Beauty & Spas in Winston-Salem

Glasses holding wine, water, and hand-warming cups of hot tea greet guests inside Belle La Vie Massage and Spa. During appointments, massage therapists can treat clients to sports, deep-tissue, Swedish, hot-stone, and reflexology massages. Additional pampering comes in the form of aromatherapy, exfoliating scrubs, and games of Pat-a-Cake.

At Sketch Pad Tattoos, rows of inkable designs line green and red walls, inspiring clients and artists alike with both traditional and custom images. Each private tattoo room houses sanitary, single-use needles that etch letters, realistic portraits, and one-of-a-kind illustrations into skin or that cover up homemade-tattoo attempts rife with typographical errors. Piercing services further modify lobes, noses, and vestigial tails in the relaxed studio flanked with comfortable couches.

Gwen Sinclair always had the calling to help people. Her father had bounced back from severe back surgery in a matter of weeks and attributed his speedy recovery to the healing power found in his twice-monthly massage. That sealed the deal for Sinclair; after completing massage-therapy school, she opened Gwen of All Trades.

As their treatments begin in this cozy 110 year-old renovated house, massage clients settle into a plush leather chair while Sinclair consults with them about their treatment goals. She keeps a careful eye on clients as she administers a variety of massage strokes, watching for breathing patterns that tell her whether she's gone too far or whether they are reciting lines from South Pacific under their breath.

Above all else, Gwen comes to work in search of more success stories. Her favorite involves a client who exited the treatment room post-session by hopping on one foot. When Sinclair questioned her gait, the client gave a triumphant smile before telling her that, before the massage, she wasn't able to put pressure on that foot! Her limp banished, the client is now a massage true believer and continues to hops into and out of Sinclair's treatment room once a month.

Located just half a mile away from Wake Forest University, The Day Spa & Salon at Sundance Plaza is an 11,000-square-foot haven of relaxation. Specialists at the spa draw on all-organic products and techniques to carry out therapeutic services including facials and massages. Notable services include a yam and pumpkin enzyme peel, an algae body masque, and signature nail care that utilizes heated booties and mittens.

There's a unique, museum-like feel to the hotel's guest rooms, thanks to its Starving Artists Program, in which each individual room serves as a gallery for one particular local painter, musician, or writer. The hotel's eye for artistry also shows in its sculpture gardens, as well as in its colorful lobby with fountains and a daycare center for promising finger painters.

Often when an eyebrow threader removes unwanted brow hair, they hold one end of the cotton thread in their mouth. But at Wow Brows!, threaders actually tie the thread around their neck, a technique that has been deemed by threading regulators in North Carolina to be more sanitary. In addition to shaping brows without disturbing the topmost layer of skin, hair-removal experts banish fuzz from all over the face.

At Oasis On Fifth, Cherita Irving earns her title of licensed skincare specialist and national skincare educator for Lira Clinical by delivering treatments that exfoliate and hydrate skin. In addition to performing custom facials, Cherita and her team put their experience to use by beautifying clients with solvent-free GelTwo nail enhancements, long-lasting gel manicures, or repurposed Lego hairpieces.