Beauty & Spas in Gretna

“No two bodies are exactly the same, therefore, no two massages will be exactly the same,” explains Melissa Brocato when she describes her practice's approach to bodywork. Thus, Brocato, who graduated with honors from the school of massage therapy at Delgado Community College, draws on a variety of traditions—including deep-tissue, sports, and prenatal massage—to address each client's particular needs and trouble spots, such as strains, tight areas, or feuding vertebrae. Along with this breadth of expertise, Brocato is certified through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork and holds the position of Louisiana membership chairperson for the American Massage Therapy Association, which she has been a member of since 2009.

A wildly successful alternative to traditional day spas—its more than 300 locations blanket 36 states and half a dozen countries—Planet Beach Contempo Spa is a futuristic relaxation station where state-of-the-art machines administer all the spa and tanning services. These friendly automatons sometimes replace familiar treatments, as in the Luminous facial, a light-based service that delivers blemish-busting results similar to those of a conventional facial. But other equipment maps out new spa territory entirely: the Hydro-Derma Fusion chamber moisturizes the whole body with nutrient-rich steam in order to offset the effects of a dry climate or a rear-end collision with a salt truck. Other machines whiten teeth, spray tan skin, and massage muscles.

Planet Beach operates on a gym-style membership system, meaning that members purchase packages or pay flat monthly rates. As members spend more time at the spa, they get to know the helpful assistants who are always on hand to demonstrate how to use the equipment without activating its ability to cry.

From the gas lanterns at the entryway to the antique-style armchairs in the relaxation room, The Woodhouse Day Spa feels like a Victorian parlor that just happens to house more than a dozen massage therapists and a team of talented aestheticians and nail technicians. The 5,200-square-foot space includes four single massage rooms, one couples massage room, and a Vichy shower to facilitate body treatments. In the Woodhouse four-handed massage, one of the spa's signature services, two therapists choreograph customized pressure and 20-finger shadow-puppet chorus lines. A team member can firm and tone facial skin with a proprietary Minkyti massage technique or pamper digits with a soothing hand treatment.

The spa's rich hardwood floors and accents and exposed stone and brick walls create a retreat-like ambiance, as does the relaxation room where guests can read a magazine while listening to a trickling water fountain. The retail area showcases certified natural and organic Naturopathica skincare products and items from the spa's activewear line, which was co-branded with Nike.

The Spa at Windsor Court invites guests to relax during quick appointments or leisurely days spent within its boutique environment. Seeking to create a luxurious experience, the spa offers massages, facials, and other classic spa services, equipping patrons with pillowy robes and comfortable sandals during their visit. Guests receiving treatments can also make use of the facilities, which include a fitness center, outdoor pool, and jacuzzi. Additionally, all treatment rooms are outfitted with inputs for personal audio players such as iPods or enchanted conch shells.

Armed with a full arsenal of Essie and OPI polishes, the nail artists of Magazine Nails & Spa groom and coif nails with services that range from basic mani-pedis to one-hour pampering sessions filled with orange scrubs, hot towels, and skin-softening paraffin dips. Supplementary add-ons such as long-lasting gel polish, nail art, and french tips enrich nails following classic buffing, filing, and cuticle cleanup, and full sets of acrylic overlays grant fingers extra length and cure them of long-held sloth envy. The technicians at Magazine Nails also extend their shaping expertise to waxing services for the face and body, granting smoother skin to both their male and female clientele.