It’s so easy to forget to make an appointment for the spa. You always leave feeling fabulous, but then forget to book your next appointment until it’s too late. Your nails are scraggly, your skin is dull, your hair is two-toned and split at the ends. You try to get in, but you have to wait another week or two. During this time, your beauty situation becomes dire. You’re tempted to wear a paper bag over your head until your appointment. Does this happen to you?

I used to be a paper-bag-wearer every 2 months or so. It took getting engaged and reading a bridal beauty schedule to get me in the habit of following a spa schedule.


Now that I do, I’m hooked. I push the limits as far as I can to make sure I’m not breaking the bank with my spa habits, but I never get to that scraggly, dull, two-toned, split ends stage. Here is a schedule you can follow – accounting for time and money and offering maintenance suggestions as well.

Hair

Cut

Short - If your hair is short, it takes a bit more maintenance to maintain its stylish shape. Women with short hair will need to have their hair cut every 4 weeks.
Medium - Medium hair cuts give you a little more wiggle room than short cuts, but you should still make sure to visit your salon every 5 weeks.
Long - With long hair, you have the ultimate in terms of forgiveness. To keep your ends healthy, make sure you get a trim every 6 weeks.


If you’re growing your hair out in any of the styles listed above, don’t just let your hair grow willy-nilly. Make sure to have your ends trimmed at least every 8 weeks.

Color

No Roots – If you never want your roots to show, get your hair colored every 4 weeks. However, if you’re having your hair colored this often, make sure you’re not damaging your hair. Consult with your hair stylist to make sure the color being used on your hair isn’t super harsh.
Starting To Show – If you can handle your roots showing just a bit, you can probably wait until 6 weeks to have your hair colored again. Again, make sure you’re taking a healthy approach to your color so as not to damage your hair.
Two-Toned – If you wait 8 weeks or longer, your hair is going to look two-toned. You’ll have that ‘I’m growing out my color’ look – not pleasant. Depending on the difference between your natural hair color and your enhanced hair color, this may not be as drastic for some. If you can make it this long without having ombre hair, it’s a much healthier (and more affordable!) option.


Ways to extend your hair color – Using shampoos that are gentle on color-treated hair definitely seems to extend the amount of time you can go between colors. I love Frederic Fekkai Technician Color Care Shampoo. I don’t find the need to use a color care conditioner and can use one more suited to my hair texture.
Another little secret my hair colorist introduced me to is the Aveda color gloss services. I have my hair colored every 8 weeks with a color gloss in between. The color gloss gives my hair a nice shine and extends the color until my next highlight.

Nails

Perfect Cuticles – If money and time are no object, you should get a manicure every week and a pedicure every 3 weeks. This will keep your nail polish fresh, your cuticles healthy and your nails well-groomed.
Maintenance – If your budget and schedule don’t allot for such a hefty nail schedule, try to get a full mani/pedi at least once a month with a polish change on your hands in between. Most salons will do a basic nail grooming as they do your polish change. This will keep your nails looking fresh, your cuticles healthy and your pocketbook happy.


Ways to extend your manis –
1 – Wear gloves when you clean, wash dishes or garden
2 – Apply cuticle oil each night before bed
3 – Apply a clear coat every couple of days

Skin

Facials – I love a good facial even more than I love a good massage. I highly recommend having a facial (with extractions) every month. If your budget and schedule don’t permit that, go for at least once every 3 months.


Tip - As much as I love my regular aesthetician, there are plenty of group deals on spa services. A facial is a good way to experience a new spa since there’s not so much they can screw up.


Waxing – To maintain a good shape and not mess up the progress your aesthetician has made, make sure to have your eyebrows waxed about once a month. It pays to go to someone who specializes in eyebrow shaping instead of the random nail-tech, waxing your brows behind a makeshift curtain.


One of the best ways to make sure you maintain a spa schedule is to book your next appointment as you check out. Booking your services in advance ensures you’ll be able to get in when you need to.


Do you have a spa schedule? How is it similar or different to the one I listed here?


Photo Credit – epic self