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70 DAYSPA | JUNE 2014 GLOBAL SPEAK tournaments, so as to properly showcase Brazil and its modernization to the rest of the world. SPA BIZ IN BRAZIL In a country that celebrates human physicality, ap- pearance is big business. This is a nation that wor- ships the human form, so much so that sporting anything bigger than a three-inch-wide bathing suit on the beach is considered overdressing. The cul- tural obsession with looking good provides a perfect platform for the beauty industry; Brazil is report- edly the largest haircare market in the world, and is home to an incredibly vibrant esthetics and medical aesthetics clinic marketplace as well. Brazil is also renowned for its plastic surgeons, led by the famous Dr. Ivo Pintanguy, considered one of the fathers of modern plastic surgery. Here, 80% of all plastic sur- gery is undertaken solely for cosmetic purposes. The beauty business model here is different from that used in the U.S.: in Brazil, the triumvirate of hair salons, esthetics clinics and spas are separate, stand- alone entities, and not typically combined. The coun- try has no licensing for massage therapists; in theory, estheticians are required to have a license to perform esthetics, yet there is no clear requirement for this, and no government agency that oversees the sector. Fortunately, infrastructure is being created toward supporting professional education: the São Paulo campus of Universidade An- hembi Morumbi recently built a beautiful, 12,000-square-foot lab environment supporting a bachelors degree in beauty and health. The cur- riculum includes esthetics, makeup, nutrition (as it relates to appearance), psychology, and hair and makeup services, and students work in the well- designed spa lab during their last semester, treating clients from the outside, just as in U.S. beauty schools. The cost for this four-year degree is US$35k, substantially more than a beauty culture course stateside, but much less than many four-year degree programs in the U.S. The focus at Buddha Spa (above and below) is on overall wellness. G l o b a l S p e a k . i n d d 7 0 Global Speak.indd 70 5 / 1 / 1 4 3 : 3 4 P M 5/1/14 3:34 PM