Beauty & Spas in University Park

From within the walls of Mercy Hospital, the techs and medical aestheticians at Miracle Laser & Skin Care Institute beautify bodies with an arsenal of high-tech apparatus. Their lasers focus on eliminating unwanted body hair, veins, and sagging skin, whereas injectable solutions such as Botox smooth out wrinkles better than a catnap on a tortilla press.

For nearly two decades, the medical professionals and laser technicians at Cellulite & Laser Institute have helped patients achieve cosmetic goals with a diverse palette of surgical and nonsurgical options. Harnessing the power of laser and light energy, the skilled staff banishes unwanted fuzz and out-of-date tattoos from skinscapes. Endermology treatments, meanwhile, use gentle suction and a motorized massager to help smooth out cellulite-ridden areas. Cosmetic injections and microdermabrasion sessions rejuvenate façades, allowing patrons to recapture youthful expressions without resorting to gluing a yearbook photo to their nose.

Mckenzie Wilson knows the importance of skin care. As a medical aesthetician and creator of MC Skin Therapy, she’s helped numerous clients achieve and maintain their health, beauty, and ability to change expressions on a dime. Using products from Skin Script and Dermologica, Wilson and her staff cleanse deep into pores with facials, slough away skin imperfections through microdermabrasion, and gently break down dead skin cells with a collection of peels.

The staff at Perfect Skin Studio understands that unlike shar-pei puppies and time, faces should not have wrinkles. With this in mind, the spa's repertoire of skincare services focuses on combating the signs of aging and stress with the use of paraben-free products. Each service, from acne-clearing teen facials to skin-brightening chemical peels, begins with a consultation to give the aesthetician more information in order to tailor the treatment to individual skin type. The staff also lavishes attention on the rest of the body, giving skin an all-over glow while shaping silhouettes with slimming body wraps. Waxing services ensure clients leave the studio more meticulously groomed than a tribe of obsessive-compulsive chimpanzees.

It was time for a change for Graciela Castro. After years spent working in finance, she realized that her fast-paced career had hobbled her health, relationships, and ability to sit still for a whole rendition of "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall." So Castro learned to style hair, something she knew she would love once she observed how much a chic cut could lift a person’s spirits. It wasn't long before she opened Graciela's Salon. There, staff members apply the skills they learned at international style conferences to perform services with Paul Mitchell hair treatments or Gelish or Essie nail-polish hues. To enhance the mind-body experience she values, Castro makes clients feel at home by providing such complimentary beverages as wine and coffee, as well as free wireless-Internet access.