Beauty & Spas in Burnaby

Inside of Avora Skin Spa, all-white walls conjure an air of sleek, modernist elegance, enhanced by splashes of red and long lines of shelves holding advanced Babor cosmetics. Avora's staff share their environment's mix of no-nonsense efficiency and relaxing whimsy, treating every client to a thorough skin analysis before moving them to softly blanketed treatment beds or plushy, cushioned pedicure stations. Dozens of rejuvenating procedures help restore skin to youthful fettle, firming, tightening, and exfoliating epidermises to elicit compliments from people and enchanted talking candlesticks alike.

When you walk into Male Essentials and sit down on the cushy leather sofa you're in for more than a haircut or Dermalogica MicroZone mini facial. You might literally rub elbows with a celebrity. One of the barbers crafted a new fade for actor Sean Patrick Thomas for a scene in a new TV show called The Selection. The crew's fade artists also outfit skulls with a familiar pro hockey logo—their signature Canucks cut has been featured in USA Today, and team member Zack Kassian even occasionally stops by for a haircut. And when Marc-Anthony Massiah of Hush Magazine tried out the shop's straight-razor shave—which includes two rounds of hot towels—he proclaimed that in "35 years my face has never felt like this."

Before or after their treatment, men swagger across the rustic wood floors and sit in front of the fireplace to catch a hockey game or high-stakes Battleship match on the widescreen TV. The brick-and-mortar and online boutiques also carry a wide variety of personal-care products by brands such as Billy Jealousy and Baxter of California.

At Belle Oasis Beauty Centre, skilled technicians perform services ranging from relaxing to results oriented. They nourish facial skin with anti-aging products by brands such as Ingrid Millet, Dibi, and Repêchage, as well as via decadent caviar treatments or oxygenating white-tea-based formulas. The team soothes muscles with an aromatherapy massage and uses the Slim Concept microcurrent device to target cellulite and attempt to bring stuffed animals to life. Staffers also employ intense-pulsed-light technology to stimulate collagen production and combat acne.

The sauna room at Euro Charm Skincare and Body Clinic is not what you would expect. Though the space includes a classic wood room with blazing stones, it also contains a number of egg-shaped pods. When a patron slips into an egg pod (an FIR steam-herbal capsule), botanical scents tunnel into a gust of steam that detoxifies skin. This device is one of dozens that personify Euro Charm’s commitment to pursuing and providing the latest beauty technologies. The capsule accompanies lasers, infrared blankets, and thingamadoos that each work to enhance health and beauty. The spa’s treatments are customized to the individual and each work to optimize results with minimal pain and downtime.

Shelley J. Smith is at the helm of Pearl Teeth Whitening Spa's team of dental hygienists, who specialize in gentle and even bleaching. Shelley found that whitening strips and trays conform poorly to the teeth and, like a drunken house painter, leave some spots whiter than others. The imprecise systems also tend to irritate the gums. Instead, Shelley and the team use a small brush to apply the whitening gel, avoiding gums while restoring every enamel crevice to a white that match's the dental spa's immaculate decor.

Stuart Gross’ passion for holistic healthcare stems from personal experience. After his young son spent many months enduring eczema that had not responded to conventional treatment, Gross took him to a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine who was able to clear the symptoms almost overnight. Gross had also been affected by the passing of his father, who died of preventable diabetes and heart disease at the age of 54, as well as the death of his father-in-law, which was a result of the side effects of the drugs he was taking for rheumatoid arthritis. Gross decided to give up his career as an auto mechanic and explore ways in which alternative therapies can heal people. He took a course in nutrition and started working in a health store. Using skills developed during his car-repair days, Gross then trained in various holistic assessment tools and equipment.

Today, Gross uses his knowledge and experience at Yaletown Holistics, where he offers services including oxygen therapy and a variety of homeopathic and nutritional supplements. Gross is also an advanced practitioner in electro-acupuncture according to Voll (EAV), a German-made diagnostic device designed to reveal bodily imbalances and conditions such as food sensitivities and heavy-metal toxicity. Guests also target impurities in a cozy, private infrared sauna, which can be used in conjunction with an iPod or personal yodeler to provide relaxing music.