aesthetic salon

[meijin]

Hi, what do you call the establishments where mostly women go to receive beauty treatment for the whole body, such as body care, facial treatment, and hair removal? These establishments are called "aesthe" (an abbreviation for the English words "aesthetic salon") in my country, but I've heard that in English you call them "beauty salons". But, English dictionaries say that a beauty salon is where 'hairdressing, make-up, and similar cosmetic treatments are carried out' (quoted from ODE). I'm a bit puzzled. Are body care, facial treatment (both mean massaging, not putting on make-up) and hair removal part of "cosmetic treatments"? Also, I don't think 'aesthetic salons' here in Japan carry out either hairdressing or make-up.

e.g. (by me)
- You've already been to that new beauty salon? How much did hair removal cost?

 

[Franco-filly]

Perhaps "Beauty clinic" ?

 

[You little ripper!]

They're generally known as 'beauty salons' here.

Beauty salon - Wikipedia

A beauty salon or beauty parlor (beauty parlour) (or sometimes beauty shop) is an establishment dealing with cosmetic treatments for men and women.[1] Other variations of this type of business include hair salons and spas.

There is a distinction between a beauty salon and a hair salon and although many small businesses do offer both sets of treatments; beauty salons provide extended services related to skin health, facial aesthetic, foot care, nail manicures, aromatherapy, — ..........

 

[Myridon]

A place for massages and skin treatments is often called a "spa" in American English.
Spa - Wikipedia

A 'body treatment', 'spa treatment', or 'cosmetic treatment' is non-medical procedure to help the health of the body. It is often performed at a resort, destination spa, day spa, beauty salon or school.

 

[Keith Bradford]

It depends on local law. In Britain it is legal for hair removal and some minor surgery (e.g. botox injections) to be done by a beautician in a beauty salon.

In other countries a medical qualification may be needed, so the name of the establishment will probably be different.

 

[meijin]

Thank you all very much. I'll check out the Wikipedia pages when I have more time. If I'm not mistaken, hairdresser's and hair salons both 'cut' the customers' hair (and also offer related services), but do beauty salons also cut their hair? I'm asking this because, as I said, beauty salons (or "aesthetic salons" in our language) here in Japan don't do that. Only barbers and hairdressers (and hair salons, if there's any difference between hairdresser's and hair salons) cut customers' hair.

A place for massages and skin treatments is often called a "spa" in American English.
Spa - Wikipedia

Actually, we not only have "aesthe(tic salons)" but also have "spas". But it seems that not many people here in Japan know the difference between the two. People here just want to import English words and use them.

 

[Myridon]

If I see "beauty salon" in American English, I know for certain that they cut, dye, etc women's hair. That is their primary business. They probably do men's hair. There's a very good chance they do manicures. There's a lesser chance that they do facials and other skin treatments and even less that they do massages.
There are two types of spas: the kind associated with a hot spring or source of mineral water that specializes in "bathing" and the modern kind that specializes in massages and skin treatments. I wouldn't get my hair cut at the first type of spa and wouldn't expect it to be the primary business of the second type.

 

[Keith Bradford]

If I see "beauty salon" in American English, I know for certain that they cut, dye, etc women's hair. That is their primary business. They probably do men's hair. There's a very good chance they do manicures. There's a lesser chance that they do facials and other skin treatments and even less that they do massages...

Two countries divided by a common language! In Britain, it's quite the reverse. Here a beauty salon would certainly do makeup, facials, manicures and other skin treatments. That is their primary business. They probably do massages and perhaps women's hair, almost certainly not men's hair...

Spas are, I think, something much larger, from a country hotel to a whole town (Malvern, Harrogate...)

You live and learn, don't you?

 

[Dale Texas]

I would expect a "beauty salon" to cater only to women, and like KB, would say that if they do hair, it would only be women's.

Unisex hair-care facilities do exist, but they advertise themselves as such with large signs on their exteriors, and during working hours you can you usually peer in through the windows and see both men and women having their hair cut, dyed, trimmed, etc.

 

[Myridon]

almost certainly not men's hair...

Many men would not feel comfortable getting a haircut in a beauty salon, but the stylists are all trained and would not refuse a male client. They would not have a barber so a man couldn't get a shave and they'd probably be better at long cuts than "military-style" buzz cuts, crew cuts.

 

[meijin]

So, to summarize...

In the US, beauty salons and hair salons both cut, dye, etc women's hair, and some of them do men's hair as well, and some beauty salons provide "extended services related to skin health, facial aesthetic, foot care, nail manicures, aromatherapy, — even meditation, oxygen therapy, mud baths, and many other services" (quoted from the Wikipedia page You Little Ripper pointed to). And the establishments for massages and skin treatments are called spas, and the traditional spas that specialize in "bathing" using hot spring water or mineral water don't cut hair, while the modern spas that specialize in massages and skin treatments may do it.

In the UK, beauty salons are what Keith described. Unlike in the US, beauty salons and hair salons are quite different.

In Australia, it's probably the same as in the UK.

Unisex hair-care facilities do exist, but they advertise themselves as such with large signs on their exteriors, and during working hours you can you usually peer in through the windows and see both men and women having their hair cut, dyed, trimmed, etc.

Are they also called just "beauty salons"? And can you also see the customers receiving non-hair related treatment?

 

[sdgraham]

Here in the U.S., we are now seeing practitioners using the term "aesthetic medicine" for what we used to call "plastic surgery."
American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine

That's a big step from "beauty salon."