Gainesville Beauty and Salons

Tan USA's staff readies bodies for the beach with three services: UV tanning, organic airbrush tans, and infrared body wraps. They whittle waists with the Formostar Encore body-wrap treatment, which helps patrons sweat away calories and toxins inside private treatment rooms replete with TVs, DVD players, and walls. They also wield airbrushes loaded with organic Norvell products to create custom tans without harmful rays and oversee a fleet of standup and lie-down UV-tanning beds.

If a giant hourglass exploded, leaving a sand-hued floor and a temporary break in the flow of time itself, Paradise Grooming would be the result. Against a backdrop of murals featuring palm trees frozen mid-sway beneath a sun perpetually stuck in the warm golden hours, gents grab a brew and try to sink into vacation mode while shears flick through unruly curls. As spheres rocketing across a fully functional foosball table sound a sharp report, scalp massages grab the attention of nostrils by steeping skin in fragrant tea-tree oil that soothes heads stressed from living downstairs from a piano-and-anvil factory. On the way to a private room for a hot-stone massage or facial, guests pause to peruse a menu of manicures and waxing services.

Dr. Bruce K. Branin, the board-certified physician at Alliance Aesthetics, honed his medical-cosmetics and patient-beautification crafts under the tutelage of Dr. Sherman Leis, one of Philadelphia’s top authorities on plastic surgery. During this time, Dr. Branin compiled nearly a quarter of a century’s worth of experience in removing skin lesions and cancers. Now certified in laser and cosmetic procedures, the good doc administers and oversees an array of medical cosmetic treatments designed to restore youthful appearances and reduce skin’s envy of unpopped balloons.

The relaxing, renewing services offered at Dawn and Co. are perfectly complemented by the laid-back, beachy vibe of the place. The color palette is blue and white, the layout is open and airy, and the artwork calls to mind a windswept coastline in the tropics. Amid this low-key atmosphere, stylists craft flattering 'dos and treat hair with smoothing keratin treatments designed to address frizz and damage caused by the sun's harsh rays and judgmental comments.

The salon also offers skincare treatments, including facials, glycolic peels, and other treatments. The Norvell Amber Sun spray-tanning system imparts a straight-from-the-beach glow using a DHA-and aloe-vera-based solution designed to leave skin with a sunless, streak-free tan.

Hairstylist Tara Gray, a life-long Gainesville local, gets to know her clients through free consultations before crafting new looks. Inside Accent Styling Salon's small, naturally lit space, she cossets coiffures through services, such as haircuts, highlights, and perms, and can help clients acquire feather extensions without dipping lawn flamingos in Rogaine.

Pink wicker furniture stands in wait outside All Creations Salon, ready to cradle patrons who want to revel in their new hairstyles or freshly tanned limbs. The whimsical shade continues inside, traipsing across the sea-foam walls in the form of polka dots, and splashed artistically across the floor. It’s the perfect setting for dramatic transformations as a cadre of aestheticians dole out spa pedicures, tattoos, or sweeping updos beneath the approving gaze of unicorns and fairies.