Beauty & Spas in Charlottesville

Inside La Bella Dona Skin Care's ornate spa environment, Greek-inspired statues and landscape murals line the walls as the friendly staff beautifies bodies with advanced spa services. Technicians pull from a cache of products such as Pevonia and Medicalia during customized facials, and soothe muscles with relaxing massages. For hair removal, waxing sessions temporarily whisk strands away while the IPL laser delivers up to 80% of permanent hair reduction. La Bella Dona’s trained techs also coat physiques with UV-free spray tans, gift nails with up to 14 days of chip-free shine with CND Shellac, and accentuate features with Jane Iredale mineral makeup.

Across the nation, Sona MedSpa's nurses beautify a range of skin types with the gentle touch of Alma lasers. Sun damage, unwanted hair, and spider veins dissolve under the beams of these cosmetic lasers, which can also resurface complexions. Their lasers also power tattoo removal services, which free skin from unwanted ink. They've got Botox and dermal fillers at their disposal, too, and they can even whiten teeth.

At SpaTaneity, relaxation begins as soon as guests step over the threshold. The de-stressing smells of aromatherapy greet each guest, and the sounds of trickling water and calming music add depth to the refreshing beverages clients sip as they begin to leave the bustling world behind. The spa’s owner, Trish Diaz, honed her relaxation-inducing skills during 10 years spent as a master aesthetician. In designing her spa, Trish made sure that her qualified staff members possessed the same unparalleled attention to detail that Trish lavished on her tranquil spa space.

Amid earth-toned rooms filled with plants and plush pillows, licensed and master aestheticians use custom facials and microdermabrasion to rid skin of imperfections and signs of aging such as sun spots, fine lines, and the finger scratches that result from babysitting an ill-behaved grandfather clock. Massage therapists deflate stress and tension with Swedish, hawaiian, and hot-stone massages, and mud body wraps feature cameos from honey butters and sea mud to detox the skin and give it a healthy, polished glow.

No matter where they are in the country, clients of Heartland Dental Care Affiliates are bound to find a dentist just as skilled as the one at home. That’s because more than 400 offices in 19 states are affiliated with the dental network, whose administrative support, guiding principles, and focus on continuing education ensure that their dentists will be talented wherever they work. The company also strives for community improvement—they’ve contributed more than $250,000 to such charities as the American Red Cross, The Oral Cancer Foundation, and the Smiles for Life campaign.

There is a box at the door of Renewal Massage. Inside, the worries of previous guests wilt, discarded. Each was symbolically dropped in and left behind, an act that began many clients’ journeys toward relaxation and balance. Past the box, within Renewal Massage, licensed therapists facilitate this voyage. They employ more than 10 modalities and more than five decades of combined experience to combat stress, confident that massage treatments are not an indulgence but a remedial step toward total wellness. Thus, they strive to evict tension from both muscles and thoughts, pushing their patrons toward a holistic vision of health.

Every therapist on staff boasts his or her own specialties. Christie Jones, for example, has mastered the classic Swedish, deep-tissue, and hot-stone kneading styles and Will Jett focuses on helping his clients understand the importance of regular massage. Often, a massage will address specific or chronic concerns; pregnancy massages aim to relieve weight-bearing pains, and migraine massages target the facial muscles and shrinking sweatbands that can cause headaches.

The friendly team at Native Sun Tanning & Spa are Smart Tan–certified, but they're more than just tanning technicians; each staff member helps clients select an array of skin-nourishing spa services. Skin specialists recommend a session in the infrared heat and nutrient-infused steam of the Hydro-Derma Fusion machine, as it can extend tanning results and leave skin more moisturized than Gene Kelly's umbrella made of sponges. Both high-pressure and stand-up UV beds are featured in the salon, as well as fast-acting Mystic booths. To help shed stress, guests can sink into the relaxing jets of the AquaMassage pod to revitalize muscles and enhance circulation better than a hug from a manatee. The spa's purple, yellow, and orange reception area has shelves lined with neat rows of moisturizing products.