Bay Shore, NY Beauty and Salons

At Visage Skincare Spa and Cosmetic Laser Center, a highly trained staff cultivates beauty and wellness with relaxation services and anti-aging treatments. As the owner, Julianne Noto also instructs laser hair removal for students throughout Long Island. Part med spa and part day spa, the facility teems with paramedical aestheticians who tighten skin with Thermage treatments and board-certified nurse practitioners who inject FDA-approved wrinkle smoothers such as Botox and Juvéderm. More high-tech than a horse-drawn spaceship, a Visia imaging system guides complexion analyses, measuring sun damage and hyperpigmentation to help technicians build custom skincare plans.

The stylists at I.D Salon aren't just in demand by their clients; several also work as artistic directors for such familiar brands as Sebastian, Wella, and Unite Professional Salon System. They've also educated other stylists around the globe, and they've styled coiffures for top designers at fashion week in New York and Los Angeles. But like a family living in a hollowed-out redwood, I.D Salon has deep roots in its community, too. In 2007, they partnered with the Carol M. Baldwin Breast Cancer Research Fund to raise more than $52,000 for breast-cancer research.

Licensed medical aesthetician Phyllis Gasparri performs each facial treatment at Skin Perfect, drawing on more than 25 years of experience as she treats acne and wrinkles during services that emphasize clinical approaches to skincare. Among her weapons of choice are lasers—which she uses to reduce scar tissue and remove hair and tattoos—and exfoliation tools such as microdermabrasion wands and chemical-peel solutions. To keep up their progress, clients can take home products from SkinCeuticals and Cell Renewal Systems or purchase one of the shop’s own line of mini facial steamers, which sterilize and clean the face while discreetly opening envelopes within a 50-yard radius.

Wrapped in beige and russet tones, SoHo Urban Wax's private rooms cloister both male and female clients in warm serenity as expert aestheticians uproot unwanted hairs with dexterous digits and utmost discretion. Hard wax seizes strands from sensitive areas such as underarms, the upper lip, and funny bones, while warmer soft-wax strips lift fuzz from more durable spots, such as wool coats. While patrons perch on the red-leather banquette in the studio's waiting room, they can sip a proffered cup of coffee or gargle with hot tea while scanning black-and-white photos of the city.

A brushed metal sign atop a cabinet of top industry products sets the stage for the experience at Pacific Sun Tanning Company—a contemporary tanning salon rated No. 1 by the readers of Reno News & Reviews for the last five years. The salon's UV specialists undertake Smart Tan's comprehensive certification before bending the sun's radiation to their will, learning the ins and outs of ray exposure, selecting ideal skincare products, and discerning which compliments will coax Helios into sharing his private stash of solar beams. They can also eschew the sun entirely and bestow beachy glows through custom spray-tan services. The popular tanning facilities and the staff's enthusiastic demeanor have expanded into seven locations throughout the Reno, Sparks, and Carson City area.

Antique Balinese fountains, crimson wall hangings, and verdant plants enliven the luxurious confines of Pacific Tan, a go-to bronzing destination for 27 years. Boasting attentive customer service and the vibe of an exotic getaway, the tanning emporium ushers clients into its elegant space for traditional UV tans in state-of-the-art beds, including the Garden of Eden, which customizes a tan for each individual using an optical sensor, and the Shangri-La, a high-pressure bed that delivers a dark tan in minutes. Alternatively, natural-looking, flawless airbrush tans are administered by skilled and certified technicians using a safe, all-natural paraben-free solution.