Beauty & Spas in Framingham

Winner of the 2011 Wicked Local Reader's Choice Award for Spa and Salon, Jathar Salon and Spa rejuvenates weary bodies with hair, skin, and nail treatments. Padded by cushy spa tables, patrons submit to the soothing influence of veteran massage therapists whose deft kneading leaves muscles as content as a puppy in a tennis-ball factory. In the spa's other private treatment rooms, aestheticians begin facials by conducting a custom skin analysis on guests draped over contoured beds. Vibrating massage chairs cradle visitors during pedicures, and manicurists meticulously craft nails and cuticles into pristine condition before gussying them up for big-league cat’s-cradle championships with vibrant coats of OPI or Essie polish. On the way in or out, a complimentary coffee and snack bar refreshes peckish bodies.

Stepping into Fia Salon/Spa is like stepping into a Mad Max fashion show. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city proper, the owner and namesake has spread her European roots and visionary eye, carving out a landscape that swirls together industrial sensibilities with a steam-punk edge highlighted by gunmetal-gray roses. Yet despite hard accents, the studio space is surprisingly inviting, balancing the chrome and steel with gold and copper and an open layout that gives visitors space to breathe and think. There, perhaps drawing inspiration from the metal spin-lock door or perhaps imagining a vault behind that door filled with toupees, clients dream up fantastic hairstyles that Fia and her staff make into reality.

International training with the likes of Toni & Guy and Vidal Sassoon has helped Fia cultivate a team of skilled master colorists and stylists. To stay swimming in the rushing current of fashion, the team regularly undergoes training on the latest techniques and uses products by Coppola, Sebastian, and Wella to transform looks. Several staffers draw from experience working in salons on Newbury Street and in the greater Boston area, and Boston magazine, which named Fia Salon/Spa the Best in West Boston in 2007, touted the spot's "Newbury Street panache minus the hassle of driving in from the ’burbs." The staffers’ know-how has also earned them recognition on WGBH's Boston A-List, including the award for Best Hair Highlights in 2011. When the team is not tousling hair into the last trend, Fia Salon/Spa's team pamper visages with luxurious skincare treatments aided by Dermalogica products.

Beautifica Day Spa's expert aestheticians rejuvenate visages with gentle microdermabrasion treatments, which use organic, plant-based products housed in eco-friendly packaging. During the 45-minute face-pampering process, a licensed skinsmith exfoliates away tired cells and clingy exes with a spray of fine crystals, returning a healthy glow to faces. Microdermabrasion can help to erase hyperpigmentation, smooth bumpy facial roads, and fade fine lines and scars. Cozy treatment rooms draped in neutral hues and soft linens embrace bodies in a blanket of calm, freeing clients from outer-world stressors such as demanding bosses and bad dreams where they have to fill out W-2 forms in crayon.

Plastic surgeon Joseph Russo has spent the last 20 years adjusting bodies to erase the appearance of age with skills picked up during training at Harvard University. He currently directs the beauty-oriented crew at Laser Gentle Medical Spa, which employs laser and skincare treatments to refashion complexions and contours. Lasers zap unwanted hair, veins, and age spots in painless treatments, and facials and peels target façades to cleanse pores and adjust oil balances. I-Lipo treatments affect change from the inside out by penetrating the skin with low-level lasers to admonish fat cells and smooth cellulite.

Courtney and Corey Nappa complement each other’s skill sets well. Courtney has a wealth of business experience and a passion for beauty, and Corey has years under his belt as a personal trainer and fitness-center manager. They realized that they could combine their skills into an ideal health-club experience, and Ten X Club was born.

On the fitness end of the business, instructors hold group Pilates, yoga, and spin classes. Cardio and weight-lifting rooms feature equipment from manufacturers such as Nautilus and Precor. A kids’ playroom keeps tykes entertained while parents shed sweat. On the other end of the spectrum, the sleekly appointed salon features hair services, mani-pedis, and spray-tanning services in a quiet environment, the air perfumed with the scent of hair products. Here, too, members can send their kids to the playroom while they enjoy grownup relaxation time with beautifying services, adult conversation, and the freedom to eat animal crackers any way they choose.

For more than 20 years, Forever-French Salons' staff members have beautified clients' fingers and toes with everything from familiar nail treatments to its signature French-style acrylics. The popularity of the pink-and-white acrylics and gels stems from their glossy, natural look and dependability; they can last for up to four weeks without fading, lifting, or breaking. At the salon's locations in Franklin and Norwood, the staff performs a varied assortment of pampering nail services, including mani-pedis with warm paraffin treatments, hand-painted nail art, and no-chip gel manicures. Both locations round off their menus with waxing services, and the Franklin venue also provides haircuts, color, and keratin smoothing therapy.