A healthy glow

No one would mistake Southborough for one of the spa capitals of the world, but Inaara MedSpa gives city dwellers a great excuse to get out of town.

Joy Thompson, Inaara's managing director, has created the kind of upscale environment at her spa's suburban location that's normally restricted to chic districts such as Back Bay, Beacon Hill, or SoHo in New York City.

''I started off thinking a super location would be in town," said Thompson. ''But once I started looking around, I recognized there were so many places in town, so many places on Newbury Street."

The term ''medical spa" might bring to mind a coldly sterile environment with surgically masked workers who funnel through as many ailing patients as possible.

But Inaara, which is the Hindi word for light, offers traditional treatments such as massages and facials, as well as nonsurgical cosmetic procedures for people who don't need medical treatment.

Visitors -- who range from professionals working in the area to suburban housewives -- are greeted by warm lighting, the sound of water bubbling gently over rocks, and a heavenly scent of lavender, sandalwood, and ylang ylang.

Thompson worked with a decorator to create a luminous, airy space with decor that seamlessly mixes Asian and Egyptian motifs. After clients check in, they're directed to the Tranquility Lounge to await treatment. It's arranged like a living room, with peach-colored walls, soft music and lighting, and reclining chairs that can be set to deliver heat. There's also a fireplace and complimentary snacks and drinks.

From here, visitors can select from services including Botox injections, a skin scan and customized facial, and microdermabrasion, an exfoliation process using aluminum oxide crystals. Thompson said Inaara's clients are men as well as women, and, somewhat surprisingly for a suburban spa, the shop caters to skin types of all races. The spa also offers prescription-grade products from lines such as Dermalogica and Obagi.

With flawless caramel skin, Thompson, a 50-year-old mother of three, could be a walking advertisement for the benefits of the treatments Inaara offers. And yet she's spent most of her career not in the beauty industry but as a high-tech executive. After graduating from Fitchburg State College, the Jamaican-born Thompson rose up the corporate ladder to become a vice president at Hewlett Packard. On the way, she earned an MBA, a certificate in administration and management from Harvard, and a doctorate in business administration.

After 25 years in the high-tech field, Thompson decided to pursue a different dream. She considered a day spa, but figured that with so many already out there, it made sense to offer something different. At Inaara, she oversees a staff that includes medical director Dr. Elliot Lach, who is a plastic surgeon, two registered nurses, an aesthetician, a massage therapist, and a spa coordinator.

''It's a medical practice, but it's not your doctor's office," Thompson said.

Inaara first opened in Beverly Hills, and its only New England office is in Southborough. Medspas have been the fastest-growing segment of the spa business in the past two years, according to the International SPA Association. Although the number of medspas has almost doubled in this time period, there are still fewer than 500 in the United States.

Thompson is already making plans to expand the services Inaara provides. She's hoping to offer educational sessions in collaboration with nutritionists and chiropractors to reinforce the connection between diet, lifestyle, and beauty. Since Inaara opened in August, most people have been drawn to the spa through word of mouth. Given the spa's ample parking and proximity to both Route 9 and the Massachusetts Turnpike, city residents as well as suburbanites are finding the trip to Southborough well worth it.

Inaara MedSpa, 154 Turnpike Road, Suite 130, Southborough, 508-480-8883; www.mymedspa.com.

Rhonda Stewart can be reached at rstewart@globe.com.