Where do you go when you want to glow up? How about to wind down? We’ve chosen some of our favorite salons, spas, and beauty pros, plus surveyed readers and asked Washingtonian Style Setters for nominations. These are the standout spots, plus trending treatments and local brands.   Best for a Pos h Day Spa Spa at Four Seasons Hotel location_onGeorgetown languageWebsite Photograph by Leila Brewster. Despite its location at a busy intersection in Georgetown, this hotel spa—which was upgraded in 2024—feels, from the moment you walk into the eucalyptus-scented lounge, like a tucked-away respite. The chic spa has eight treatment rooms for massages, facials, and IV treatments, plus a plunge pool and infrared sauna for contrast therapy.   Best Nail Salon Nailsaloon location_onLogan Circle, Capitol Hill, Takoma DC, Chevy Chase, and Arlington languageWebsite Photograph by Cecilie Olaussen. The women- and minority-owned luxury nail parlor is a cult favorite, with five reliable locations across the area. Known for nontoxic, cruelty-free nail care, complimentary sips, and chic aesthetic, they even go so far as to apply SPF before gel manicures. Applications include classic polish, gel, and Dazzle Dry.   Best for Nail Art Rose Nail Bar location_on4767 Langston Blvd., Arlington; 1000 N. Randolph St., Arlington languageWebsite Nowadays, nails can serve as the ultimate canvas. For those craving more than a solid coat of color, make a beeline to Rose Nail Bar, where the technicians are applauded for their Russian-style cuticle work, long-lasting builder-gel manicures, and picture-perfect custom nail designs—think cherry blossoms, citrus slices, and 3D masterpieces.     Best Massage Unwind Wellness location_onAdams Morgan, Georgetown, Navy Yard languageWebsite Photograph courtesy of Unwind Wellness. From Swedish and Thai techniques to deep-tissue and lymphatic-drainage options, Unwind Wellness is revered for its wide range of massage modalities. The studio marries nurturing therapeutic massage practices with boho-luxe decor for an experience that’s as genuinely relieving on the body as it is easy on the eyes.   Best for Blondes Salon deZEN location_onAlexandria languageWebsite Blogger and 2019 Washingtonian Style Setter Dani Sauter is known as the Blonde Cat Lady, so maintaining her platinum mane is a must. This salon is Sauter’s go-to spot: “My stylist, Heather Jordan, has perfected my platinum-blonde hair time and time again, keeping it vibrant and healthy in the process.”   Best for a Natural-Looking Spray Tan Skin Therapy location_onBethesda languageWebsite Even glowy spray tans that look straight from the sun can be hard to find, but 2022 Style Setter and gift consultant Candace Ourisman swears by Skin Therapy’s organic sugar-based formula and pro staff: “Ask for Anna or Antoinette—both have been doing my spray tans for years, and they have never once missed.”   Best for a Spray-Tan Regular Sugared + Bronzed location_onGeorgetown; 14th St Corridor languageWebsite Photograph courtesy of Sugared + Bronzed. This spray-tan chain arrived in DC last year, but it’s already garnered fans. Part of the appeal is the membership program: $55 for a monthly tan, $95 for two services a month, or $125 for three, with the ability to roll over unused perks. The airbrush application yields sun-kissed skin all year long.   Best for an Affordable Spa Day King Spa location_onChantilly languageWebsite Photograph courtesy of King Spa. The massive Korean-style spa is like Disney World for self-care, featuring more than half a dozen saunas and steam rooms, a gender-segregated bathhouse (nudity is required), and a rooftop hydrotherapy pool. Day passes are $80 on weekdays and $90 on weekends; tack on treatments for an additional price.   Trend Report Starting at the Roots Originating in Japan, head spas are all about deep cleaning and massaging the scalp to clear buildup and promote healthy hair. Consider it an extended, much-enhanced version of getting your hair washed at the salon, with some additional steps. Redwood K-Wellness (110 Pleasant St. NW., Vienna) is completely dedicated to your crown, offering therapies that deal with sensitivity, oil, inflammation, and more. Old Town’s Meraki operates a head spa (333 Commerce St., Alexandria) where sessions start with a scalp massage and end with a blowout. For head-to-toe pampering, the nail salon Gloss Bar (1340 Eighth St., NW) has a variety of scalp treatments, including options that use red-light therapy, micro-currents, and aromatherapy. —Daniella Byck   Best Makeup Artist Carl Ray languageWebsite Photograph of Carl Ray. Washingtonian Style Setters and former First Lady Michelle Obama agree: When it comes to beautiful, natural-looking soft glam, Carl Ray is your guy. What makes him such a standout among DC makeup artists, apart from his celebrity clientele, is his ability to shift his technique for any and all occasions.   Best Luxe Barbershop Manifest location_onAdams Morgan; NoMa languageWebsite Photograph by Kelly Marshall. Part self-care studio, part social space, ultra-cool Manifest offers men the luxury that women have long enjoyed in salons. Come for one-off barbershop services—including a 70-minute grooming session with a face mask and hot-towel treatment—and then take your fresh look to the onsite restaurant or speakeasy.   Best for a Tranquil Mani-Pedi Nothing in Between Studio location_onMcLean; Falls Church; Alexandria languageWebsite Photograph by Laura Metzler. These minimalist salons tend to be a quieter destination for serene, nontoxic nail services, complete with healing crystal soaks and an indulgent hot-stone massage. Specialty treatments and add-on services include builder gel, nail art, and an extended foot rub in the comfy lounge chairs.   Shop Local Made in DC Three brands with hometown roots Mischo Beauty When founder Kitiya Mischo King was pregnant, she saw a gap in the beauty market. So she launched this clean, pregnancy-friendly, nontoxic nail-care brand. Skincando Aesthetician Sara D’Amelio set out to address and heal common skin-care concerns with non-clinical ingredients. Her brand uses nourishing plant-based formulations in cleansers, creams, masks, and more. Stubble + ’Stache Facial hair can look great, but it can also wreak havoc on underlying skin. Nicholas Karnaze created Stubble + ’Stache, a probiotic skin-care brand, to mitigate that issue.   Best Facial Sarah Akram Skincare location_onAlexandria languageWebsite Photograph by Eli Turner. It’s no secret that one of the US’s best aestheticians is in Old Town. “I started hearing about Sarah Akram Skincare long before I moved to DC [from] everyone that traveled in for her facials,” says 2025 Style Setter and lifestyle blogger Paula Dhier. Akram recently took her hydrating facials overseas to a celebrity audience at Cannes.   Best for a Quick Brow Cleanup Dupont Threading location_onDupont Circle, U Street corridor, Columbia Heights, Capitol Hill, and Clarendon languageWebsite Walk-in-only Dupont Threading is a favorite for impromptu hair removal, and consistent service across outposts makes it easy to swing by the closest location. “My eyebrows always look defined yet natural after a visit,” says 2024 Style Setter David McCombs, who has been popping in for the past 12 years.   Best Alternative to Waxing Hello Sugar location_onAlexandria, Arlington, Vienna, Fairfax, Manassas, Ashburn, and Chantilly languageWebsite Hair removal can be undeniably irritating, if not outright painful. For those craving a gentler experience than waxing, this studio with seven Northern Virginia locations offers another option. A monthly membership program is available for upkeep.   Best Hair Salon Jack Howard The Salon location_onGeorgetown languageWebsite Photograph courtesy of Jack Howard The Salon. L’Oréal Professionnel ambassador Jack Howard is renowned for his deep knowledge of dimensional, natural-looking balayage hair. At his posh Georgetown salon, find expert color and styling, from blowouts to silk presses, no matter your hair type or whom you book with.   Trend Report Techy Treatments An Aescape robot masseuse at Courted spa. Photograph of courtesy of Aescape. It’s not just Claude and ChatGPT: Artificial intelligence has hit the spa. The Korean beauty store Hosū (1515 Wisconsin Ave., NW) in Georgetown has a scanner that uses AI to identify problem areas on skin, while the beauty chain Glo 30 (multiple area locations) uses AI analysis to optimize facials. Things have taken an especially sci-fi turn at Courted (6805 Industrial Rd., Springfield) , the spa in the St. James sports complex, where Aescape robots with mechanical arms act as massage therapists, using body scans to guide sessions. —Daniella Byck This article appears in the July 2026 issue of Washingtonian.The post 15 Great Salons, Spas, and Beauty Pros in the DC Area first appeared on Washingtonian. ...read more read less