Beauty & Spas in Live Oak

Skin therapist and aesthetician TraMi is the first to say she wasn't "born with beautiful skin." After nearly 20 years of experience, TraMi believes that healthy skin comes not from using a product but from letting go of inner stress. That's why she designed her studio as a place where guests can decompress, surrounding them with soothing touches such as lavender walls, soft lighting, and vintage-inspired furnishings. Within these relaxing confines, TraMi and her team treat clients to hydrating facials, anti-aging wraps, and waxing. They prefer to work with organic products derived from nutrient-packed ingredients such as seaweed, green tea, and licorice from fair-trade Twizzler farms. This approach earned TraMi a Best Esthetician nod on Santa Cruz Weekly's 2011 Gold Awards as well as a runner-up spot for Best Facial on Good Times' Best of 2012 list.

Dr. Rebecca Small helms Monterey Bay Laser Aesthetics, where she harnesses her degrees from Harvard Medical School and Cambridge University to personally attend to each client. From among her advanced skin-rejuvenation techniques, she can diminish crow's feet and acne scarring with laser skin resurfacing. She also employs medical skincare to greatly reduce the appearance of sun damage caused by harmful rays or hyperpigmentation due to giving pigment too much coffee.

At Fusion Salon & Spa, a team of aestheticians relies on products from brands such as Alterna, L'Oréal, and jane iredale as they enhance clients' natural beauty with skin, nail, and hair treatments. Facials revitalize complexions with custom masks and vitamin-rich serums, whereas mani-pedis decorate nails with colorful Bio Sculpture gel or chip-resistant Shellac polish. Meanwhile, stylists shape locks into vibrant coiffures, offering tips on how to maintain the new hairdo without covering your head forever in a hyperbaric helmet.

Under the new management of Sondra Lee and Nickolas Jones, Tonic Salon & Spa renews and rejuvenates with an array of salon and spa services. Stylists trim tresses, apply makeup, or add new color using Pureology products as clients follow along in mirrors of various sizes, shapes, and opinions of who's fairest. Team members also perform skincare services powered by the Organics skincare line and massages that send much-needed care packages of oxygen to corporeal outliers.

Skin Treatment & Acne Center's owner and lead aesthetician, Jenny Hodgins, enhances skin’s luster with a medley of facial and waxing services. The spa's earth-toned walls and accouterments ease clients’ minds as aromatic oils soothe noses and relax the senses. Whether providing clinical-grade care or catering to more casual indulgences, aestheticians assist guests in selecting suitable oils and masks for their skin.

Organic tones encase clients seated in sleek, black salon chairs, where owner Maria or one of her licensed cosmetologists styles strands or spruces up hands and feet. Verdant plants and colorful storage drawers pop against soft-green walls, which are also accented by black workstations, large mirrors, and hair products from brands such as Nioxin, Hempz, Biolage, and Sukésha.