Braintree, MA Spa and Massage

After clocking in 900 course hours at the Salter School, licensed massage therapist Kendra Retalic now spreads her knowledge of holistic massage therapies with clients in her practice and at charity events. Whether rehabilitating muscles with the compression and stretches of a sports massage or indulging in a soul-soothing reiki session, clients lie upon a padded massage table undressed to their comfort level as Kendra's healing hands serenade their musculoskeletal system for one commercial-free hour. She also taps into the skin-smoothing powers of Dead Sea mud, paraffin wax, and oiled hot stones to rejuvenate exteriors.

At Copleys Rolf & Bodywork, owner Joel Gheiler rejuvenates stiff figures of any age with a series of connective-tissue manipulations coupled with a caring demeanor fine-tuned nationally and abroad in Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Now settled into Boston, the muscle whisperer rejuvenates the physiques of his clientele using the Rolf Method of Structural Integration, facets of which combine to optimize healing over a 10-session recipe. The method's slow, deliberate strokes and cooperative movements soften the underlying tissue and realign bodies bent out of shape from time spent cramped in a car or locked in a suitcase. Deep-tissue myofascial massages condense the Rolf method’s techniques into one session for a treatment that immediately targets discomfort and pain while providing a relaxing retreat from the outside world. Clients can wear fitted or loose clothing and need not worry about walking away oily, since Joel eschews lotions and oils in order to target the soft tissue and keep bodies from sliding off the table and down the street.

Licensed therapist Joseph Sablevicius blends his expertise in sports massage with an array of modalities to customize every session around clients' individual desires. He thoughtfully tailors his massages with Swedish and deep-tissue techniques, working to assuage embedded stress and aches, boost general health, and fortify athletic abilities. Vibrant orange and exposed-brick walls enclose the studio's treatment room, where Joseph kneads away pain when he's not toting his mobile studio to homes, offices, or permanently parked spaceships.

The staff at Tocco Classico helps clients to cultivate confidence with a variety of salon and spa treatments. From behind a row of styling chairs, stylists perform cuts and coloring services that can redefine a client's image and erase evidence of having chased loose change into a cotton-candy machine. Aestheticians target blemishes and imperfections with facial treatments, and massage therapists reward shoulders, backs, and legs with relaxing bodywork treatments. The spa also keeps clients prepared for future fashion by stocking a variety of hair products for ongoing upkeep.

Though the ladies at Se Renaissance donate their time and a portion of membership proceeds to causes both in Mexico and in their communities, they acknowledge that helping others is the second facet of a healthy life⎯the first is taking care of yourself. Within their new space in Cambridge, therapists help women do just that by providing five massage modalities and an old Chevy that’s been converted into a robot butler. Clients can take advantage of after-hours availability and make appointments online.

The recipe for beautiful skin is simple: combine attentive care with innovative technology. At least that's the view of L'Essentiel's Dr. Vatche Seraderian and Susanna Barmakian. They draw from a well-curated collection of epidermal therapies to create custom regimens for their clients, saving skin from the embarrassment of arriving at parties with identical glows. Six different chemical peels, four injected dermal fillers, and two means to permanent hairlessness form the crux of the spa's smoothing repertoire.