The health spa industry in the United States has been thriving over the last several years. with thousands of health spas scattered throughout the land. It's now one of the country's biggest leisure industries. While many sectors of the economy are downsizing their domestic work forces due to offshoring and consolidation, the opposite is true for the health spa industry.

What type of health spa is the most popular? Not the fat farms where you pay thousands of dollars for a weekend living on sprouts, miso soup and carrot juice (Okay. It's not that bad.) but the day spas, some of which are humble, but some of which are upscale indeed, where people plunk down hundreds of dollars for a treatment or two before heading off, refreshed, to their McMansions.

Lunch time treatments are a growing trend, where people get somewhat shorter versions of typical wraps, facials, massages, and other soothing treatments. So are workplace treatments, where the practitioner comes to the worker. Spas that are combining educational aspects are also getting positive feedback.

This is where people maybe come in for a facial and then get instructions on how to do mini facials at home and advice on what types of products to use. Kits with instructions and sample sizes of products are sometimes included in what can be called a workshop or seminar event.

According to the International Spa Association, there are an estimated 12,000 spas in the United States right now. This is a whopping 25 percent increase over just three years ago. Day spas occupy about 8,700 locations countrywide. That is a 20 percent increase in day spas since 2002. Resort/hotel spas are the second largest category, and club spas come in third. Spa visits from men are on the rise.

They comprise 29 percent of all spa goers. Due to this upswing, spas throughout the world are devising treatments that appeal exclusively to men. (Don't fret, men this doesn't mean are competing for the "fairer sex" moniker; it just means they're learning to take care of themselves.)

Gift certificates and discount coupons help to draw people in. So do special occasions, such as bridal parties the day before the wedding, or even birthday celebrations. Skin care services remain very popular, and so do the traditional salon hair styling and nail services. Body services, such as hair removal, as well as makeup application are also in demand.

Some really great news is that most people who use spa services are happy with them. All of this means that if you like to help people feel and look better, owning a spa or working in some aspect of the spa industry might be just right for you.