With spring here, there is no better time than now for a personal grooming and fitness assessment to address the damages and ravages of the past winter. Some of us have put on a few extra pounds from spending too much time indoors without exercise, and succumbed to the effects of an erratic climate. Lack of humidity, indoor heating and the assault of cold weather dehydrates skin and hair.

Get a head start on repairing any seasonal damage and putting your best face-and body-forward with a visit to Adams Morgan. This neighborhood boasts a varied selection of beauty, fitness and spa centers designed to restore and beautify you to an optimal look and feel.

At Image Unisex Beauty Salon on 18th Street, spa manicures and pedicures include exfoliating and pressure point massages. You can get a paraffin hand or foot bath, as well as a haircut and styling. Image is an Adams Morgan landmark, having been in the neighborhood for the past 24 years, the last seven years at its present location, according to Angie, the manager.

For hair fixes, including trims, re-styling, and deep moisturizing treatments, check out Demian’s Hairdressing Salon, also located on 18th Street. All visits include a consultation with a stylist and they have a specialist for clients with curly hair. Check out Demian’s website, sign up for the mailing list, and receive news on specials and other information at www.demian.biz.

If you seek a full-body overhaul once your hair and nails are in shape, visit Adams Morgan’s latest health and fitness studio, Mint Fitness. Mint Fitness, located on California Street, occupies part of the building where the Kilimanjaro nightclub previously existed.

At 12,000 square feet, Mint is a fairly large “full fitness facility,” which, according to Mint membership consultant Melissa Jones “offers a softer approach” to fitness where “body, mind, and spirit” are all respected.

The facility offers state-of-the-art equipment including cardio-free weights, free motion, and circuit machines. There is also a group exercise studio with a selection of classes that include yoga and Pilates and a juice bar that sells juices, smoothies, wraps, and salads. To relax before or after your workout or just to hang out in a positive environment, Mint provides a lounge with TV and complimentary WIFI access. Mint’s spa, offering facials and other services, is scheduled to open during the summer.

Another venue for body treatments is Solace Therapeutic Center which offers a variety of massage and facial treatments, including an express 30-minute massage and a seated massage option. Owner and certified massage therapist Sajaa Blackshear also provides "passive yoga", with the key word being “passive.” Forget stretching yourself; with passive yoga, the Center’s website states “you will be gently stretched.”

If more active yoga is your style, sign up for classes at Inspired Yoga which offers beginner, pre-natal, and partners’ yoga, as well as belly dance classes, ayurvedic detox workshops, yoga retreats and more. 

For a more intense body workout, make time for a visit to Third Power Fitness, the only 24-hour health club in DC. Third Power features boxing camps for beginners and advanced boxing and personal training where students can practice in a boxing ring. Other classes include Brazilian martial arts (capoeira and jiu jitsu), kickboxing, and belly dancing.

There is a fitness center, hair salon, and beauty center in Adams Morgan that is guaranteed to fit your style and needs. A selection of what the neighborhood offers is listed below.

Beauty and Nail Salons

Arte Latino Beauty Salon
1650 Columbia Rd., NW
202-232-2213

Demian’s Hairdressing
2427 18th St., NW
202-234-8050
www.demian.biz

Image Beauty Salon
2427 18th St., NW
202-234-4194

Joy’s Nails
2471 18th St., NW
202-234-0909

Trim A Salon
2700 Ontario Rd., NW
202-462-6080

Visions Hair Studio
2318 18th St., NW
202-797-9898

Spas

Synergy Day Spa
1806 Vernon St., NW
202-667-1855
www.synergydayspa.net

Fitness Centers         

Mint
1724 California St., NW
202-328-6468
www.mintfitness.com

Third Power Fitness
2007 18th St., NW
202-483-8400
www.thirdpower-fitness.com

Massage
Solace Therapeutic Center
2704 Ontario Rd., NW
202-234-1771
www.puresolace.net

Yoga
Bagheera Yoga
2801 Adams Mill Rd., NW #306
202-265-1783
www.bagheerayoga.com

Inspired Yoga
1744 Columbia Rd., NW
202-462-1800
www.inspiredyoga.com

Studio Serenity
2469 18th St., NW #202
202-462-1800
www.studioserenity.com

Suzanne Meyer is an Adams Morgan Main Street volunteer and a writer and specialist in federal ethics. She lives in Adams Morgan (suzannem1478@yahoo.com).