Charlotte Spa and Massage

Citysearchers named Wentford the Best Facial in Charlotte in 2007 after their newly radiant faces glowed so hard they developed beautiful fingers with which to type the spa's praises. A gentle army of certified aestheticians, nail technicians, infantrymen, massage therapists, and makeup masters skillfully execute each of Wentford Spa's luxurious services. Put your Groupon toward any item or combination of items from the lengthy menu of offerings. An hour-long, award-winning European facial ($60) includes an in-depth skin analysis, deep pore cleansing, a customized mask, and gentle exfoliation with extractions if needed. The deluxe spa manicure offers a soothing hot-oil bath soak followed by a hand overhaul, massage, and polish ($30). Don't leave jealous feet on the outside looking up; reward patient pups with a 45-minute classic pedicure ($40).

With padded lime-green chairs lounging on a pillared porch that runs the length of a two-story, century-old wooden house in Dilworth, Folicle could easily be mistaken for a bed and breakfast at first glance. Though they can’t stay the night, guests are encouraged to stop and rest awhile as stylists and aestheticians snip, shade, and smooth their hair, shape their nails, or unknot their muscles amid floor-to-ceiling mirrors that reflect honey wood floors.

Globetrotting salon CEO Edward Woody shares expertise garnered from training with Vidal Sassoon, Aveda, and the Netherlands’ Keune and a sense of style honed while designing dos for Badgley Mischka, Ellen Tracy, and the fashion spreads of several magazines. Visitors who catch his ear may find him ready to point out the salon’s eco-friendly features, such as a shampoo-area floor made from recycled tennis shoes and furniture made from banana plants whose monkeys had already abandoned them.

Nature’s Spa and Wellness offers an array of massages, body-wrap and scrub treatments, and facial and waxing services, administered by a talented staff of licensed massage therapists and aestheticians. A 60-minute Swedish massage ($80) repeatedly pats one on the back, and a tender-touch facial ($65), which uses Dermalogica and Eminence skincare products, cleanses, exfoliates, moisturizes, and glowifies faces. For de-furring, wax brows ($15), chest ($50), a full leg and bikini ($80), and more. If allergies or too many nights spent drinking whole cashews have clogged your inner well-being, go for the popular ultimate-detox body wrap ($140). A lymphatic-draining brush will prepare the skin for mineral cleansing before an herbal mud is applied and the skin is cocooned in a heat-holding wrap. Finally, a massage flushes out negative byproducts, leaving your body clear. This 105-minute treatment includes the spa tub, dry sauna, and detox tea.

Unruly curls can find a place to belong under the auspices of the Ouidad-trained staff at Alter Ego Salon & Day Spa. Healthy, manageable curls result from use of the trademark Carving & Slicing technique that maintains and enhances the natural pattern of spirographical locks. As one of the salon’s Ouidad-certified stylists, owner Jennifer Godfrey finds that helping clients love their curls has been one of the most rewarding parts of her 12-year experience. Aside from helping ringlets stay as twisty as the nationally treasured curly fry, Godfrey and her staff tend to various hair types to cut, color, or chemically treat strands. On top of a spread of classic salon services, Alter Ego's nailcare maintains healthy hand appearance, and special children’s mani-pedis keeps little ones' claws sharp to guard against impending scratch-n-sniff pop quizzes.

Once an international gymnastics competitor, Ken Haas had to turn away from the tumbling lifestyle after his body began to ache. Sports orthopedists couldn't determine what was wrong, he told Charlotte Today, but a kinesiologist finally helped him through alternative methods—methods that Ken, now Dr. Haas, employs at Haas Wellness Center. Understandably, applied kinesiology remains one of the center's major focuses. This system tests for muscle responses throughout the body, scouting for weaknesses that could indicate treatable conditions. Its techniques can even incorporate teachings from acupuncture and nutrition for a truly holistic approach.

Dr. Haas's other services run the gamut from screenings for environmental toxins to natural weight-loss programs and low-level-laser therapy, a purported pain deterrent. Trigger-point therapy, myofascial-release work, and essential oils all contribute to the center's signature massage, and craniosacral therapy employs extremely gentle touch—no more than the weight of a nickel—to try and relieve imbalanced nervous systems, a more relaxing method than shouting into your ear for your brain to "stay calm!"

Though aesthetician Misty Stinson brings 30 years of experience to Skin Oasis, her appetite for learning has yet to subside. She continues to hone her skills and keep tabs on the beauty industry's latest techniques and products, bringing them into her serene Dilworth spa to help to revivify her clients’ skin.

Of the many lessons she has learned over the years, Misty seems to hold one in the highest esteem: no two bodies are the same. Her custom services account for individual skin types and evince her breadth of knowledge; ear candling and Japanese reiki, for example, are two areas in which she boasts special certifications. Misty’s implements prove a worthy match for her expertise. She brandishes paraben-free Image Skincare products as she exfoliates skin, combats blemishes, and waxes away unwanted hair and clingy flannel shirts.