I have breast cancer, can I still go to a spa? (yes, you can)

You only have to look at (or see photos of) London’s lofty Shard all lit up in pink to know that October is Breast Cancer awareness month. Whether you’re fighting it, know somebody who is fighting it or just hoping for a medical breakthrough so you never have to fight it, you’re not alone.

With 1 in 7 women likely to be diagnosed in breast cancer in their lifetime - and 59,400 newly reported cases in the UK each year - the boob battle is well and truly on. Thankfully spas are doing their bit, with more and more of them happily - and safely - treating guests recovering from, living with or going through treatment for cancer. Stylish Spy is in the know…

Serenity Spa at Seaham Hall, Durham

The therapists at Seaham Hall's Serenity Spa are now qualified in ishga Nurturing Touch, a specialist treatment programme for guests touched by cancer, accredited by the Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC). Set in a calm coastal retreat, the spa combines this specialist expertise with luxury facilities to create a supportive space for meaningful, holistic care. Its commitment reaches beyond the treatment room, too: throughout the year, the spa donates a share of its service charges and holds charity events in support of Breast Cancer Now, Macmillan Cancer Support and Marie Curie.

Bishopstrow Spa, Wiltshire

In the Wiltshire countryside, Bishopstrow Hotel & Spa pairs its garden spa with a dedicated NovoTHOR Recovery Suite, making it one of a small number of UK hotels with a full-body NovoTHOR device. The bed uses red and near-infrared light rather than UV, so it is not a sun-bed and does not tan or burn the skin. Sessions are quiet, non-invasive and last up to 20 minutes, and guests often add one to a restorative break. For guests who have completed cancer treatment, a session can be a gentle addition to a stay, where their medical team has confirmed it is suitable.

Gaia Spa at Boringdon Hall, Devon

In May 2026, Gaia Spa at Boringdon Hall, near Plymouth, launched the GAIA Affinity Face Experience, a personalised and inclusive facial for guests living with or recovering from cancer. It joins the existing GAIA Affinity Cancer Experience for the body, so guests can now choose care for the face, the body or both. The treatment is CIBTAC-certified, and GAIA is an SATCC-approved training provider. The facial is available in 45- or 60-minute versions, from £110, and will follow at other GAIA spas.

The Spa at Lucknam Park, Wiltshire

Set within 500 acres of Wiltshire parkland, Lucknam Park's spa offers the Hand on Heart Ritual by Made For Life, a treatment designed to support all guests and especially suited to those who need extra care and comfort. Every treatment starts with a consultation, and guests are asked to share any medical considerations before their visit so the therapist can adapt the experience. Between treatments, guests can rest in the relaxation areas and tranquil gardens, use the indoor-outdoor hydrotherapy pool with views of the arboretum, or walk gently through the estate's woodland and parkland.

Francis Hotel Spa, Bath

Rooted in Bath's long wellness heritage, Francis Hotel Spa offers the Affinity Experience by GAIA, created for guests living with cancer or undergoing medical treatment. Each treatment begins with a welcoming foot ritual and uses GAIA's most soothing natural formulations, and specially trained therapists tailor every session to the guest's needs and comfort. The spa's intimate scale and private thermal experiences keep it calm and uncrowded, while Reiki, reflexology, a relaxation lounge and a secluded spa garden let guests take their time, in surroundings that feel restorative rather than clinical.

The Spa at Carden, Cheshire

In September 2026, The Spa at Carden hosted the SATCC's first five-day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat. Led by SATCC founder Sue Harmsworth MBE and Professor Anna Campbell MBE of CanRehab, the retreat welcomed up to 30 guests living with or beyond cancer for sessions on movement, therapeutic touch, nutrition and mindfulness, and each guest received a Touch for Cancer massage. Future dates are not yet confirmed - contact the spa for updates.

Hope Street Hotel Spa, Liverpool

Hope Street Hotel Spa has introduced Temple Spa's Amethyst programme, with therapists trained in specialist treatments for guests living with or recovering from cancer. Each visit starts with a 30-minute consultation so that the therapist can adapt the experience to the guest's comfort and wellbeing. Guests can then choose from two 50-minute facials and two 50-minute massages at £90 each, or a 25-minute Leg & Foot Reviver at £60 (not suitable for sensitive skin or for guests with treatment-related nausea), and shorter versions can be combined into a custom package.

The Spa Hotel at Ribby Hall Village, Lancashire

At The Spa Hotel at Ribby Hall Village, the focus is on the guest, not the diagnosis. Its SATCC-approved ishga Nurturing Touch treatments are delivered by specially trained therapists, and each begins with a personal consultation that considers the guest's treatment, any surgery, skin sensitivity and how they feel on the day. The aim is simple: to show that a cancer diagnosis need not mean the end of spa treatments, so every guest can enjoy the same sense of escape, including time in the Aqua Thermal Journey. Treatments include a 30-minute facial (£66pp), a 30-minute back massage (£72pp) and a 60-minute full body massage (£105pp).

The Day Spa at Whittlebury Park, Northamptonshire

Whittlebury Park has created a spa day in partnership with the Amethyst Trust, built around a collection of nurturing ESPA treatments for guests living with or recovering from cancer. The day includes a 50-minute ESPA Be Nurtured Massage or Facial, full use of the Heat and Ice Experience and the Leisure Club, and a two-course buffet lunch, and guests go home with an ESPA gift and Whittlebury slippers and bag.