With the Capital Weather Gang apparently discarding its predictions of a mild summer, and the hot, stagnant, swampy D.C. summer roaring back this weekend, now is the time of year when we consider our outward appearances the most. (Or so “they” say.) However you cut it, there are plenty of ways in D.C. to go the Donna Meagle-Tom Haverford route and treat oneself to beautifying procedures. But these seven are the best. Trust us, we look fucking great.
VSL HAIR DESIGN: One of the greatest parts of a hair cut is having your head rubbed during the shampooing. While many salons in D.C. offer great head rubs, VSL Hair Design in Dupont may be the only one whose massage is described on Yelp as ” tantamount to great foreplay.” Indeed, a DCist staff member who wished to remain anonymous can attest to the pleasing quality of the vigorous hair washing. —Sarah Anne Hughes
VSL Hair Design is located at 1607 Connecticut Ave NW.
Photo by Erin Kelly
DIEGO’S HAIR SALON: How many people in the beauty industry have a block of a D.C. named in their honor? Just one: Diego D’Ambrosio, for whom the 1900 block of Q Street was dedicated in 2011. Since D’Ambrosio, an Italian immigrant, opened his shop in 1965, he and his team of stylists have cut the hair of Washington’s power elite and everyday folks who just want a great trim. And since moving to its current location in Dupont Circle, Diego’s Hair Salon has maintained the price of a men’s cut at $20. Also, D’Ambrosio has the best vanity wall in town, even better than yours, Jack Evans. —Benjamin R. Freed
Diego’s Hair Salon is located at 1901 Q Street NW.
V NAILS: Paraffin wraps are standard at V Nails, the unassuming nail salon on Park Road. There’s no paying extra to have your feet dipped in hot wax, which is then peeled off in one tickly, satisfying swoop (and does wonders to relieve dry, cracked skin)—V Nails’ pedicures are $25, comparable to other, lesser treatments in D.C. Use your saved shekels to stop by neighboring Pho 14 to buy an iced Vietnamese coffee on your way home. —Alex Baca
V Nails is located at 1452 Park Road.
EASTERN CONFEDERATE BARBER SHOP: I am probably the only labor reporter who, in between assignments, regularly hangs out at a hipster hair salon, the Eastern Confederate. Dealing with some workers getting laid off or folks getting pay cuts? Swing by the Eastern Confederate to escape from it. The place is like an oasis. There are deer heads on the wall, Natty Bohs chilling in the fridge, honky tonk on the record player, and all matter of cool folks bullshitting about all kinds of subjects during the day. Oh, yeah, and the haircuts are amazing. I have been losing my hair these last couple years and the folks at the Eastern Confederate have been doing a good job of hiding it. —Mike Elk
Eastern Confederate Barber Shop is located at 3112 Mt. Pleasant Street NW, right under the Western Union. Get it?
Photo by Doug Duvall
TATTOO PARADISE: This year, I’ve gotten tattooed at about the same rate that I’ve gotten my hair cut. (Which is to say, twice. I’m not scared of split ends.) In that department, Tattoo Paradise is my Trim—minus the beer, of course. I frequent the Adams Morgan location (where—fun fact for hardcore nerds everywhere—ex-Dag Nasty and current Red Hare singer Shawn Brown works); there are also locations in Wheaton and Rockville. Artists rotate between sites and largely turn out traditional-style pieces; notable recent guests include Chad Koeplinger and Grant Cobb, who both have cultish followings of traditional-tattoo devotees. And the piercing is good, too: clean, quiet, private, and quick. —Alex Baca
Tattoo Paradise is located at 2444 18th Street NW.
TRIM: I’ve had hair every fucking color! Erin at Trim has stuck with me through every shade so tightly that two years ago, I trusted her enough to chop off 12-plus inches of my locks. The Adams Morgan salon occasionally gives me sticker shock, but I’ve never left unsatisfied with how I and my strands look. (I was referred to Trim by an ex-boyfriend who swore he’d never get his hair cut anywhere else; its stylists’ excellent work isn’t limited to the ladies.) It doesn’t hurt that I can sip a Miller High Life and hear Olivia Tremor Control and Beulah tracks on the stereo while I get my layers cleaned up—or get a complimentary in-between-cuts bang trim. —Alex Baca
Trim is located at 2700 Ontario Road.
Photo courtesy Spa World
SPA WORLD: Spa World in Centreville, Va. is undoubtedly one of the best places in the area to soak in a communal bath, get a scrub down and enjoy a massage. But this one comes with a big disclaimer: The management once asked a transgender customer to leave. As the Fairfax Times reported, a Spa World representative told the Better Business Bureau their policy is to “not accept any kinds of abnormal sexual oriented customers to our facility such as homosexuals, or transgender(s).” Spa World eventually apologized. But even so, it may be hard to enjoy your pampering with that in mind. —Sarah Anne Hughes
Spa World is located at 13830 Braddock Road A10 Centreville, Va.
LIVINGSOCIAL: If there’s any business in D.C. most devoted to dealing cosmetic services, it isn’t any proper salon, spa, barber shop, or tattoo parlor, but this city’s homegrown daily deals corporation. LivingSocial might be trying to move toward travel and entertainment, but its bread and butter has always been offering beautifying services on the cheap and on the regular. Just this week, its offers have included microdermabrasion ($62), a three-month supply of raspberry-flavored ketone pills ($15), acupuncture ($49), and yoga on a boat ($49). Sure, you might be underwhelmed by what you get for your coupon, but at least you’ll come out looking hotter than LivingSocial’s latest quarterly statement. —Benjamin R. Freed
LivingSocial is a daily deals and lifestyle (whatever that means) company based in Washington, D.C.
