Davidson, NC Beauty and Salons

Nestled inside a cozy brick house rests Salon Serenity, where slate-hued walls lettered with an inspirational saying and light-strewn hardwood floors set the soothing tone that permeates the beautifying emporium. Maroon curtains and a stately fireplace pop out against the turquoise background of the waiting area, and a large canvas portrait of a zebra greets clients and confused lions in the haircutting room. Led by owners Stephanie and Neal Flower, a skilled team of beauty-industry professionals wields handpicked products while snipping, coloring, or straightening hair or prettifying faces with makeup applications.

Stylist Toni Hunt knows that no two heads of hair are exactly alike. And so, before taking out her scissors, she takes the time to carefully consult with each client about their hair and lifestyle to ensure they get the most appropriate cut or the styling treatment that will deliver the best results. Beyond being well versed in styles and color services ranging from classic to avant-garde, Toni offers several different types of smoothing treatments, including the Brazilian keratin formula and BioIonic Kera Smooth. But the choices don't stop there. She can also add extra length using two different extension methods: wefted extensions use a no-braid, no-glue process to secure hair for 6–8 weeks, while strand-by-strand extensions which last 3–5 months are a better choice for those in search of styling versatility, or those who like to get to know each new hair on a first-name basis.

DazzlingWhiteSmile USA's easy-to-use whitening kits help brighten smiles without the need for an inconvenient trip to the dentist's office. After fitting the kits' moldable thermoforming mouth trays to their particular grins, clients fill each with a whitening gel containing 36% carbamide peroxide. When lit by the kit's LED light, this powerful whitening agent dissolves stains left by coffee, tea, or foods while leaving teeth safe and white. Kits also include a remineralizing gels, which works in conjunction with the whitening solution to mitigate sensitivity and strengthen enamel. Designed for use once a day for up to two weeks, kits often produce noticeable results after just one whitening session.

Lorrie Emory has tended to the skincare needs of men and women for more than 20 years. Working within Sola Salons Cornelius, she deftly wields the DiamondSkin microdermabrasion wand, sweeping away damaged skin cells without leaving behind potentially irritating crystal residue. Her facials purify pores with extractions and stimulate skin with treatments such as oxygen therapy, and chemical peels speed up the natural exfoliation process to unearth youthful-looking skin hiding just beneath the surface. She also helps bodies get beach-ready with waxing services for the face and full body, and offers tinting for both eyelashes and eyebrows, allowing faces to skip mascara and the arduous task of training caterpillars to arch in sync.

The master colorists at Limelights Hair Color Studio aren't afraid to reach beyond the rainbow with their styling services. Highlights and all-over color treatments play up flattering shades, which range from classic browns, blonds, and blacks to iridescent pinks and purples. The staff also manipulates hair texture with keratin-straightening formulas, defeating frizz more quickly than peer pressuring each strand to "loosen up already." The lime-accented benches around the salon bespeak the bright attitudes and edgy 'dos found within.

Beauty is a family business at Valeria Salon Med Spa Boutique, where co-owner Geri Palillo has been working side by side with her three daughters and a staff of more than 30 handpicked beauty experts for nearly a decade. Born into a family of cosmetic pioneers, Geri's own journey found her graduating from the classrooms of Vidal Sassoon and rubbing elbows with industry big wigs and their wigs at New York's Redken 5th Avenue Exchange. Today, when she's not busy personally selecting the Ray-Ban sunglasses and designer handbags that fill the shelves of Valeria's boutique, she continues to show off her styling finesse in the sunlit, marble-floored salon that constitutes one third of the business, showing her cutting-edge knowledge of the latest hairstyles through cuts, coloring, perms, up-dos, and straightening treatments.

Meanwhile, on the spa side of this three-part beauty haven, guests relax in private, Tommy Bahama-themed rooms as one of Geri's highly trained therapists and aestheticians administers one of six types of massage or body wraps ripe with natural ingredients such as ocean salt, ginger, or white tea. Facials tend to sensitive skin or revitalize dried out visages, and can also address the unique ailments of the male face, such as pores left from make-out sessions with monster trucks. The service menu also includes med spa treatments, such as laser hair removal, skin tightening and spider vein treatments and wrinkle-smoothing injections of Botox and Juvederm, as well as professional teeth whitening that combines the stain lifting powers of peroxide and light.