Fitness

Monthly Maintenance

Where to find the best of the basics, from head to toe.

By Beth Landman

Rub It In: Applying conditioning mud pack at Simon Salon.

(Photo: David Yellen)

Hair Conditioning

Simon Salon
22 E. 66th St.; 212-517-4566
In the age of Japanese straightening, good conditioning’s vital. Simon Salon’s intensive mud pack is applied thickly and then lightly steamed for half an hour. The result is worthy of Rumpelstiltskin himself: straw into silk ($35).

Scalp massage

Salon Ishi
70 E. 55th St.; 212-888-4744
Men in particular go into paroxysms of joy during the Shiatsu Shampoo—the scalp, neck, and shoulders are deeply massaged for 45 minutes as the hair is washed and conditioned ($85).

Massage

Graceful Services
1097 Second Ave, near 57th St., second fl.; 212-593-9904
At $60 for an hour of qi gong, this is a true city find. The method is strong and rhythmic, with lots of stretches. Better still, you can turn up after work—or dinner. They’re open until 10 p.m., and Thursdays till 3 a.m.

Oxygen Facial

Lia Shorr
686 Lexington Ave., near 56th St., fourth fl.; 212-486-9670
After a cleansing and exfoliation, a mixture of vitamins and ginseng is applied, then hot compresses help the solution penetrate the skin. This is followed by a thorough misting from an oxygen tank. Special rate of $80 through February.

Eyebrows

Kristy Streicher at Warren Tricomi
45 Rockefeller Pl., third fl.; 212-218-8650
After a quick plucking, optional waxing, and a few seconds of dye, your eyes will startle you (in the mirror) with new definition ($50 for waxing; $51 for tweezing or dyeing).

Hands On: The sea-salt scrub at Dorit Baxter.

(Photo: David Yellen)

Body Scrub

Dorit Baxter
47 W. 57th St., third fl.; 212-371-4542
The scrub here is vigorous and thorough, like a massage with sand, and the two most common complaints about scrubs—freezing because you are wet and naked, and getting salt in your hair—are avoided: The bed is heated, and your hair is placed in a cap. Best of all, at $58, it’s great value.

Foot Maintenance

Josephine Beauty Retreat
200 E. 62nd St.; 212-223-7157
In the winter, you can’t just throw on your flip-flops after a pedicure and stroll home. Josephine offers an excellent solution: an interim treatment with buffing, massage, and cuticle oil to cheer up existing polish ($25).