Best of Orlando 2018 – Health & Beauty
There are treasures to be found all over Central Florida—and here’s your exclusive map to some great finds. Our annual Best of ORL list is based entirely on reader picks in dozens of categories. Plus check out our snapshot profiles of selected winners.
Food and Drink | Home & Shopping | People & Media | Fun & Leisure | Health & Beauty | Kids & Pets
A Friendly Throwback
Jose Perez loved the barbershops he grew up frequenting in New York City. The barbers were funny, friendly and everyone felt comfortable, no matter their age, gender or ethnicity. Over the 20 years he’s been cutting hair in Orlando, Perez says he’s seen more profanity and loud music in local shops. When he opened The Eastside Barbershop—named after its location in east Orlando—in 2015, he aimed to re-create the community hub he missed. “It’s tough to find a good group of guys so that you can have fun, create a good, family atmosphere but not so square where it’s boring. We just have a really good balance,” Perez says. People are so comfortable at Eastside, Perez says, that parents drop their children off for haircuts while they run errands. Women are welcome as well; he says he has a few groups of women who make their appointments together to socialize. “They pull up chairs afterward and crack up. Then I have some older guys stick their heads in to talk about the game. It feels like the shops I grew up in.” — M.S.
BARBER SHOP
1 The Eastside Barbershop
Union Park
Facebook, search for Eastside Barbershop
2 Floyd’s 99 Barbershop
Six Orlando-area locations
floydsbarbershop.com
3 Kennedy’s Barber Club
Winter Park and Lake Mary
kennedysbarberclub.com
HAIR SALON
1 SizzorS Salon
Oviedo
sizzorssalon.com
2 Salon Ciseaux
Winter Park
salonciseaux.com
3 Stella Luca
2 Winter Park locations
stellaluca.com
HEALTH & BEAUTY DAY SPA
1 The Woodhouse Day Spa
Dr. Phillips Area
orlando.woodhousespas.com
2 The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes
Orlando
ritzcarlton.com/orlando
3 Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa
Multiple Orlando-area locations
handandstone.com
NAIL SALON
1 Stella Luca
Two Winter Park locations
stellaluca.com
2 SizzorS Salon
Oviedo
sizzorssalon.com
3 LP Nails & Spa
Colonial Marketplace
loc8nearme.com/florida/orlando/lp-nails-and-spa/4851690/
WORKOUT FACILITY/GYM
1 Hardcore Fitness
Winter Park
hardcorefitnessfl.com
2 YMCA
Multiple Orlando-area-locations
ymcacentralflorida.com
3 LA Fitness
Multiple Orlando-area locations
lafitness.com
Studio K (ROBERTO GONZALEZ)
Dancing Under the Stars
Studio K on International Drive was born in 2010 after owner and CEO Kristin Weissman had gained 70 pounds from a stressful public relations job. The lifelong dancer recalls a conversation with her doctor about regaining fitness: “He said, ‘What do you like to do?’ I said, ‘I like to dance.’” But in the land of lithe theme-park dancers, Weissman couldn’t find a judgment-free dance studio. So she opened one. “No matter your shape, size or level of ability, the floor is yours at Studio K,” she says. The studio offers about 15 classes each week, ranging from ballet done to rock music to light-saber fitness to fight choreography to specialty workshops based on famous dance routines or musicals. Participants from ages 15 to 80 dance under twinkle lights to reduce body awareness. “It lets everyone enjoy the class 10 times more. You shut the door and dance your heart out and have a great time,” Weissman says. “This studio is my dream. My goal is to have them all over the country.” — C.H.
STUDIO FOR BODY & SOUL
1 Studio K
International Drive
studiokorlando.com
2 Orlando Power Yoga
Three Orlando-area locations
orlandopoweryoga.com
3 Sunlight Yoga
Lake Nona
besunlight.com
Rise Above Tattoo (ROBERTO GONZALEZ)
TATTOO SHOP
1 Rise Above Tattoo
Mills 50 District
riseabovetattoo.com
2 Trinity Tattoo Company
Longwood
trinitytattoo.com
3 Built 4 Speed Tattoo
Colonialtown
facebook.com, search “built 4 speed tattoo”
CHIROPRACTOR
1 22 Health
Three Orlando-area locations
my22health.com
2 Adam Stewart Stewart Wellness & Chiropractic
Casselberry
stewartwellnessorlando.com
3 Lonnie Meade-39 Health
Longwood
thirtyninehealth.jimdo.com
PLASTIC SURGEON
1 Thomas Fiala-Fiala Aesthetics
Altamonte Springs
plasticsurgeryinflorida.com
2 George Pope-Orlando Plastic Surgery Center
Orlando
georgepopemd.com
3 Brian Joseph-Park Avenue Plastic Surgery
Winter Park
orlando-plastic-surgery.com
OPTICIAN/OPTOMETRIST
1 Mark & Karen Perry- Vision Health Institute
Milk District
visionsource-visionhealthinstitute.com
2 Thanh (Kai) Nguyen- You & Eyes
Avalon Park
youandeyes.com
3 John Nowell- Southwest Orlando Eye Care
Dr. Phillips area
southwestorlandoeyecare.com
