Spa on Maxwell: A Haven in Greenwood, SC

Don’t let its size fool you. From the street, The Spa on Maxwell looks small, but this medi-spa delivers in a large way. Aesthetics and wellness are its focus, and co-owner Janie Haynes explained that focus is about to grow even larger.

The current location has eight treatment rooms and 15 staffers including aestheticians, cosmetologist and masseuses, with Haynes herself also delivering services thanks to her nurse practitioner status and former work in hospital cardiac and ICU care.

Haynes shared the news that she and her partners, her husband and son, are opening a 6,000-square-foot Wellness Center in Spring 2023. Plans include providing services of a nutritionist, physical trainer, yoga, self-defense instruction and expanding to more booths for their popular light and salt therapies at the current location.

For our visit, we both opted for 60-minute Swedish massages, but a quick tour included a peek into the Wellness Booth room, shown below, where light and salt therapies are delivered. Among the two dozen or so benefits our guide shared about those treatmens are things like stimulating circulation, lubricating joints, stimulating skin cells and muscle cells; reducing inflammation, addressing ocular fatigue, improving digestion and of course promoting relaxation.

Monthly $95 memberships include one service, three face light therapy sessions weekly, three 20-minute Wellness Booth sessions weekly, and discounts on retail items, neurotoxins, dermal filler; and a free monthly gift such as a Vitamin C serum or lip balm or face mask. Plus there's a giveway drawing monthly for members.

Haynes declares, “They’re kind of like family, our members.” She’s been in Greenwood since 2000 and says the friendly town quickly adopted her and her spa, which has operated since 2017. She rewards her employees annually with a nice working vacation focused on advances in the industry.

Really Great Massage

Our masseuses were Uriel, shown below, and Michelle. Here’s our she said/he said report:

Kathy found Uriel’s study of physiology and 10 years of massage experience evident from the beginning with her addressing specific needs in the back, neck and shoulder areas.

The room was welcoming, and the massage table (one of two in the room) especially roomy and comfortable. The low lighting provided a great ambience with a flickering water candle (battery operated) and aqua-colored infuser plus the kind of soundtrack that doesn't distract.

Uriel began on my neck, so I was face up. I found her long, smooth moves down and along my neck a great introduction that quickly began to melt away some of the stress of travel. Then, her fingers moved down and under my scapula. I think I moaned softly.

As she began the slow, long, upward pull, from behind my should blades to my neck, I felt her matching her upward movement to my exhale. Perfect. Her work continued is a very specific manner, pushing down on my clavicle as she pulled up on my scapula with equal pressure.

She later explained, “When the muscles are already relaxed, you can't get into the area to work it so you have to move your scapula back into position.” This was new information for me and a new movement, which was so very effective.

Uriel finished working that area by placing a warm towel on my back, pushing it inward and upward slowly crunching it (think of a pleated blind) so she could transfer the now compact heated towel directly under my neck, then pull the warm bundle slowly from one side out to the other — a very nice move.

Her expertise continued on my arms and legs, always with the exact amount of pressure I preferred. Too soon, it was time to turn over, and her work on my low back, much needed, pulled me deeper into relaxation to the point that I almost dozed. Ultimately, I did not want to get off the table — the highest complement. I’d highly recommend her.”

Very Capable Hands

Fletcher notes: Since February 2020 Covid19 precautions eliminated any spa treatments for us, so easing back into getting bodywork was not taken lightly.

My experience with The Spa on Maxwell was a great place to start, especially in the very capable hands of Michelle, who has years of experience in therapeutic skills – she’s worked in medical facilities rehabbing patients and in spas using similar techniques moving closer to relaxing pleasure.

The room I was in was similar to Kathy’s with plenty of space for Michelle to move around in a tranquil environment.

After talking about my background with massage and the possible areas I would like worked on, she gave me a few minutes to get situated. As she left, she said, “We’ll be starting face up,” which delighted me because it seems I always have a great session when I start in that position.

I had requested that Michelle use low-to-moderate pressure because my goal was a relaxing session. She delivered throughout except when she came across some spot that became apparent it needed a bit more. I appreciate that, with moderation, of course. Never did she go too far, several times asking if her pressure was OK. Her head-to-toes path really worked well, with attention to my shoulders and neck and then later calves and ankles, all areas we’d initially discussed as needing attention. She obviously had keen experience of what needed work.

The “turn-over” point lent itself to opening access to my back, and she took advantage delivering instinctual movements. It was during this second half that my relaxation kicked in. If I did not doze off for a few minutes, I surely came close. A couple of days driving and sleeping in hotel beds can really cause a strain. She worked much of that away.

The hour slipped by, and like Kathy, I would have loved the chance to stay longer. Michelle knows what she is doing, and my body and mind so appreciated her talent, full of care and dedication. If I lived nearby, I would become a repeat visitor.

Wide Range of Services

The spa’s services menu is quite extensive including waxing, hand and foot therapies like soaks and massages, eyelash treatments, and the Wellness Booth with those infrared + light therapies. There's also a nail salon area.

Therapeutic facial offerings include:

· Lift & tone anti-aging

· Renew & resurface

· Restore & relax

· Purifying (for acne)

· Hydrafacial - both express and elite

· Classic facial and

· Magic wand.

There are also body scrubs and wraps plus 10 types of massages:

· Mother’s

· Swedish

· Deep tissue