East Highland Park, VA Beauty and Salons

In the springtime, pink blossoms hang from tree branches outside of Rhonda's Skin Care to create an scenic entranceway to the peaceful spa. Inside, internationally trained Master Aesthetician Rhonda Carlile brings out the natural beauty of all skin types with techniques she learned in South Africa, France, and the United States. She brightens complexions with fruit-extract masks, smoothes fine lines or scars with gentle microdermabrasion, and applies facial peels that tighten skin loosened by age or by storing acorns in their cheeks to infiltrate squirrel gangs. Guests also sink into relaxation during personalized massages that integrate Swedish, deep tissue, acupressure, and other therapeutic techniques.

Swaddled in plush robes and sipping a cup of herbal tea, the guests at Margarita's Skin Care Center feel pampered before a spa technician even visits their room. The above-and-beyond treatment doesn't stop there—nourishing facials and body treatments often include steam baths, massages, and masks as revitalizing add-ons. The staff caters its skin services to each client's unique exterior and applies European cosmetics to target any blemishes and ailments. After appointments, a full line of retail products and private consultations—which include advice on preventative care—ensure that visitors can maintain their bright visages at home.

Margarita is a certified electrologist as well as a licensed aesthetician. For patrons in pursuit of long-term hair removal, electrolysis zaps follicles to shut down growth, much like how a lightning strike prevents skyscraper antennae from sprouting any higher. The center also offers makeup applications and waxing services.

Using only a fine piece of cotton fiber, the aestheticians at Short PumpThreading perform their specialty service, the Eastern art of threading. The filament effectively dethrones strands at the follicular level, though its delicate touch makes it a good fit for those with sensitive skin or users of Retin-A and Accutane. Regular eyebrow-threading sessions encourage new strands to grow wispier over time, resulting in fewer worries over facial maintenance and inevitable disappointment from fuzzy caterpillars in search of their kin. For all-over hair removal, organic waxing services pare down body hair on both women and men.

Scents of Serenity owner Melanie Mueller believes that putting your best face forward means using organic and natural skincare products. That's why her team of aestheticians employs the Éminence Organic Skin Care line, whose concoctions are free of artificial colors, synthetic perfumes, and harsh chemicals, such as parabens and Twinkie filling. Guests can wander to the spa's cozy lobby to purchase many of these elixirs, strolling across hardwood floors to a centerpiece shelf stocked with bottles, creams, and the emerald leaves of aloe plants.

Mueller's team is an educated bunch; all aestheticians are licensed by the Virginia Board of Cosmetology, and all massage therapists are certified through the Virginia Board of Nursing, as well as the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. They dole out a variety of kneading techniques—from aromatherapy to hot stone—in treatment rooms canopied by cream-colored drapes and strings of luminescent orbs that melt into butter every time a patron says "ahhh."

The medical technicians at Eastern Virginia Medical and da Vinci Spa know that losing weight is tricky, and keeping it off is even trickier. That's why they base their medically certified weight loss programs and treatments around equal parts science and support. From low-calorie diets and weight-loss counseling to B12 injections and appetite suppressants, treatments helps clients change their lifestyles while simultaneously shedding inches. While weight-loss programs take effect, spa technicians also assist with other aesthetic matters. Body wraps contour bodies with the help of infrared heat, and their Smart Lipo system harnesses the power of ultrasonic energy, which busts up the cellular fat stores without the need for invasive treatments. In addition to helping patients lose weight, they also maintain appearances with laser hair removal sessions and brighten smiles with teeth whitening treatments powered by UV light.

Driven by the desire to enhance her patrons’ natural beauty, seasoned aesthetician Nichole Perry gussies up faces and bodies via a host of pampering services. She restores radiance to dulled complexions with an anti-aging MAX facial forged from plant-derived stem cells, and her waxing services prepare legs for strutting about town nude, as the rest of the body unknowingly slumbers. A master of accentuating each patron’s most striking features, Nichole also performs makeup applications for special occasions such as weddings or graduations.