Beauty & Spas in New Kensington

Deemed one of the city’s best salons in 2010 by the Pittsburgh City Paper, Dean of Shadyside has been beautifying clientele since its founding in 1984. Its stylists focus on hospitality and guarantee all their services, which include everything from a basic blow dry to feather extensions and three levels of highlights. Nail techs perform four types of manicures and three pedicures for everyday occasions or as part of packages for bridal parties. In a private office, staff experts also consult clients on hair loss and offer them wig-fashion services or attach extensions for more voluminous looks.

The staff members at Hollywood Tans guide their customers to the best tanning options for their skin types with a variety of booth and bulb intensities and their own specialized line of indoor tanning lotions. In addition to the high-performance stand-up tanning booths, they also offer UV-free tanning options powered by Mystic Tan.

Avanti's team of aestheticians, which is helmed by owner Heather Findlan, MD, renews skin with noninvasive treatments. During the approximately one-hour Laser Genesis facial, illuminated energy floods sullied skin cells, luring collagen producers out of deep slumbers. The procedures help to shrink cavernous pores, reduce the appearance of fine lines, and minimize scarring from acne or Eskimo kisses with a shark. Patients may experience a slight warming or tingling sensation, but unlike more aggressive treatments, the gentle light therapy does not damage the outermost layers of skin, resulting in little to no downtime. Depending on the severity of skin damage, dermises may require up to six treatments for desired results.

At the PCCHH, the most stressful moment is the arduous decision of choosing a muscle-melting massage or an anxiety-draining aromatherapy session. Therapeutic massages are performed by a skilled staff of wellness masters. Treatments run from $75 to $85 for 60 minutes or $90 to $105 for 75 minutes and cover a wide number of techniques that would make an interpretive dancer lay down their ribbons in shame. Shiatsu and acupressure massages put pressure on specific areas of the body, encouraging energy flow and relaxing stressors, while the classic Swedish massage stretches and mobilizes muscles, joints, and tendons until they’ve reached taffy consistency. In addition to multitudes of massages, the center offers aromatherapy escapes for the body, mind, and nostrils.

The massage therapists at The Pain Treatment & Wellness Center listen closely to patients' descriptions of aches and pains and use these reports to build personalized treatments. During bodywork sessions, therapists begin by adjusting environmental factors—music, lighting, and trade winds—to create a space that's completely free of stress factors. They go on to customize the style and pressure of each touch, rooting out pain as clients sprawl on heated tables with scentless linens. The lead therapist specializes in sports therapy, which helps athletes optimize their performance, and works alongside other therapists who practice deep-tissue, Swedish, pregnancy, and other modalities.

Holding masters degrees from the Academy of Oriental Medicine, practitioners Sydnie Bryant, Jessica Fritz, and Daniel Johnson balance the bodies and minds of their clients with deft acupuncture expertise. Invoking the ameliorative properties of the 5,000-year-old treatment, a knowledgeable needler will assess clients’ health by feeling nine pulsations at each wrist and observing the color and form of the face, the tongue, and the body before beginning the pin-cushioning process. During the one-hour session, guests are invited to relax as each gentle needle insertion spearheads stress and deflates tension, inducing a mellow mood that can help to alleviate ailments, improve immunity, increase fertility, and bend spoons.