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Medical aesthetician Carole Burns insists that the two treatment rooms at her skincare center are surgical-suite sterile. Clinical and cold the space is not, though, thanks to a chic and colorful feng shui layout and an iPod’s worth of tunes wafting over bright orange walls. Cozy earth tones are where the comfort ends, however: This spa inflicts pain—all in the name of beauty. Burns, whose facials won her a devoted following at Chelsea Eye Associates, is known for delivering visible results, and for her expertise in treating ethnic skin issues. And while she’s as charming and candid as can be, she means business when extracting blackheads and dirt from unseen places (like the inner ear). Many of her clients seek solutions for hardcore problems like rosacea, spider veins, hyper pigmentation, and persistent acne. Regulars like Robin Givens and playwright Sarah Jones sign up for deep cleanings, chemical peels, and facials using Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), a laser-like technology used to banish unwanted hair, wrinkles, and sunspots. (Post-procedure, clients are rewarded with a soothing facemask.) Pain aside, many choose to return, particularly after realizing that the remarkable before-and-after pics in the waiting room photo album aren’t just a skincare fantasy. — Chanize Thorpe

Two for one IPL treatment (intense pulsed light) medical grade equipment. Receive two treatments for $700.00. Regularly priced at $400 per treatment.

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