Tacoma Beauty and Salons

When licensed massage therapist Karen Garry first opened Sand Dollar Spa & Massage, it only made sense that her husband, Matt, join the team. After all, she’s not the only massage therapist in the family. With his expertise in sports therapy and her skill at creating relaxing spa treatments, the duo managed to transform a humble practice into a booming success, even garnering a nomination from King 5 as one of the best massages in western Washington.

Though the staff aim to create an environment of healing and ease, choosing which treatment to enjoy can be rather difficult. They offer nine massage modalities, including Swedish, volcanic stone, and a four-handed treatment, during which two massage therapists work on a single client. Spa treatments, such as sugar or sea-salt scrubs and seaweed body wraps, rejuvenate bodies from the inside out with skin-softening formulas. Across the spa, in-office teeth-whitening sessions can enhance smiles by up to eight shades in 20 minutes, or 1/200,000 of the shelf life of a Twinkie. Committed to supporting their community, Karen and Matt donate both their time and gift certificates to local organizations, such as Evergreen Primary School, University Place Volunteer Center, and Charles Wright Academy.

Spa Vita Bella resides inside a charming building with a sunny outdoor patio and cozy treatment rooms. The soft lighting and well-trained therapeutic technicians create a soothing atmosphere for glycolic facials, hydrating body treatments, discreet hair removal, spa manicures, and more. A purifying deep pore facial ($65) uses Eminence Organic Skincare products to refurbish flesh-emoticons with a deep cleansing, gentle exfoliation, steaming, and extractions—removing pore blockage, treating blemishes, and calming the skin. Otherwise, purge bodily impurities, poisons, and naturally occurring diet sodas out through the toe-roots with a therapeutic detox foot bath ($40). A brow or lash tint ($20 each or $30 for both) demolishes gray hairs in your eye-caterpillars so that you look less likely to heckle muppet shows from a balcony. You can also prep for a night's revels with a Jane Iredale natural mineral makeup application ($35) followed by a classic manicure ($20) and pedicure ($35).

One of the largest cosmetology schools in the northwest, Gene Juarez Academy instructs students to skillfully style hair under the watchful eye of licensed and experienced instructors. While making their way through the program, students perfect their skills on the bustling salon floor by snipping, coloring, and styling tresses. Guests not only receive these services at a discounted rate, but also get a unique, behind-the-scenes glimpse of the process via the instructor’s running commentary.

South Sugar Hill specializes in hair removal—but instead of relying on methods such as waxing, lasers, or the slow, entropic stomp of time that devours everything in its path, the staff uses all-natural sugar wax. This type of wax is free of harsh chemicals and artificial fragrances, making it ideal for the sensitive skin in bikini areas, under arms, and on faces. The sugaring process is also heat-free, ensuring that skin does not end up with burns.

At Artistic Plastic Surgery Center, Dr. Khash A. Dehghan and a team of specialists educate clients on the risks and benefits of aesthetic, cosmetic, and surgical procedures before performing treatments that enhance outward appeal. Drawing on more than a dozen years of experience, Dr. Dehghan modifies or enhances nearly any area of the body with procedures including chin augmentation, facelifts, and rhinoplasty. Anna Johnston, a Euro Institute of Skin Care graduate, makeup artist, and medical aesthetician, supplements the center's surgical procedures with spa services such as derma planing or chemical peels, which remove dull, dead cells or dry, flaky milk moustaches.