If you've always wanted a massage, facial or body wrap but have been put off by the prices, the week of Oct. 13-19 could be your chance. Those are the dates for Spa Week, a multicity marketing campaign coming to the Pittsburgh region for the first time.

During Spa Week, participating establishments charge $50 for several services that otherwise would cost $75 or more. Eleven places in the region have signed on, including beauty salons, wellness centers, day spas and medical establishments (see box).

They will begin taking reservations today -- the same day that www.spaweek.org is to post their names, offers, phone numbers and Web sites. (Example: The Sewickley Spa will have four $50 specials, including a seaweed botanical wrap normally priced at $90.)

"It's a way to open up the spa lifestyle to the masses," said Lindsey Gockenbach, spokeswoman for Spa Week, which began in 2004 in New York City and has branched out to 22 cities. "It gives consumers a really good deal and gives the participating spas more exposure."

The word "spa" is often used in an all-encompassing manner. Many beauty salons offer spa-like services but don't meet Ms. Gockenbach's definition. She said a spa includes several private treatment rooms, a water component (steam room, sauna, whirlpool or hot tub), trained, licensed technicians and a lounge or other quiet place where guests can unwind.

The spa-services industry had suffered from a lack of uniform training and standards, but that's changing, said Nikki Remic, owner of the Pittsburgh Center for Complementary Health & Healing in Swissvale.

"A lot of people were having bad experiences," she said, which scared off other potential customers. But, she noted, the professions have now established best practices to help guide the industry and protect consumers.

While luxury resort spas like the Canyon Ranch are out of reach for most people, day spas are more accessible and gaining in popularity. Hannelore Leavy, founder of the Day Spa Association, said the industry has become a $14 billion annual business.

She began the association with a handful of members in 1991; today it has 800 members out of the 15,000 self-described spas in her data base.

"Some places call themselves spas because they have a massage table," Ms. Leavy said. "The U.S. Census Bureau puts day spas under 'beauty parlors.' We have been arguing for a separate classification but haven't been successful yet."

Use of the term "spa services" is also all over the map. Purveyors may use it to cover manicures and pedicures. It may refer to facials, body wraps, heat treatments, exfoliation and other noninvasive procedures delivered by cosmetologists or estheticians, who in Pennsylvania answer to the state cosmetology board.

Many spas have massage therapists, but there is no licensing requirement for massage in Pennsylvania. There is, however, a voluntary certification offered by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Body Work. Consumers also can check with the American Massage Therapy Association or Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals to see how many hours of training a therapist has received.

Then there are medical procedures that penetrate live tissue, such as Botox injections and laser hair removal. Those must be performed or supervised by a physician who answers to the state medical board. Some treatments, Ms. Leavy said, may be done by a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant, depending on licensing requirements.

Aiming to clear up consumers' confusion about who should be giving which services, the Day Spa Association has a voluntary accreditation program. Accreditation helps maintain the industry's good name, Ms. Leavy said, and guides customers who aren't sure what to look for.

"The consumer has to be diligent in finding out who administers the treatment, how often they've done it, what their training is and what physician oversees the facility," she said.

Certification is also established by the National Coalition of Estheticians, Manufacturers, Distributors & Associations. Last year, the group launched the first national certification for the highest standard of skin care credentials. That, too, is voluntary.

Coalition director Susanne Warfield said regulations vary, but in any state a technician's license must be clearly displayed with photo attached.

"That means they meet minimal competency standards," she said. "Consumers should also see a facility license."

The Allegheny County Health Department doesn't license spas, but does inspect hot tubs and pools, said spokesman Guillermo Cole.

"We do unannounced inspections once or twice a year," he said. "We don't have regulations for the rest of the facility, but we will respond to complaints from consumers about conditions."

As for who decides what's a spa and what isn't: "If they call themselves that, we can't rule them out because they're introducing people to spa services," Ms. Leavy said. "As long as the consumer knows the difference, they are educating them and getting them started on the right track."