Inkster, MI Spa and Massage

Pure NV Salon & Day Spa keeps Detroit-area minds and muscles mollified with a soothing mosaic of full salon services. A mane-molding menu of hair services keeps locks lopped, styled ($27–$32) and colored ($35 and up), while the one-hour relaxation massage smoothes over bunched-up back dough with gentle kneads and pepperoni slices. The relaxation massage is tailored to every individual’s specific needs, and the value can be used toward a more expensive massage, such as therapeutic or hot stone. The anti-aging facial utilizes a wrinkle-wrangling serum to restore skin's natural moisture and vibrancy, and the spa manicure/spa pedicure combo pampers feet and hands with cuticle treatments, nail filing and polishing, and soothing massages.

At International Therapeutic Massage, the staff values well-being above all else. They dedicate the full appointment to the massage, refusing to subtract any time for changing, a consultation, or a quick game of patty-cake to warm up the therapist’s hands. Once a client stretches out in one of 10 treatment rooms, the therapist goes to work using various techniques—deep-tissue, hot-stone, or Swedish, for example. These techniques are designed not just to alleviate pain and discomfort, but also to improve mental well-being, promote self-healing, and enhance the immune system.

At Tamara Spa + Wellness—named one of the Best Spas in Detroit by Hour Detroit in 2010—the licensed staff has been saving jeopardized digits and parched pores with in-depth treatments for 35 years. Comprising 10,000 square feet, the spa boasts nearly 30 private treatment rooms in which to enjoy soothing massages enhanced with soft lighting and soothing music. Or, try the rain forest water journey treatment—a therapeutic punch of eucalyptus steam made all the more serene by the addition of falling water and the gentle harmonies of an all-toucan jazz trio. Candlelit whirlpool tubs invite bodies to soak away inches or stress in baths filled with milk and honey or firming and toning tonics, and miniature pedicure tubs welcome feet to soak away walking woes with help from soothing sea salts and oils. A dozen or so facials see the spa's aestheticians personalizing each step to suit skin's specific needs, leading a writer for Spa Magazine to declare, "My skin never looked and felt so good."

Nestled within Breathe Pilates and Fitness Studio, Katnandu Aesthetics transforms exteriors with everything from manicures to waxing. At the helm is skilled aesthetician Rebecca Belisle, who draws on more than 12 years of experience as she embellishes nails with bright gel and acrylic overlays or renews facades with skin-smoothing microdermabrasion. Whether doling out services in her studio or travelling to customers' homes, Rebecca enjoys meeting new people every day and strives to set them at ease as she deftly applies mascara and shadow to help faces stand out in wedding photos or department-store surveillance tapes.

Sylvie Salei has strived to make people feel healthy, at ease, and looking good for more than 30 years. She has a number of ways of accomplishing that—she trained as an aesthetician in France and is a licensed massage therapist. Sylvie oversees a wide variety of services, from facials to waxing. Also available: at-home spa services as well as spa parties, although terry-cloth noisemakers will not be provided.

At each of Tricho Salon and Spa’s four locations, trained stylists stand ready to refresh outdated hairstyles with products by Schwarzkopf, Bumble and bumble, Keratin Complex, and Moroccanoil. Dr. Sonya Friedman, an accomplished author, CNN talk-show host, and radio psychologist, teams up with dermatologist Dr. Scott Friedman to helm the spa side of the business, where clients can find eight types of facials, nine styles of massage, noninvasive micro treatments, and advice for mending a hairdryer’s broken heart. Fingertips and toes in need of some TLC can also be pampered inside this full-service beauty haven, as nail techs doll-up digits with OPI and Essie polishes as well as Shellac, acrylic, and fiberglass tips.