"In today's day and age, who can stay in the house for a couple of weeks?" asked Dr. Raffaela Russo, an allergy specialist and owner of the spa at 3993 Richmond Ave. "Women want to come in, have a procedure done, go home, put their makeup on and go out for the evening," she said.

Whether it's $500 Botox injections on their lunch break or a 90-minute, $90 alpha-hydroxy facial on a Saturday afternoon, spa-goers are willing to pay up for the promise of smoother skin, finer lines and a lithe appearance. "Anti-aging treatments-medical or not-are a fast-growing segment of European spa treatments," says Ada Polla Tray, co-creator of the cosmetics line Alchimie Forever. Tray's parents opened one of the first medi-spas in Switzerland. They were on to something. European spa revenues reached $18.4 billion from 47.9 million visits in 2007, according to SpaFinder, a worldwide online listing of spas.

If you are starting to experience a mental or physical slowdown in the workplace, here are some tips to get your edge back. These strategies will help you find the energy and drive to succeed, whether you are 29 or 99 years old.

He prescribed herbal supplements, which he tested himself for impurities, to help boost her immunity. Soon, Ms. Potter said, she felt more energetic and her digestion was better. After two years, the practitioner stopped visiting the island, and she has not taken any supplements since, she said, because she has not met any practitioners she trusts.

As the needle deactivates your worry lines, remember: If your doctor, nurse, spa aesthetician or Craigslist Botox-party pro is not abiding by rules adopted this summer in reaction to the Endoscopy Center's hepatitis C outbreak, you could be exposed to similar transference of disease. Trouble is, the regulations apply to ambulatory surgery facilities, not spas and doctor's offices and living rooms.

Last winter, some 40,000 endoscopy patients were notified that they may have been exposed to hepatitis C or HIV due to the reuse of syringes, and authorities pushed for quick tightening of medical regulations regarding multiple-patient use of vials of medicine. This started instant rumbling in the Botox industry from coast to coast.

But despite the adjective "medical," you can't assume that these spots are always the healthiest places to go. More than half, or 56 percent, of dermatologic surgeons surveyed in 2007 said that patients had come to them for help after developing complications from a cosmetic procedure that a non-physician had performed. These complications included burns, scarring and skin discoloration.There are steps you, the consumer, can take to make sure that you lower your risk when visiting a medical spa, says Trisha Brandon, online health editor with Consumer Reports, which currently features an article on the topic on its Health Web site.

I'm taking a falconry lesson, the age-old art of hunting game with birds of prey. It's a compelling way to while away an afternoon in the natural splendor of southwest Vermont, especially as leaf-peeping season approaches.

I've made my way to see the changes at the Equinox resort, which recently got new owners, HEI Hotels & Resorts, and $20 million in renovations. It's a famous old New England dame, opened in 1769, though the last time I stayed it was showing wrinkles in terms of decor, service and food.

Addressing an audience of hundreds of CEOs and travel industry leaders, Queen Rania highlighted many of the unique experiences that travellers can explore in the region, from the "Desert Islands" eco-project in Abu Dhabi, to the sea life attractions in Oman, and the environment-friendly accommodations throughout Egypt.

If you have the bathtub, we have the solutions on how you can create an at-home spa that offers the luxury and pampering of those five-star spa joints minus the hassles and sticker-shock prices. The following tips will show you how to be Spa Queen for a day without stepping foot out of your home.

1. Carve out a sanity spa zone: Set aside at least two hours when you're sure you won't be interrupted by phone calls, husbands, kids, boyfriends, your mother-in-law or the UPS guy. If you have to schedule your spa day between 2 and 4 a.m. because it's the only time in your day when you can get a little peace, so be it!

Well, they were the images of Borneo in my head before I visited the Malaysian side of the island that's the third largest in the world.

Now that I've been to Borneo I think about delightful hours of pampering at a day spa, of shopping at the local market, and sitting in the shallows watching a storm form over Borneo's wild mountains.

It's just another day in the office for Raquel Rzepecki. Her office? Lakali Natural Skincare Spa in Tucson, which got its start from a dark moment in her life. "I lost my mother to cancer, so I decided that I needed to be doing things for people. So I dedicated my spa to doing all-natural skincare", says Raquel.