The notion of a quick spa treatment may sound contradictory — after all, doesn't rushing the experience defeat the purpose? Indeed, a leisurely spa visit is the best kind, but what's really important is taking time out. When your schedule doesn't permit the luxury of an entire afternoon — or even a whole hour — the expanding array of express treatments promises rewarding results in 30 minutes or less.

ATLANTA
QUICK FIX Hot Cream Manicure ($25, 30 minutes)
GET IT AT Bliss Spa at W Atlanta Midtown, (877) 946-8357, starwoodhotels.com
FAST FACTS The location may be new, but the services on the menu are classic Bliss. The manicure begins with nail shaping, then hands soak up a softening cream. After your cuticles are groomed, your arms and hands are massaged. A polish application is the finishing touch.

BOSTON
QUICK FIX Bodice ($85, 30 minutes)
GET IT AT Exhale, (617) 532-7000, exhalespa.com
FAST FACTS In a mere half hour, the oftenoverlooked chest, neck, and shoulder areas will be restored (leaving the rest of lunch hour available for seeking out the perfect neckline to showcase the results). A gentle masque containing a Japanese mushroom–derived enzyme sloughs off dead cells before an oil-free serum reduces the appearance of fine lines. Pain-free laser therapy then penetrates skin to promote collagen production, smoothing wrinkles while reducing hyperpigmentation and other imperfections.

CHICAGO
QUICK FIX Herbal Rejuvenator Scrub ($65, 25 minutes)
GET IT AT The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Chicago, (800) 819-5053, fourseasons.com
FAST FACTS Ideal for a midday or postwork pick-me-up, this full-body scrub is one of four Executive Power treatments recently introduced to the menu. An exfoliant made from salt, ginger, and lemongrass is used to remove dry, flaky skin. Following a rinse, a lemongrass moisturizer is applied using long, Swedish strokes to leave skin fragrant, soft, and radiant.

DALLAS
QUICK FIX Deep Tissue Massage ($60, 25 minutes)
GET IT AT The Spa by Whole Foods Market, (214) 361-8887, wholefoodsmarket.com
FAST FACTS Combining a trip to the grocery store with a little pampering can save precious time. This popular massage unties knots in the muscles and can be enjoyed as a full-body experi ence or targeted to specific areas of concern. The store's complimentary concierge service is another convenient option: While you revel in a longer spa treatment (50 minutes or more), the concierge does your shopping.

HOUSTON
QUICK FIX Trellis Peel ($60, 30 minutes)
GET IT AT Trellis Spa at The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa, (800) 231-2759, houstonian.com
FAST FACTS Whatever your skin type — sensitive, mature, sun-damaged, dry, or prone to breakouts — Trellis Spa offers a facial peel to create a radiant glow in a f lash. An esthetician analyzes your skin and selects the ideal peel, which is then left on for two minutes to remove dead cells and reveal the healthy skin beneath. An aloe-and-cucumber masque calms the complexion post-peel while the scalp and shoulders (or arms and hands) are treated to a tension-dissolving massage. A moisturizer with sunscreen seals in the benefits.

LAS VEGAS
QUICK FIX Eucalyptus Steam Wrap ($85, 25 minutes)
GET IT AT Spa Mandalay at Mandalay Bay, (877) 632-7800, mandalaybay.com
FAST FACTS Away from the bright lights and bustle of the casino floor, a stimulating eucalyptus gel nourishes, energizes, and hydrates skin, and then a comforting warm-towel cocoon enhances absorption. The service concludes with a visit to the steam room, where eucalyptus vapors open the sinuses and awaken the senses.

LOS ANGELES
QUICK FIX Caviar Intensive Eye Lift Treatment ($100, 30 minutes)
GET IT AT The Beverly Hills Hotel Spa by La Prairie at The Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows, (310) 276-2251, thebeverlyhillshotel.com
FAST FACTS A decadent option boasting immediate results, this hydrating and firming eye treatment minimizes the appearance of fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness. La Prairie's caviar products and a three-step massage refresh and lift the area, and an eye masque enhances and concludes the revital izing process.

MIAMI
QUICK FIX Miracle Micro-Therapy Micro- Dermabrasion ($80, 30 minutes)
GET IT AT Elemis Day Spa at Village of Merrick Park, (305) 774-7171, elemis.com
FAST FACTS One of several Elemis At Lunch express treatments offered between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., this abbreviated microdermabrasion session is designed to minimize the appearance of scarring, fine lines, and sun and age spots by buffing off dead skin cells. Relaxation is also on the menu; afterward, you can relax privately in candlelight.

NEW YORK
QUICK FIX Soaking Bath Ritual ($85, 30 minutes)
GET IT AT Cornelia Day Resort, (866) 663-1700, cornelia.com
FAST FACTS In a city where time and personal space are always at a premium, simply reclining in a generous bathtub in the middle of the day is a luxury in itself. A serene soak in water infused with tea, milk, Dead Sea salts, and essential oils soothes muscles and mind. Making the experience even sweeter, Cornelia's organic cookies (flavored with an unexpected and very tasty combination of green tea and honey) are always within reach of the European-style soaking tub. Post-soak, feet are immersed in a cooling citrus bath while the neck and shoulders are massaged using a combination of deep tissue and acupressure techniques.

PHILADELPHIA
QUICK FIX Paraffin Treatment ($80, 25 minutes)
GET IT AT The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, (800) 819-5053, fourseasons.com
FAST FACTS Thanks to the spa's portable paraffinheating devices, guests can opt to receive this treatment poolside. Single-use gloves lined with lavender-infused paraffin are slipped onto hands, feet, or both, then massaged to ensure every inch is softened. The pampering extends to the neck and scalp with a musclemelting massage.

PHOENIX
QUICK FIX Reflexology Foot Treatment ($68, 25 minutes)
GET IT AT Red Door Spa, (602) 553-8800, reddoorspas.com
FAST FACTS This gentle pressure point massage is designed to release blockages and reestablish energy flow, enhancing circulation and providing relief from stress and pain. Recline with an aromatherapeutic eye pillow in place while points on the feet corresponding to various organs and systems of the body are expertly massaged. Your chi will thank you.

PORTLAND
QUICK FIX Bamboo Lemongrass Foot Treatment ($45, 30 minutes)
GET IT AT Aequis Spa Retreat, (503) 223-7847, aequisspa.com
FAST FACTS This downtown haven's dramatic gallery and exotic rooftop cabanas are equally appealing settings for an Asian-inspired foot ritual. The journey begins with a cup of tea and a cleansing foot soak in one of the spa's custom-crafted copper bowls filled with hot water and antibacterial lemongrass essential oil. A bamboo-and-lemongrass scrub of the feet and lower legs follows, and a moisturizing massage utilizing Swedish and reflexology techniques is at once relaxing and restorative.

SAN FRANCISCO
QUICK FIX Sensational Skin & Scalp ($70, 25 minutes)
GET IT AT Nob Hill Spa at Huntington Hotel, (800) 227-4683, huntingtonhotel.com
FAST FACTS This efficient service proves headto- toe pampering needn't take hours. A fullbody dry brush exfoliation softens skin and promotes detoxification before a head massage with a luxurious oil — a blend of sweet almond oil, brahmi, lavender, and jasmine — nourishes the hair and scalp. For those not headed back to the office, the oil can be left in for deeper conditioning.

SEATTLE
QUICK FIX Blackberry Hand Massage ($50, 30 minutes)
GET IT AT Ananda Spa Seattle, (206) 217-1744, anandaspaseattle.com
FAST FACTS Any rapid-fi re BlackBerry user will benefit from this treatment designed to ease hand and forearm fatigue, pain, and inflammation. A therapeutic Ayurvedic oil applied with a combination of Swedish, shiatsu pressure point therapy, and sports therapy techniques boosts circulation to revive the area. The service takes place on a massage table in a dimly lit private room, encouraging multitaskers to bask in a few precious moments of uninterrupted calm.

WASHINGTON, D.C.
QUICK FIX Back Facial ($65, 30 minutes)
GET IT AT I Spa at the Willard InterContinental Washington, (800) 496-7621, ichotelsgroup.com
FAST FACTS This detoxifying treatment clears back blemishes with a citrus-based gel that preps skin for a pore-opening steam and a congestion-clearing exfoliation. Next, an aloe tonic cools and calms the skin, and then a mud masque purifies pores with the help of arnica and sage extract. The silky-smooth results are amplified with a protective layer of lotion that leaves the skin with a seductive sheen.