Hadley Heater, massage therapist, left, and Wendy Foss, esthetician. Lisa Stark photos.
Hadley Heater, massage therapist, and Wendy Foss, esthetician, are both new to the area and a welcome addition to customers in the South Shore area. Foss owned her own medical spa in Arizona for 15 years where she worked as an esthetician with extended medical training, allowing her to do chemical peels and advanced anti-aging procedures.
“I’m very creative with treatment plans and getting good results,” said Foss. “I believe in treating from the inside out.”
Heater, who comes from Seattle, has been doing massage for 23 years and holds a similar philosophy. “I like people to feel great inside and out. My massage feels therapeutic because you’re walking away feeling relaxed and whole.” Heater works on clients of all ages “from teenagers to elderly folks. Everyone can benefit from the relaxing techniques of massage.”
Together the two women have created a spa space at The Texture Room Hair and Body Spa, which is full of calming fragrances, herbal oils and soft music. “There’s really nothing this luxurious in Apollo Beach or the nearby areas,” said Heater. “Now local residents no longer have to drive to Tampa or Brandon to get this range of services.”
Wendy Foss administers facials and chemical peels to clients in a relaxing, calm environment.
“I can identify most dermatological conditions and recommend holistic methods that can treat both internally and topically,” said Foss. “I like to go the natural route first, but if it’s something that needs further medical attention, I can refer the client to a medical doctor.”
For things like acne and other skin conditions, toxins in the body are often the culprit, said Foss. “The more clean nutrients you have going into your body, the less garbage you have coming out,” she said. She often recommends herbal teas, herbs and a natural, balanced diet to help her clients achieve natural, glowing skin.
Skin needling, also called microneedling therapy, is another technique that Foss employs to restore collagen and moisture to damaged and aging skin.
“It’s minimally invasive, and the results are amazing,” said Foss. Each puncture creates a channel that triggers the body to fill these microscopic wounds by producing new collagen and elastin. The result is improvement in skin texture and firmness, as well as reduction in scars, pore size and stretch marks, Foss explained. Exfoliation of dead cells also results in healthier, brighter skin that has a smoother look and feel.
The new body spa is devoted to providing high-end body services in a relaxing environment. “We want to give people an escape from the normal daily stress of life,” said Heater. “I like my clients to feel pampered.
“Some people are lucky that they naturally age well, but almost everyone can use a little help,” said Heater.
“I have twin boys at home, 13 years old, so I need to stay healthy and young to keep up with them,” said Foss.
The owners of The Texture Room encourage their stylists and treatment specialists to continue their education, so they can keep up with the most current styles and techniques.
The Texture Room Hair and Body Spa is at 6154 N. U.S. 41 in Apollo Beach. For more information, call 813-641-6888.