is hard to believe. Time goes fast here at Hela Spa and Ted Gibson. In the last few weeks we have worked our way through a few events, for example Spa-Week. This is a biannual event that we have developed a real love-hate relationship with...

We LOVE seeing all the new clients coming in to try our treatments, and sharing their experiences. We do not love as much the Mt Everest of laundry that Spa-Week creates, and that took us two weeks to get through... Yes, the laundry labor is so intense during and after Spa-Week that it made our massage therapist base a storyline for a modern dance piece on it! (Not kidding. We are creative here at Hela and TG).

What else have we been up to... Oh, we decided to spice up a staff meeting with a cupcake battle! As you all know, the cupcake trend reached DC a few months back and there is quite a few different shops dedicated entirely to cupcakes that each Washingtonian has to choose between when the cupcake tooth sets in.

We decided to let the two most popular vendors in Georgetown battle it out: Georgetown Cupcake and Baked and Wired.

Before the storm: Baked and Wired

Georgetown Cupcake....
Packaging is crucial. Georgetown may win at first glance, but B&W's stickers (which is a little hard to see on this picture) is very cool...

Kelly and Michael fighting over the cherry blossom special edition by Baked & Wired.
So what did we think? Who had the bests cupcakes? It was an quite an even race! Mr Ladner pointed out that he prefers the overall vibe at B&W. However, most of us agreed that B&W's products are sweet. Like, really sweet. To the point where you almost pass out from the sugar rush. (Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Unless you have to go back to work after the munching...)

Georgetown Cupcake on the other hand, had a more nuanced flavor, particularly the frosting. They were smaller though. Which didn't roll with most of us. Cupcakes need to not be cramped into tiny cupcake cups. They need space!

But I guess I do prefer a good tasting cupcake, no matter what size, over a less flavorful, but big, cupcake.

As I'm writing this, Kelly shouts that she thought Baked & Wired was way better. I asked her if she didn't think they were too sweet. She said that she likes sweet things...

As you can tell, it's not that easy to determine a winner. I guess we didn't have one winner. We had two.

To check out neighborhood pastry shops go to georgetowncupcake.com (cool interactive website btw) and bakedandwired.com.
Next time, at the next staff meeting, we are going to try the next big thing... Yes, yogurt ice cream. Hey, Sweet Greens and Ice Berry, better watch out!

The product crazy massage therapist

Our massage therapist Mary, is writing about her passion; massage cream...

Hela has changed me. When I started here three years ago my only concern about massage lubricant was the glide... with a vague notion that it should be more or less non-toxic (of course at that time I didn't mind that my skincare routine was ivory soap). I shudder at the thought.

I can pinpoint the beginning of my product obsession. It was when I got it into my head that Hela needed to have a customized massage cream... at which time I learned that I could choose things. Power. More eucalyptus for a sports massage blend, OK.... more natural, sure thing just keep it in the refrigerator. More earth friendly? Just use a emulsifier that comes from a different region of the world. That massage cream is like an expression of my soul.

But obsessions are endless and I wasn't completely satisfied. I had to find the perfect massage oil. I wanted more hydration, more omegas, more organic, more free trade, more Nordic.... nothing would satisfy me. And then finally, after a year of looking I found it. Cloudberry Seed Oil. It has been called the golden oil, and I see why. This is the dream massage oil. I almost cried when my sample bottle ran out. The only supplier is half way around the world and had not yet sold to the States yet, but it is almost year. Any day now my new oil is going to arrive. Its like being a kid at Christmas.... only much, much better.

Would you like to win your own massage cream? And maybe a body polish to get rid of that dry winter skin? Comment on this post and let us know how you heard about our blog, and we will select five winners who's names we will announce on Friday the 6th!

The eye cream that Georgetown is in love with

Everyone at Hela is feeling fresh and rejuvenated. Why? SkinMedica's TNS Night Eye Repair tightens and brightens your eyes to make them look fabulous...and seductive... ;-)

Some people take it a bit too far though. Here's Amber kissing her new BFF...

"i also believe in love at first sight, that candid photography is an art form, and that i can change the world."

These words come from the DC-based photographer Jaime Windon (a.k.a. the Blonde Photographer...).

If you haven't seen her work yet, you must go to blonde photo: have more fun! You will see the most exquisite collection of photography from many different events and places, both locally and from the around the world!




If there is one thing to be said about Jaime, it's that she truly lives life to the fullest, with an open heart. This I believe, can be seen in her work as well.



















The other day we had the honor of having Jaime at our location in Chevy Chase. Below are some of her photos from the session:

Before...
























After!










































Gotta love Jaime!

Valentine's Weekend Couples Massage Class

Looking for a way to continue your Valentine's Day festivities on Sunday, without having to get dressed up all over again? Or, are you boycotting the holiday altogether, and just looking for something fun to do with a friend that doesn't involve braving the February cold?

Hela has your answer. Join us at The Collection on Sunday, February 15th at 10:00 a.m. for a couples massage workshop.

The class will teach you, through demonstration and hands-on practice, the tools you need to share the nurturing, relaxing, therapeutic benefits of massage with your loved ones. The two-and-a-half hour workshop will include a brief overview of anatomy, the basic mechanics of giving massage (no more 'weak hands') and an easy to follow protocol for working on the back, neck, shoulders, hands and feet.

Though class is designed for couples, pairs of friends are welcome. All participants should be at least 18 years of age and in good health. Pregnant women in their second or third trimester are welcome and encouraged to join.

We will provide all of the supplies you'll need, but you are welcome to bring a pillow to sit on or a blanket to cozy up with, and wear comfortable clothes and plan to be working on the floor.

Our last batch of students had great fun, and were thrilled with what they learned. One reported back that she would never look at massage the same way again.

For more information or to register, simply contact the spa!

We have a blog!!

Make sure to bookmark this website in your favorites! This is where you will get the latest on Hela Spa and Ted Gibson!

For those of you who haven't heard about our new salon, we are very excited to let you know that we are now partnering with Ted Gibson!

This past week was quite a ride, with Ted's team traveling to DC over inauguration weekend. We had a lot of clients coming in for services, as well as stylists coming in to interview with Ted.

We also had a visit from someone you might recognize...




American actress and R&B singer Tatyana Ali (best known for her role as Ashley Banks in Fresh Prince of Bel-Air!) Here she is getting her make-up done. -- Check out her hair -- Ted's work!.

For those of you who haven't met Ted, and would like to know more about him, click here for a great article in Vanity Fair!

The man himself :) >

This partnership has been such a great way to ring in the new year! We look forward to the continuing excitement of 2009, and to sharing it with all of our Hela, and now Ted Gibson, family!

Check back weekly for new posts!!

And the Laser Saga Continues...

As most of our devoted (*and thankfully understanding*) clients know, poor Leon the Laser has been a bit more than "under the weather" as of late, so we have finally decided to send him into early retirement. We are hard at work "interviewing" the best, newest lasers on the market to find a suitable replacement. Here you see Amber and Brianne busy "training" with one of our candidates!!

We heart Chipotle

Here at Hela, Friday is an official holiday -- Chipotle Day.












Clearly we're all worried about carbs... That's why we all get the burrito BOWL!

Happy weekend all!