You may have noticed that there's more conversation around menopause. It's a slowly growing conversation but women are increasingly, rightfully determined to be heard, and the spa and wellness has an important role to play.
October saw the arrival of the annual World Menopause Day, to greater awareness than ever before. It included a call from MPs in the cross-party House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee for new Menopause Ambassador to keep women in the workplace (if they want to), amendments to the Equality Act to introduce menopause as a protected characteristic. There was also a Menopause Rally outside The Houses of Parliament to campaign for better healthcare, access to HRT medication and radical requirements to change culture and ways of working to accommodate and retain female talent in the workplace.
Around 13 million women experience menopause each year in the UK, as an unavoidable part of growing older. More than 70% experience severe symptoms and yet the understanding of menopause and the support that's available is two-dimensional. From brain fog so bad some women worry they are developing dementia, to hot flushes, fatigue and more, not only can it be isolating and disturbing, but it can impact relationships, mental health and surveys show that one in 10 women have quit their job because of menopause symptoms. Furthermore, women themselves often don't realise the symptoms of menopause when they arrive, such is the insidiousness of many of them as they develop over time.
However, menopause is also a natural part of life, where women enter a new, and potentially very exciting phase of their existence. So, how can we do better?
The spa industry has a powerful role to play in lots of areas of health and wellbeing, especially menopause. This is increasingly being recognised by pioneering voices within the industry.
For example, Jennifer Young (best known for her oncology skincare and spa therapist training), launched The Menopause Plus providing holistic skincare products and therapist training for hormone balance; and GenM is a powerful collective of brands committed to supporting women in menopause in multiple different ways.
By making holistic wellbeing part of the support system for women, and adding it to the joy and beauty of the wellbeing environment, rather than limiting it to the doctor's surgery, the spa industry can help women to have a better experience of menopause.
As a case in point, the luxurious Fairmont Windsor Park is a founding member of GenM and as a result they offer a suite of wellness support dedicated to women in menopause.
That includes purposeful spa treatments and nutrition advice to help women manage hormone change positively. For their pioneering work, including the creation of their beautiful, Two Night GenM Collection Spa Break, they won the GenM Outstanding Trailblazer of the Year 2022 Founders Award.
The experience includes, amongst its many features, a 48 Solutions Facial and a 48 Solutions Massage (named for the 48 symptoms of menopause that GenM has recorded). Food, meanwhile, is from a dedicated GenM Menu, especially designed by Mark Brega, Executive Head Chef and Sarah Grant, Nutritional Therapist, using ingredients that are particularly helpful during perimenopause and menopause such as phytoestrogens, omega-3s, antioxidants and anti-inflammatories.
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