Raleigh Spa and Massage

Aesthetician Lina Yang trained as a medical professional in China before making her way to the United States, where she presently owns and operates Skin Essence. Stationed in her warmly lit spa, Lina relies on 20 years of experience and a team of skincare professionals to rejuvenate complexions and pamper bodies with a full menu of medical-grade spa treatments. The staff specializes in diamond-peel-microdermabrasion treatments and nonsurgical face-lifts, both of which help to reduce the appearance of fine lines, blemishes, and discoloration caused by washing skin in hot water.

Alter Ego's talented technicians primp and polish customers' fingers. The 40-minute Shellac manicure provides the durability and zero dry time of gel nails with the ease of application and smooth, slick finish of traditional polish. Once applied, the wet Shellac polish takes a trip underneath the special UV lamp, hardening into a chip-defying, ultra-shiny finish and eliminating smudges from purse rummaging and plugging differential equations into a graphing calculator. The finish can last up to two weeks without degrading, and is removed easily with no harm to the natural nails, unlike acrylic removal, which uses tiny, club-wielding trolls to bash away unsightly remnants.

A former anatomy, physiology, and biology professor, Tracey Obeda attended the Carolina School of Massage and currently teaches massage at the Medical Arts School and Miller-Motte Technical College. Using deep muscle massage, myofascial release, Swedish massage, trigger-point therapy, arthrokinetics, and more, she tailors all treatments to a client's special needs. Focus your session on stress relief, relaxation, decreased muscle tightness, postural and structural change, increased flexibility, or a combination.

The stylists and nail technicians at Salon Bliss lavish their clientele with both hair and spa services. Redken chemistry treatments relieve hair stressed by overstyling with heat or chemicals, and perms install an abundance of ringlets that are sure to trap the hands of noogy assailants. The salon's stylists have also mastered bridal hairstyling and beauty services, which can be coupled with the wide palette of nail services to ensure brides look more polished than Salon Bliss's gleaming hardwood floors.