By Patty Roy

“Our salon and day spa is a place where you can relax and let the stress of life go.” 

There’s no better way to sum up what the Prestige Wellness Salon and Spa in Webster is all about than the first line of their website. 

Safe, sanitary, holistic and luxurious – it’s a salon, so of course, they’re looking out for your well-being. But right now, one year into their flourishing business, let’s focus on the holistic. Something that not only makes you look good, but adds to your physical wellness.

Spa owner Lorri Ducharme wants people know about Halo Therapy (also known as dry salt therapy) that can relieve a host of skin and breathing conditions from asthma and allergies to coughs, colds and psoriasis. Even athletes use it to expand their lung capacity, she said. Some folks also find anxiety and stress relief.

It’s a wellness treatment that Prestige Salon is pleased to offer its customers. is a natural and safe ingredient with no notable side effects. It 0-also can help clear mucus from your airways, has antibacterial properties, is anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and helps boost immunity. 

You only need to sit the booth for a minimum of 10 minutes to get the benefits for your skin and lungs, said Ducharme.

For added relaxation, “We have an iPod where we play relaxation music,” she said.

The therapy is an old one, Ducharme explained, when doctors in the 1800s noticed that Eastern European salt miners were an unusually healthy group who did not suffer the effects of working underground like other miners did.

“It just made so much sense to me,” she said.

Despite the fact that salt is what’s known as an “inhospitable host,” (not easily contaminated by pathogens) the spa pays strict attention to sanitizing the booth after every use, Ducharme said. 

“We disinfect after each guest uses the booth,” she said.

Other conditions that Halo Salt Therapy is good for include; throat infections or pharyngitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis and cystic fibrosis.

“It’s great to use this to be proactive for things like bronchitis,” Ducharme said.

She is also talking to the Dudley Fire Chief about firefighters using the dry salt booth to clean out their lungs after fighting a fire.

“That’s something I would like to get set up for them,” she said.

Of course, you should always check with your doctor first. There are conditions such as high blood pressure, cancer or open wounds that are not conducive to the treatment. 

Clients can book packages or so single visits. 

Pricing begins at a reasonable $25 for a single visit and packages build in discounts.

Prestige Salon and Spa also offers manicures, pedicures skin care, spray tanning and microblading and powder brows. Try out their excellent coffee bar for an added way to treat yourself!

The salon is located at 118 Main Street, Webster. Online, visit theprestigesalon.com.The Halo Therapy client sits on a bench in a booth that looks similar to a one-person sauna or an old-fashioned phone booth. The booth has a wide, tempered glass door, so there’s no need to worry about claustrophobia. (Also, you’re in charge of the opening mechanism). It’s important, Ducharme notes, that you wear loose, light, comfortable clothing. If you have skin conditions, she suggests you wear a bathing suit or a tank top and shorts to expose areas of your skin that may have eczema or psoriasis or otherwise require treatment.

The salty, curative air is prepared by a “Halo” generator that grinds up 99.9 percent pure sodium chloride and blows it into the booth, explains Ducharme.

“You breathe in the fine, aerosolized particles,” she said, adding that is what helps your lungs and skin.

According to WebMD, salt