Beauty & Spas in Carney

Medi Spa Pros.’ aestheticians wield lasers and professional skincare products to beautify skin during facials and hair-removal treatments. Clients recline upon a plush bed in a private room decked in shades of burgundy, cream, and periwinkle as experienced techs tackle unwanted hair or smooth away minor wrinkles with CoolTouch laser equipment. The laser closes down follicular hair factories with intense pulses of electromagnetic energy, removing superfluous strands like a person preparing for a Mr. Clean convention. When they aren’t pointing their low-heat lasers at acne and other blemishes, the spa’s aestheticians polish complexions with Priori skincare products and rejuvenating steam.

Unlike many massage therapists, Hands To You Wellness Studio owner Zina Sanders incorporates holistic healing elements into her treatments to provide additional therapeutic and stress-relieving benefits. Traditional Thai massages take place on floor mats so their yoga-like stretches can be more easily achieved, and integrative reflexology treatments focus exclusively on pinpoints throughout the body to improve balance and circulation and locate the body’s “eject” button. Since graduating from the Baltimore School of Massage in 1996, Zina has continued to broaden her skills by pursuing ongoing education at various seminars and workshops.

In 1924, Carl Griesser, who was instrumental in creating the American branch of Paris-based Intercoiffure America, founded Carl’s Salon and Day Spa. Stylists, some of whom have been employed at the salon since the 1950s, draw on extensive experience and specialization in dual-dimension hair-coloring techniques to perfect the 'dos of ladies and gents. Beneath freestanding mirrors and walls as pristinely white as a marshmallow during a job interview, Professional Series L’Oréal products give coiffures the capacity to draw pleasant double takes.

Chatter drifts from patrons twirling in black salon chairs up to rough timber ceilings, which add an organic accent to the salon's many sleek surfaces and right angles. Crowded shelves parade products from Moroccanoil, Dermalogica, and Murad, and vegan elixirs from Surface harness natural ingredients including wheat, mineral oil, and compliments from park rangers

After years of struggling with acne as a teen, Joyce Brown was unsure of how to properly care for her skin. One day, when she was in her early 20s, that all changed—the day she received a facial. This ignited a lifelong passion for skincare, and with the help of her mother, Joyce saved enough money to attend the Von Lee International School of Aesthetics and learned to nourish and nurture the delicate skin of the face. Joyce finished her skincare training with big dreams of starting her own business, but motherhood and a professional career—she has a master’s degree in social work—kept her goals at bay. After years of hard work and watching tear-jerking facial documentaries, Joyce finally took a leap of faith, resigning from her job and opening Elaina Joi Skincare, a studio in a quaint second-floor walkup.

Joyce translates the people skills she mastered during her former life in social work to establish a strong rapport with her clients and their specific skin concerns. With the aid of DermaQuest—a dermatologist-recommended skincare line created without animal testing—and Face Reality Skin Care–specially designed for clients with acne– Joyce attends to each client’s visage with a detailed, diligent approach. Sessions conclude when the specialist charts an at-home skincare regimen to ensure continued care and to keep pores out of the Pringles stash.

The attentive staff at LeSalon de Beauté beautifies hair, skin, and nails, striving to anticipate clients' needs in a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere. Stylists transform strands with color and texturizing services, including spiral perms modeled after famous DNA double helixes. The team targets stress with Swedish, deep-tissue, or myofascial massages and mani-pedis that can include a hot stone hand or foot treatment. The community-minded salon has also supported local artists by displaying paintings and other works.

While working at other peoples' salons, Shelly Spann yearned for something of her own. "I wanted to get my name out there," she says. One day, while watching reality TV, Shelly was struck by an idea. All of the shows were "centered around women and hanging out together, so I thought, 'Oh my God, how awesome would it be if we did that?'" Shelly masterminded a business that beautifies brows on location at get-togethers as partygoers sip champagne and wine. "It takes a little bit of the edge off of waxing," she says with a laugh.

Now Shelly divides her hours between mobile services and time at her full-body-waxing headquarters. She uses Nufree Nudesse, a sugar-free wax alternative that removes hair with less pain, irritation, and grumbling from cranky candles. Clients can also request numbing creams to keep procedures even less uncomfortable.

Waxing and brow sculpting aren’t Shelly’s only specialties, though. The fully licensed aesthetician also beautifies her clients’ complexions with a selection of exfoliating and hydrating facials. Her treatments range from mini and teen versions of her signature facial to custom European facials that take their cues from individual skin types.