Salons in Philadelphia

It generally takes about six laser treatments to completely banish unwelcome hair, which means you can conveniently destroy fierce follicles before they can surface from the abyss to plunder your epidermis. At your first visit, a clinic director will help set up your individual treatment regimen, establishing the frequency and number of visits necessary to achieve desired results. Use this initial consultation to ask pertinent questions or to swap apple-streusel recipes with your lasersmith.

Ground Zero Center City sculpts frizzy, unwieldy, and technically illegal hairstyles into follicular masterpieces with a plethora of hair-care services. For starters, the salon's talented, accommodating staff of stylists will carefully edit the head-tentacles atop women ($55+) and men ($35+) into cuts that reflect their personality. For more advanced tress treatments, a single-process color ($60+) elegantly pigments manes into to transform cranial coloration and more effectively capture the gleams from a disco ball. An updo ($65+) gracefully folds and twists hair into elaborate labyrinths.

American Male is a guys-only sanctuary where guests are lovingly lavished with the hottest haircuts from expert stylists. The shop's friendly follicle wizards are skilled at interpreting incoherent hair babble and references to '90s-sitcom actors, ensuring that even nervous noggins receive contemporary cuts that match their owner's lifestyle, face shape, and musical tastes. Bookending snip sessions, strands are treated to decadent lathers, topped off by conditioner and a mini-scalp massage. The Quality Grooming Experience also includes a relaxing mini facial with hot towels and steam, as well as a softening paraffin hand dip.

To call The Body Shop a mere skin and body care store is to miss half of what makes it special. Late founder Dame Anita Roddick was a pioneer for ethical business practices; upon opening her first store in Brighton, England, in 1976, she developed company values such as "Defend human rights" and "Protect our planet." She somehow balanced principles and profit, partnering in global campaigns with UNICEF, Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and the United Nations, all while expanding her brand into 2,500 locations in 60 international markets. After her death in 2007, then-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, “She campaigned for green issues for many years before it became fashionable to do so and inspired millions to the cause by bringing sustainable products to a mass market. . . . She was an inspiration.”

Indeed, the Body Shop exhibits an eco-friendliness that's hard to come by in a company of its size. Its products have been fair-trade since 1987, and its Against Animal Testing movement led to a UK-wide ban of animal testing of cosmetics. The products are made from ingredients harvested from around the world: shea butter from Ghana goes into body scrubs and butters, and Indian artisans craft wooden massagers and tote bags that are screenprinted by hand. But all that isn't to say the company's production practices overshadow its final products. Skincare treatments such as the Blue Corn 3-in-1 deep-cleansing scrub mask often appear in Allure, Marie Claire, and other national publications.

AMS Salon's forte is hair; it won a 2008 Philadelphia magazine Best of Philly award for hair color, was nominated for Best Hair Salon 2010 by CityVoters, and was a 2009 InStyle Beauty Blackbook pick for hair color. Let these hair authorities smoothen and straighten your noodle nest with a keratin treatment. Similar to the system used to prepare a Snickers bar for interstellar travel, the treatment coats each shaft of hair in a nutrient-rich layer of protective protein goodness, eliminating frizz and smoothing cuticles. After soaking strands for several days, hair can be rinsed and unfurled into a newly straight state that will last up to four months. Best of all, you'll need less hair product, less blow-drying time, and no straightening to achieve your ideal 'do, leaving you flat-iron free to explore new hobbies such as panini pressing.

Recognized by InStyle magazine as a top tanning spot, Sun Myst Tanning Spa offers a wealth of options for gaining a boast-worthy bronzed veneer. Those seeking a sun-kissed look sans UV can try the MyMyst Mystic Tan booth, which sprays either medium or dark tan solutions over the whole body in a seamless 60-second motion, leaving a streak-free golden glow that can last for up to seven days. Buyers can also drape their dermis with bodily color during a customized airbrush spray tan that is personalized for different skin types and tanning needs, and can last 7–10 days (normally $40 for the first session, $45 for regular sessions). Hue hunters can also ditch their daily bear hugs from the sun and opt for unlimited monthly use of Sun Myst Tanning Spa's state-of-the-art tanning beds.