Healing Wizdom Spa and Salon

Have been meaning to update this review for a while, as Tamara (spa owner) saved the day at my wedding a few months ago. I live slightly out of the area, and we had a small, simple morning ceremony planned. For hair and make up, I tried to find someone locally who didn’t have to travel far at that hour, but only one person even bothered to return my call… and she wasn’t available. At the last minute, I called Tamara to see if she could save me; she went out of her way to make sure she would be there. She made it up the hill to my house that morning, and took great care to help me look my best.
My hair is very fine and not easy to work with, plus I have no vision and didn’t really even know what I wanted. Tamara asked a few questions, did a quick evaluation, and then went to work. She gave me gorgeous, shiny curls that held up throughout the day… it was the prettiest it’s ever been!
I’m also a challenge when it comes to make-​up. I usually wear scant amounts, so anything more than that tends to make me feel like a drag queen. And not one of the good ones… I’m talking an over-​the-​hill, fed-​up, hungover drag queen. I knew it would have to look heavier than what I’m used to, otherwise it wouldn’t show up in the photos; nonetheless, I couldn’t handle the full force effect. After she completed the first round, she watched my reaction and got my feedback… then tailored it to a nice balance. I walked into the ceremony feeling very relaxed and confident.
Tamara even stayed during the pre-​ceremony photos, giving me little touch ups, adding a couple of orchids to my hair when they arrived, etc. My mother-​in-​law was so impressed that she later travelled down to Reno to have Tamara do her hair for another occasion.
To sum up, I’ve just always had wonderful care from this place. They go out of their way to treat everyone like family, which is why I’ve been going to Tamara for 15 years now (even before this particular spa). Wedding days are obviously critical in a gal’s life, and Tamara was a kind, attentive, skilled presence that made a huge difference in how I will remember that day — cannot thank her enough!

Bryna is the go to for Brazilian waxes! I have been going to Bryna for a few years now and her professionalism and attention to detail is without compare. She places a warming pad on your tummy, hot rocks for you to hold to relax you and does her best to provide as painless wax as possible. I have never had to go home and take care of missed areas, Bryna is very thorough.
If you are looking for a wax experience that is as comfortable as a wax experience can be I would HIGHLY suggest Bryna!

When I first walked into healing wisdom I was really comforted, it was my first brazillian; Tamara and Mary made me feel like it was a regular– monthly thing I do! WHICH IT WILL BE! I highly recommend this establishment for its quality and professionalism! See you in 4 – 6 weeks!!!

I have become a regular massage customer at Healing Wizdom. Barbara is a knowledgeable and excellent massage therapist. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Staff is caring and thoughtful. Glad I found Healing Wizdom at their new location.

Stacia Sanchez is a hair genius! I am so grateful to have found her! I was scared after I moved from Vegas to Reno because not just anyone can work well with reds. She’s truly amazing!

I have been getting massages for several years and have had several different masseuses and I can honestly say Barbara is the best! When she is massaging me I never want it to end. I highly recommend giving her a try.

I highly recommend Dana for Brazilian waxing… I couldn’t be happier with the results, as she’s determined to do the most thorough job and she definitely does. No more coming home and finding stray hairs like I have in the past with other waxing!
I love the new location in the Costco shopping center on Plumb, it’s really convenient as it’s located right next to Hwy 395÷580…

My wife has been coming to this salon for several years. She constantly raves about it and loves her hairdresser Tamara. I know they have accommodated her with quick appointments when something special came up. She’s also had massage appointments that she loved here. Overall I would recommend this salon based on the fact that my wife is always happy.

Very relaxing and professional. I live out of town now, but it still the best waxing I’ve ever had!

Finally found an amazing salon. Tamera did such an awesome job, I’m crazy picky about my hair. She got the color and cut exactly how I wanted. Love the friendly staff and atmosphere as well.

I am late for posting this, I’m sorry Tamara. but this was the best Brazilian wax experience I have ever had in a very long time. I moved to Reno recently and Tamara has ended my search for a place in Reno and she is worth it! The Spa/​Salon is professional, clean and pleasant once you walk-​in and she gave me hot stones which helped with the whole wax session. Tamara is awesome at what she does and will definitely be booking my next appointment with her. Thank you :)

After reading Unilocal reviews, I choose master waxer Tamara to do my very first Brazilian wax back in September 2011. Only after I had an absolutely horrible 2^nd brazilian wax elsewhere, did I realize what a wax gura Tamara is! First off, she uses disinfected towels for modesty. And, she has you hold hot stones in your hand. And, she is excellent at helping you breath out with each of the painful hair removal pulls, and YES, this really seems to help. I highly recommend the pre-​numbing cream that Tamara has available for a small additional charge. Why suffer any more than necessary. All in all, Tamara is exceptional at putting you at ease, while maintaining whatever modicum of modesty is possible while in this personal area. She also suggested I use a healing mineral gel for a skin irritation I had. She does sell this product, but not for profit. It has worked wonders and confirms that Tamara really knows what she is talking about. Oh how I wish I resided in the Reno area, because there would be NO other waxer for me, ever!
However, I went for my 2^nd brazilian in orange county. I was having both a brazilian and eyebrows waxed. The technician asked me to undress from the waist down and lay on the table. She proceeded to start with my eyebrows. It was pretty weird laying there naked from the waist down while she was doing my eyebrows, so I asked her for a towel to cover up. She stated she had nothing to offer. Very strange! Then she tells me to put the bottom of my feet together and spread my legs! I was mortified. Not once did I have to assume such a revealing position with Healing Wizdom. I was so uncomfortable after a while my legs started shaking uncontrollably. And the technician never once suggested any breathing techniques. She just ripped away at that wax silently. Then, she told me to turn over and spread my butt cheeks. Again, NEVER was I subjected to such immodest positioning at Healing Wizdom with Tamara. This young tech in Orange County has a lot to learn about providing some TLC and maintain a little modesty for her clientele, and I wrote a scathing Unilocal review to warn others not to use this wax factory in Orange County.
I cannot say enough good things about Tamara. Thank you Tamara for showing me how a proper brazilian wax should and can be done!

This is my third visit with Stacia and she provides excellent service. I love the way my hair looks after it’s colored, cut and styled. Couldn’t be happier with her friendly, professional service. Love the products too!

This has been one of the worst salon experiences for me so far.
I recently moved to reno from california. I made an appointment one week earlier for hair styling and make up for a special event. On the day of the appointment the stylist called me and said she was sick and that she couldn’t make it! I told her there was nowhere else I could go in such short notice. she told me she couldn’t find anyone else to cover for her.
I was so stressed out because I needed the styling for a special event. Finally they called me from the salon and told me they have found someone else to do the styling for me. I was thankful. But I was not at all satisfied with her work. she left even though my hair wasn’t done and somebody else had to finish my hair. and the make up was so bad I had to remove and redo it at home.
The stylist that had canceled on me showed up later to do someone else’s hair!!!
at the end they wanted to charge me more and their reason was that they had given me a more experienced stylist than the one I initially had the appointment with. was that my fault?
I hope none of this ever happens to anyone else but I will never recommend this place to anyone, they are unprofessional and irresponsible.

Such wonderful heartfelt service backed up by a ton of expertise. Need color correction? Go here. Need a bad cut fixed? Go here. Need waxing? Have sensitive skin? You definitely want to go here! Feel out of balance? Want energy work or massage? This is gonna be your new fav place.
Skin need a refresh? The facials here are superb and all Dermalogica-​what more could you want? And they Reallllly listen.
This is the best salon I’ve been to in Reno for all of these things! The owner is full of spirit and positive energy. If you want some seriously high quality self-​care/​spa treatments or excellent hair color, wild and unique or traditional and sleek they can do it all. Hipster hair, free-​spirit-​wood-​nymph hair or the cleanest bob or A-​line you’ve ever wanted.
An incredibly kind and sincere support staff rounds out my every visit. And their prices are very reasonable especially if you value real quality and thorough services.
Their new space here in Costco shopping center has a lot of charm and character and is central to every part of Reno, close to the airport, close to downtown and midtown and barely a block from freeway exit if you come from I-​80.
They have a great selection of unique jewelry and hair accessories and hair and skin products.

It’s been a while since I last reviewed this place, meanwhile there have been many changes — all good! As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been seeing Tamara for more than a decade — which probably sums up how I feel about the service. Still…
Since my last review, Healing Wizdom has relocated from Arlington Mall to the Costco shopping center on Plumb. I adored their old location, but I have to say that the new location is much more convenient. It’s highly visible, parking is easy, and it’s a central location with easy freeway access. I wasn’t sure how they were going to transform the space with the same energy that Healing Wizdom is known for, but they have done an amazing job. The space is more open, well appointed, comfortable, and relaxing.
There are also some new faces in the spa. I see Tamara 99% of the time, but there are times when our schedules just don’t align. When that happens, I just schedule according to what’s most convenient and don’t worry a bit about who I’m to see. Tamara thoroughly trains each provider, so that you get a consistent session when you’re there. They are all friendly, gentle, and respectful.
The thing that has always set Healing Wizdom apart is the emphasis on healing and the client experience. You expect to be pampered when you go for a facial or massage, but when getting waxed? Yes, yes, yes. Even for the shortest service, you are always treated to soothing oils, a massage-​like touch, steps to keep your skin from being inflamed or breaking out, and given a few moments of relaxation care at the end. It all just makes such a difference!
I moved to Oregon for a few years, during which time I obviously had to find a different spa. I tried 3 – 4 different places and providers before finding someone that I could live with. Aveda was so-​so, but expensive. A couple of places gave me completely whacked out brow jobs — seriously, I left one place with a three-​quarter brow. I did finally find someone who did a fair job for a fair price, but my brows were never as good and there certainly was none of the special touch you find at Healing Wizdom. One of the best things about returning to Reno was being able to get back here — I am still amazed by how amazing my brows look when I leave!
To sum up, you would be nuts to go anywhere else. They do amazing work with a healing touch for a fair price, all without having to go to a corporate chain or wander through a smelly casino. Winning!

I’ve been a client of Tamara’s for nearly 5 years. In addition to her professionalism, cleanliness, and expertise in waxing, I truly think Tamara and those trained by her offer a unique and comfortable experience. Healing Wizdom is my first recommendation when anyone asks me where to go for waxing in Reno. Since I started booking with Tamara I’ve had far fewer ingrown hairs and the recovery time for my skin is less than it was with previously used waxing methods. I moved from a polymer based waxing and was unsure whether or not the strip wax method would work as well. I can say with confidence, at Healing Wizdom, it’s better!
The new Healing Wizdom location is great, easy to get to from 395 and accessible parking.

I’ve been seeing Bryna for six years for Brazilians, and she is wonderful: professional, warm, and pleasant. She does great work, as does the front-​desk staff, who are all friendly without being overly enthusiastic, which gives the whole business a friendly, low-​key, but professional energy.

Great salon for waxing and ingrown hair issues
I first found Healing Wizdom thorough recommendations from friends through FB for brazilin waxing. At the time, I was going to another salon and unbeknownst to me, I had ingrown hairs and the aesthetician was not even telling me about them! I then decided to find someone new but wasn’t sure where and turned to FB for recommendations.
From my first visit to Healing Wizdom I felt welcomed and the atmosphere was relaxing and soothing. I saw Tamara and she was very informative and took the time to go through the products she was going to use (like essential oils which is a huge plus for me since I am very holistic) to help restore my skin. I cant even tell you how many times throughout the years I have been seeing another beauty specialist for something and had Tamara fix the mistakes-​I was even going to an expensive well known salon before I knew Tamara cut hair and had to have her fix the very odd shape the girl was cutting my hair into :(
I love going to this salon b/​c its like a one stop shop. I can get my hair cut, a message by the really tall guy (he is AMAZING but cant remember his name.) my waxing AND buy the products I need to keep my ingrowns at bay. I have added on a healing treatment that Tamara does to really turn my skin around. Being a mixed girl with curly hair I am prone to hyper pigmentation and ingrown hairs and with this healing treatment my skin has never looked better. Literally, NEVER. I recommend this salon to anyone who is looking for a knowledgeable staff and enjoyable pleasant experience.

I love to support this local business! I was a client at the previous location and think the new location is beautiful. It’s also in a more convenient location now in the Costco parking lot.
I’ve been seeing Bryna for years for various services. She does a very professional Brazilian Wax. Bryna is always on time and pleasant. It’s nice to have consistency and a professional service every time. Bryna also does great facials. I’m very happy with all the services I have received here and look forward to coming here regularly.
They have great monthly specials and a membership program which I keep meaning to check into. This spa prides themselves in professional Brazilian Wax services and I have to agree. I am glad I found them.
Sometimes when you call, they put you on hold briefly or you have to leave a message. The reason is usually because they are helping a customer at the counter and they won’t disrespect the customer at the counter by answering the phone. Be patient, they WILL return your call shortly.

I went into Healing Wizdom for the first time over a year ago, back at their old location. It was for my first Brazilian wax ever and I was really nervous but I had Tamara, and she was the literal best. Made me feel super relaxed and at home. Much more recently I went back and had Bryna, and she was just a doll. The receptionists were welcoming and friendly, and I was in and out in about an hour and 15. Overall, great service, professional, and great prices for the quality you receive. (And for the record, I do not and never have worked there, nor do I personally know any of the staff — I’m looking at you, Morgan K.)

This is solely based on my first time coming here for a pre-​natal massage. I don’t remember the name of the massage therapist that massaged me, but when anyone comes into any facility that offers massages. You don’t talk to them through out their whole massage. How relaxing can that be. Yeah not very…
$ 90 my husband paid for my massage. And she never asked me how the pressure was or if I was comfortable. The table she used was the table that had a head piece on it so you can only imagine how awkward it was for me to dangle my arm on this small head piece and I had no where else to put my other arm.
I would have to say maybe she was just not into it that day maybe?
Another weird thing was she massaged my back had me turn massaged the other side then massaged my feet (barely) and after she massaged my feet she massaged my one arm and my neck. Should you massage the feet last? My opinion. I went to beauty school and they always told us never massage their feet first. Kind of gross. Or sanitize after. What if I had a fungus on my feet and she spread it to my hand or neck. Gross. She said that she was very experienced for 25 years. Very very not worth the money. Although there is another massage therapist that I could’ve chosen and maybe I will give them another try but am very hesitant especially becauSe of the price. I’ve had massages at massage envy and there’s this one woman there that was amazing. Also a pre-​natal massage.
If I could give any words of wisdom to the owners I would make sure I tell the therapists to not talk to the customers unless they talk to you. Making it a better relaxing experience. And she didn’t even massage me for the full hour she left in the beginning trying to figure out why the music wasn’t playing. And we ended exactly at the 1 hour basically leaving me with a maybe 45 – 50 minute massage.