Massage in Palatine

While products from Redken, Pureology, Schwarzkopf Professional, and OPI would be more than enough to fill most stylists' arsenals, the staff of Areté Salon and Spa has another weapon at its disposal. Color-perfect lighting gives the stylists a clear view of their work, allowing colorists and others to accurately assess the results of their labor. Nail technicians work with color as well, outfitting digits with vivid shades of polish, while aestheticians employ essential oils, plant enzymes, and other solutions to rejuvenate complexions and the gardening industry.

The owners at Salon Mmm each boast more than 25 years in the cosmetology industry, using their aesthetic expertise to oversee a staff of talented wig whisperers. Hair revampings begin with a wash, before a resident hair sculptor trims, snips, and sings the hair nest into a face-flattering trance, setting the newfound shape with a blow-dry styling. Stylists then accent natural 'dos with a selection of three small feathers or one large and one small feather, weaving the pretty plumage into the natural locks. While ensconced inside the tranquil salon, guests seep in relaxing vibes from mocha-hued walls and a soothing water wall.

Named a Reader's Choice salon by the Daily Herald in 2012, the Nelson Group Salon staffs skilled stylists who groom clients' locks, skin, and nails using products by Aveda, Bumble and bumble, and Schwarzkopf. Many of the salon's stylists boast more than a decade of experience and professional training from such coiffure heavyweights as Vidal Sassoon and Aveda, which they apply to their services as they snip and color locks in modern styles.

Built in 1890, the salon's charming interior once housed a hospital, which was then subsequently repurposed into a bakery and next into a zombie factory, before finally transforming into its present state more than 20 years ago. Salon owner Nelson, a stylist for more than 23 years, still prefers "old-school German shears" to style ever-evolving haircuts. He emphasizes keeping up with trends and mastering new techniques, saying, "it's not just a job, but a craft."

Brow threading may be the raison d'être of the aestheticians at Eyebrow Expressions, but the team also ably branches out to de-fuzzing other parts of the body, including services for legs, face, and intimate areas. Inside the salon, which is located within Meijer, the aestheticians can also remove hair with threading, an ancient Indian technique that uses a long, wound cotton thread to zip hair away in precise lines without irritating the skin. Because the process is so gentle, the team can thread lips, chins, necks, and delicate vestigial wings.

While there are many styles of massage to choose from, the licensed massage therapists at Elements Therapeutic Massage blend a medley of kneading techniques to ease away tension. Their four-level approach helps to cater sessions to each individual client. Patrons looking for a light and relaxing massage receive a level 1 massage, whereas those with more muscle tension can opt for the medium pressure of a level 2 or 3, and clients bearing especially tangled muscle fibers or especially heavy jetpacks can find relief with the deeper manipulations and trigger-point work of a level 4.

Doctor of Chiropractic Chris Tomshack opened the first HealthSource office in 2006 and has watched his business take flight, growing to more than 250 offices nationwide. The expansion is due in part to progressive-treatment protocols and business systems and in part to the experience Dr. Tomshack gained while in the US Air Force and the MBA program at the University of Toledo, and at Palmer College of Chiropractic, where he graduated summa cum laude. At each of his offices, a team of chiropractors, licensed massage therapists, and trainers helps to alleviate ailments such as disk degeneration and fibromyalgia. The team can also tailor treatments to alleviate pain from carpal tunnel syndrome, migraines, or arthritis, and its progressive-rehab program works with body areas that are known to cause trouble, such as weak lower backs and rebellious pinky toes.