Hair Removal in San Francisco

If you walked into Diva Nail Lounge with a blindfold on, your nose might mistake the salon for a farmers market. The scents of mint, papaya, chocolate, and avocado drift through the space, wafting from natural scrubs and masks. Feet steep in milk baths dappled with rose petals and slices of citrus fruits, and lavender and rose essential oils condition cuticles. Technicians aren't employing the organic ingredients for their aromas alone—they choose them for their nourishing properties, such as antioxidants that combat aging and proteins that hydrate the skin.

The technicians' devotion to earth-friendly formulas is matched by their commitment to hygiene. The salon doesn't stock spa chairs because of sanitary concerns, and the staff throws away disposable tools after a single use. For example, during each Diva house treatment, techs buff calluses with a new pumice stone. To preserve more durable utensils, they sterilize their surfaces with hospital-grade treatments.

The menu covers luxurious mani-pedi services and add-ons that range from paraffin dips to peppermint clay masks. Treatments typically culminate in vibrant coats of nail polish, including the hues of SpaRitual nail lacquer—shades that avoid synthetic dyes in favor of all-natural colors harvested from the inside of kaleidoscopes.

Jennifer Clark doesn't believe in sweeping skin problems under the rug—or, rather, under layers of foundation. As the head aesthetician at Skin Lounge, she much prefers to tackle concerns with a customized regimen of DermaQuest products and spa procedures. Her services strive for a symbiotic relationship with the skin, building on its natural processes and beauty so that makeup becomes an afterthought.

Jennifer modifies these treatments based on the client's skin type and the condition they'd like to address. Her facials range from a 40-minute Glow on the Go service to an Ultra Luxe treatment, which adds microdermabrasion and a light chemical peel to the standard cleansing, steam, and extractions. Stronger chemical peels, such as the power pumpkin peel and the TCA glow peel, reduce signs of aging with clinical ingredients rather than by taping a forged birth certificate to the forehead. Even when waxing away unwanted hair, Jennifer maintains her devotion to healthy skin: she never double dips, and her knack for nigh painlessly removing strips has earned her the nickname "Wax Princess."

Veteran beauty specialist and licensed aesthetician Steve Crovo and his team tackle all of men’s hairiest areas at his studio that specializes in aesthetic services just for men. Garden-green walls set a tranquil setting inside the salon, calming anxious nerves as Steve—or fellow waxing specialist Alan Williams—coats nether regions, limbs, and backs in warm wax and swiftly removes hair using cloth, muslin, or powers of coercion.

Though specializing in waxing, Steve also calls upon indulgent ingredients, such as caviar and coffee, to treat men to the relaxing comfort of skin-rejuvenating facials. To help aching backs to feel like themselves again, he enlists his training in deep-tissue and trigger-point massage to soften clients’ muscular aches caused by injury or trying to wax their own backs. Skin specialist Linda Sanchez also helps acne sufferers to find results as she coats faces with potent cleansers and divulges skin-clearing diet tips.

Pistachio-green walls, exposed white ceilings, and wood fixtures. These airy and earthy tones foster relaxation, but Tiptoes Nail Spa is about more than serenity. It's about green and socially responsible serenity. For all their services, they use high-end products, such as vegan and formaldehyde-free nail polishes. These beauty enhancers are safe for the environment, in addition to being animal cruelty-free.

In plush, black leather pedicure chairs with granite-based footbaths, nail technicians foster relaxation as they exfoliate soles, buff nails, and massage warm lotion into hard-working feet. With great attention to detail, staff members also execute rejuvenating facials and massage. That attention to detail also means keeping waxing treatments ouch-free with applications of topical anesthetics.

The aestheticians and spa staff at Tru Spa follow a strict spa mission focused on making each treatment they perform as effective as possible. This philosophy is reflected in the luxurious ingredients and thorough techniques employed in each skin, body, and nailcare service. On top of that, the spa itself was designed in ways that enhance specific treatments. Select bodywork procedures are performed in the Tropical Rainforest room, where a jungle mist drifts around the body before warm rain showers the client to mimic the effects of a body wrap without any constrictive coverings. Flat-screen TVs hang inside the nail room, drawing the clients' attention so they will be less likely to point at passersby. Colored light fills the massage rooms, painting everything in yellow, red, or dark blue. The rest of the spa sets a sleek and modern tone with natural light and bamboo flooring that is both sanitary and earth friendly.

Inside Thi Spa & Nails, a regal chandelier scatters sparkling light beams across bottles of high-quality products for skin, nail, massage, and waxing services. Nail technicians stand by to shape and shade nails during classic mani-pedis and CND Shellac manicures, which can last for up to two weeks or 14 days, whichever comes first. Facials customized to specific epidermal woes call upon the purifying power of Jan Marini and Dermalogica elixirs, and Novalash extensions cling to indigenous eyelashes. Beautifiers also de-fuzz pampered faces and frames with waxing sessions and heal aching muscles during Swedish and deep-tissue massages. Thi Spa & Nails offers services for both men and women, and gents can peruse a male-specific menu of treatments to keep unwanted follicles off backs, shoulders, and Adam’s apples.