I am extremely dissatisfied with Gentle Touch for Electrolysis treatment and would not recommend this business for adults or minors. I was a client myself and also brought my 16-year-old daughter for treatment. The owner was unprofessional, inflexible, and provided poor customer service. When the treatment was ineffective, my daughter was made to feel as though it was her fault, which is completely unacceptable--especially when working with a minor. There was no clear plan of care, no accountability for poor results, and the equipment used does not appear to be state-of-the-art. Rather than adjusting the approach, responsibility was shifted to the client. I would walk around with a full beard before I ever give this woman another penny of my money. read more

All I can say is Sohelia changed my life with electrolysis. I had hair growing on my neck and chin for years. I started the process years ago but had to stop due to family life etc. However, the past two years have been life changing and I am more confident in my appearance and that's all because of Sohelia gentle touch and the excellent treatment process. She told me consistency is the key and not to miss my appointments and I think I have only missed two to date. I started with treatments for 1 hour or more and now down to 15 mins if that. I highly recommend A Gentle Touch for anyone looking for hair removal. Thanks read more

She broke client confidentiality and abandoned treatment in the middle of service. She seemed to discriminate against me. I ended up calling 911 on her. I'm currently waiting for police as I sit here without proper care instruction with numbed lips and abandonment. She is a compulsive liar read more

I have been seeing Soheila for electrolysis treatments for almost a year and am so happy to have met her! After much research I decided to schedule a consultation and Soheila not only answered all of my questions but provided information that I hadn't even considered. Not only is Soheila very experienced and knowledgeable, but her touch truly is gentle. Let's face it, nothing involving needles is painless but Soheila makes it manageable. The other thing I truly appreciate about Soheila is that she took the time at the consultation to make sure that I understood that electrolysis is a process, that it is a commitment and if I stick with it, I will see permanent results...I have to say, Soheila was right and I'm thrilled! If you're thinking about electrolysis I thoroughly recommend Soheila at A Gentle Touch! read more

I had the most amazing experience getting my eyebrows redone (as my previous tattoo was fading) and my eyeliners done with Soheila. Soheila is the ultimate professional - patient, knowledgable, and skilled. She took her time measuring/correcting my eyebrows to make sure the new shapes are close to perfect. She took the time to make sure my eyeliners were even by sketching the outline and then gently tapping the colors in. She also took the time to educate me on the different colors, how they compliment my skin tone, and what the color will look like once the skin heals. I could not be happier with the results! It's been a week since my first appointment and my eyebrows and eyeliners look amazing. I've already gotten several compliments on how natural they look. I am excited to go back for my touch-up in a month or so. Thank you Soheila! read more

I have been seeing different electrolysis providers for several years now, and Soheila is far superior to any other provider I've had. My only regret is not having found her 5 years ago when I began this journey, but I'm so happy to have stumbled upon her practice now. She's done in a few months what others failed to do in several years of steady treatments. Her knowledge of electrolysis and how it's applied to permanently remove hair is paired with a technique that few providers today still use, making her treatments effective at achieving the desired result. Do yourself a favor ... if you need electrolysis, don't waste your time or money going anywhere else! Trust me and the other reviewers here and trust Soheila - you will be glad you did! read more

A Gentle Touch owner, Shoheila goes above and beyond the call of duty to give us the look we desire. I arrived with my previously applied eyebrows in terrible shape. I had no idea one of them was higher than the other! This meant Shoheila had to correct my eyebrows in their entirety in addition to filling them in for a touch-up. While she measured and remeasured numerous times followed by testing five colors on my forehead I knew, without a doubt, I was in very good hands. Furthermore, Shoheila was aware of my need to have my eyebrows touched up prior to an out of town wedding. She bent over backwards to get me in ASAP to give my eyebrows time to heal and adjust before my friend's wedding. Next stop..., permanent eyeliner. read more

Soheila did permanent makeup for my eyeliner just 4 days ago and I love it! I've been pleasantly surprised at how smooth the whole process has been - no pain or discomfort during the actual tattooing or afterwards. I scheduled the appointment for the Friday before a 3-day weekend to give me max time to heal before having to go back to work but I could've returned the next day because I was presentable. If anything, the area is a little shiny since I've been applying ointment to it to help with healing. I return in 6 weeks for a free touch-up but as of now I don't even think one would be needed (although I'm just 4 days out). Not only am I more than satisfied, but my skeptical husband loves it, too. Thanks, Soheila! Update (7/27/17): I had my free touch-up and I found it worthwhile - helping perfect a little area that I was bothered by. For whatever reason the touch-up was painful despite the same process as the initial, and all I can think is perhaps the area was still sensitive from the tattooing 6 weeks prior? Anyhow, the pain was worth it. I'm 2 weeks out from the touch-up and happy with my eyeliner! Sohelia recommended returning every 2 years for a touch-up or when it becomes faded. read more

Where do I begin? You know when they tell you that sometimes people come into your life and you are forever changed? Well for me, that person would be Soheila. I started coming to her roughly 4 1/2 months ago to treat my unwanted hair and as of my session today, you would think I'm a completely different person. "A Gentle Touch" is the most accurate name you could give Soheila's business, as she has made me feel so comfortable and at ease during my treatments that it's like a routine visit to the spa. From the music in the background to the fun conversation, she makes every effort to make her clients feel comfortable and at home. Even from my consultation before my first session, Soheila made sure that I knew the difference between the types of electrolysis, what she would use to treat different areas and why, and how much time it would take before I saw the results. She was spot on with everything. She also made a terrific suggestion for a numbing cream which definitely helped in areas like my chin and upper lip. I have been coming to her consistently for the last 4 1/2 months and the results I have seen are tremendous. No amount of plucking, waxing, threading, or laser gave me the results she has in such a short amount of time and the confidence I now have with clearer, hair free, smooth skin, is priceless. At the end of every session, she also takes the time to go over skin and hair-care ideas with me and I have followed every one of her suggestions and the results are so dramatic that my friends even do a double take. If you are looking for a caring, gentle, and non-judgmental person to go to for hair removal, and one who runs her business with the utmost honesty and integrity, then Soheila is the one you should see. I would and have whole-heartedly recommended her to everyone that I know. read more

I went here for electrolysis. However, they also do permanent make-up, and skin care.Very clean/sanitary place.My electrolycian's name is Soheila Biria-she'll be the tall,beautiful brunette w/the porcelain skin.Her skin is impeccable, and definately encourages one to keep up on regular facials.... I went in for a (free) consultation where she educated me on the differences between blend and short-wave techniques,and was generous enough to offer me a FREE test patch so that I could not only see, but FEEL the difference btwn. the 2 methods.Very patient.Another thing, she's fast and not intentionally slow to try and cheat you out of your money. She chrgs. in 15 min. incriments. I booked 30 mins. and she took care of 2.5 areas...all in 30 mins.!!!!....(of course it varies according to the individual/procedure) Soheila has been in the business for 14 yrs. and it shows,ladies....check her out.... read more

I have been coming here for my facials, acid peels, and hair removal for a little over 10 years now. I have recommended my friends to Soheila and they have been satisfied with her for many years. The facility is extremely clean and smells very nice always. read more

Today I visited Ms. Biria to fix my eyebrows. Last year I visited another salon that caters to permanent makeup and let me tell you Ms. Biria was way more patient, professional, understanding and organized. First impressions mean a lot to me and I was not sure what to expect, but I desperately needed to get my eyebrows fixed because not only was my color fading, but the shape needed to be readjusted due to the negligence of the previous person that worked on my eyebrows. When I first called the salon, Ms. Biria immediately scheduled me down for 5:15pm, which was helpful because my commute from work to Rockville, MD is quite difficult, especially during the work week. Upon arrival I was greeted by my first name, which was great because it definitely showed a good customer relationship, unlike the other business establishment I visited who had to ask me twice for my name and was completely oblivious as to why I was at her salon. Ms. Biria was very thorough and extremely serious. Her attention to detail with penciling in my eyebrows, choosing the color, measuring the distance between my eyebrows and constantly asking me to look in the mirror at what she just did gave me reassurance that she was going to do a great job. PLUS she drew in aligned eyebrows and fixed the errors that the previous person did. The color I had before was too dark and in less than one year the color had faded and the lines were missing. Ms. Biria went over how the whole procedure would work and I did not feel pressured after the eyebrow consultation was completed to get the brows tattooed that day (I choose to get them done that night and she was able to fit me in her schedule which was really nice). She painted on my eyebrows exactly how they would look if I got the procedure done and went into detail step by step what would happen next, which was completely different from the previous Rockville, MD salon I went to (be careful of other salons.... as Ms. Biria actually knows what she's doing). Her work station was clean and she had music playing in the background (tunes that I actually recognized... that was pretty cool) which made it more calming, because it definitely isn't a walk in the park getting your eyebrows tattooed. It's quite painful, but definitely worth it. She was very sweet and after taking her time on my eyebrows she even took her time to try and cure a pimple on my face (I looked like a hot mess when I arrived to her salon, because of the rush I was in, so it was nice of her to not be judgmental). But nonetheless she was very confident in her work that she would fix my eyebrows and she did! I'm still in phase one. I am applying ointment 3-4 times a day and in 6 weeks she wants me to do a follow up so she can retouch the brows to make sure her work is perfect. The huge difference between this lady and the other salon I went to is that Ms. Biria was genuine and not just all about the money. It is expensive, but to get your permanent makeup done the right way, now that's life changing. Again I think she did a great job and I'm excited to see the final outcome once my eyebrows are finished healing. read more

Sohelia did my permanent eyebrows several months ago, back in the fall. I was nervous about it, because I've never had permanent makeup, but they look amazing and I'm SO glad I did it. I asked her for natural looking brows and they really are. It's probably a little pricier than others in the area, but in this case, you get what you pay for. When I have to get them touched up in a few years (all permanent makeup only lasts 2-5 yrs), I will definitely be back. read more

For a small business Sohela the owner does a great job managing the business. Her place is clean, very organized and at the same time very friendly and professional. I had to go in for a permanent make-up procedure for my breast. I had breast cancer which lead to a bilateral mastectomy and Sohela carefully created my breast areola once again. Sohela carefully mixed the color to make my areola look natural. I felt very comfortable during the tattooing because she explained step by step what she was doing. I'm very happy with the result. Thanks to her I feel complete again. I highly recommend this place for everything she offers. read more

Soheila is a true artist. I have had her give me electrolysis treatments as well as permanant makeup. She shaped my eyebrows to compliment my features, and they have never looked so good! I had them done years ago but Soheila improved them 10 fold. I look like I had an eye lift! And my lips, oh my goodness, they didn't look this good in my 20's, and I'm 61. Next I'll have her do my eyeliner, I can't wait. Every time Soheila works on me I look years younger. She is my very own Fountaini of Youth. The salon is lovely, comfortable and private, and Soheila puts you at ease by explaining everything thoroughly, and showing you on your own face what the end result will be. I have gone to several practitioners in my time, but Soheila is the best I have ever encountered. read more

Soheila did a great job of reshaping my eyebrows when she did permanent makeup. I have recommended A Gentle Touch to three people now who have complimented me on my brows. Soheila is very professional and runs a good business in a very nice office setting. read more

Soheila is great . She is knowledgeable and she knows what she is doing . What makes the experience so wonderful here is the fact that Soheila really takes good care of you and your skin . Highly recommended! read more

If you ever consider permanent makeup, definitely have Soheila do the work. I had my eyebrows and eyeliner done, and can honestly say that I never looked better. The eyebrows alone made a huge difference - she gave them more of an arch, which makes my "hooded" eyelids virtually disappear. Going to A Gentle Touch was one of the best decisions I've made. read more

Soheila is a great electrologist! I was apprehensive when looking for an electrologist because my skin is sensitive. But my experience with her has been very positive. Her work is thorough and she makes the sessions comfortable. The results have been great, and I started seeing them quicker than I had expected. Glad I took the step of coming here! read more

Soheila is no nonsense, and great at electrolysis. It's hard to go regularly given her lack of weekend hours, but I got good results with her. She's really big on recommending facials. Her skin is great, so I might try one with her one day. read more

This is the best place I have ever found for my electrolysis, permanent make up, cosmetic and appearance needs! Soheila is so talented in making people more beautiful and good looking- a true dedicated professional. She has artistry and a magic touch. I have been a client for some few years, and am very satisfied. I recently had my eyebrows done and the number of compliments I have received is amazing. People think I had a facelift- even my son said to me-"Mom, somehow , you look younger!" :-) Her office is nice and scheduling is great. I continue to go to her for my electrolysis needs, and plan on buying a microdermabrasion package( I want my skin to look as good as her!)- and eventually more permanent make - eyeliner, etc. I have also had facials her. I highly recommend you try Soheila for your magical transformation needs, before you go any where else! Thank you read more

Soheila did my eyeliner and then eyebrows, wow what a difference it made in my life! I just love the way it looks and makes me feel. She really takes her time and makes sure everything is perfect before you leave. It so clear that she loves what she does and is a true artist. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to get permanent make-up. I went to someone else first and my eyeliner was awful, I didn't think it could be fixed but Soheila was able to fix that too. If you're thinking about permanent make up, look no further! read more

I went to Soheila five years ago because I wanted to discuss permanent eyeliner. She spent a lot of time educating me on the process and what I could expect. I now have perfect eyeliner on both eyes that looks so natural friends have asked how I draw such a perfect line. I let them in on my secret and recommend they visit A Gentle Touch. Previously I had permanent eyebrows at a plastic surgeon's office that were not the best color and did not frame my face (years of over plucking left my natural brows too sparse). After being so impressed by the eyeliner I went back to discuss eyebrows. Soheila spent a lot of time measuring and drawing on eyebrow size and shape for my approval. She's a pro and knew exactly what size and shape of eye brow worked for my face and eyes. She then tested several color options on my forehead in order to blend the right color for me. I now have beautiful eyebrows that frame my face and make such a difference in the way I feel when I look into a mirror. After years of trying to draw in the perfect eyebrow myself it's so great to not worry about it anymore. Along with the fact you can rub your eyes, put in eye drops and even go swimming without drawn on eyebrows fading or disappearing. The office is very clean and comfortable and when you call it's Soheila that answers the phone. I highly recommend a consultation with Soheila to anyone considering permanent make up.. She has a lot of photos to show you her before and after work. read more

I was referred by my hair stylist. Amazing! I went to get upper and lower permanent eyeliner and it was the best investment I made. I had 1 free consultation, 1 facial, 2 eyeliner sessions. Soheila is a perfectionist and very professional. Her office is quiet, relaxing and clean. I would trust her again to do permanent makeup. read more

My wife is the customer but the results look great to me and she regularly says how much she trusts the judgement and skill of Soheila. She says the overall performance and ambiance is well above some places she has visited and is certainly at least equal to the best she has been to. read more

She does a very good job at explaining electrolysis, how it works and the treatment plan. The place is very clean and relaxing. However, Soheila herself is kind of...cold. I felt very rigid when I was there. Felt like I was in a principal's office. So I made a follow up appointment 2 weeks after my initial 24 mins treatment which was $74 (yes I timed it because I heard horror stories about these places). It was a Monday morning at 10am, first appointment. I tried calling the Sunday and Monday morning to cancel because I had an emergency at work and they needed my help. It was raining really hard so I left work at 12:30pm after 17hrs of being up and moving. I called her and attempted to explained, she rushed me off and said she is busy and i would be charged $80 for the missed appointment and she would call me back to reschedule. I found it absurd that #1, she never called me on the Friday to confirm the appointment as she did while I was waiting in her office the first time. #2, my appointment was the first after a weekend, so if I called to cancel at 24hrs, she would never get the message and so I would be charged anyways. #3 since she is like the only electrolysis person in the area, I was willing to pay the $80 and continue my treatment...she never called back! I attempted to call numerous times...no response. So I guess I will just continue my monthly laser treatment for life. Too bad there is no other in the area! read more

I tell Soheila almost every time I come in that I wish I had started this years ago. I've run the gamut of unwanted facial hair removal methods - laser, electric tweezing, regular old tweezing, waxing, etc. For years, causing skin irritation and leaving scars of different kinds. I've been coming for electrolysis now for about 5 months and the difference in my life is incredible - no more time wasted daily or weekly on painful hair removal that doesn't last at all. I do have yet to see how long this will last, but it's made a huge difference already. That's my plug for electrolysis in general - for A Gentle Touch, I would just say that I really, really appreciate Soheila's professionalism, experience and honesty. She's very exact about the timing of her work and is very good at it. When I got pregnant during the treatment, she switched to a different method that was safer for me, and explained clearly what and why the difference was necessary and what it meant. Because of the pregnancy I don't want to use any numbing cream, and she is careful enough that it really doesn't cause me that much pain at all. Also - it's a small thing, but it means a lot to this busy mom - when I have to bring my young son in with me, she is understanding, friendly and very caring with him. That's always a win for me :) read more

The owner is very, very good at what she does. She is talented and I noticed a marked improvement in my hair growth after several months of appointments with her. With that said, she is all business and not the friendliest. Part of this is because she is frankly so busy, so I can understand. But I do agree with some of the other reviewers that she needs to work on her customer service. Overall though, I would recommend this establishment, especially if you have struggled with coarse hair growth. read more

I got my permanent eyeliner done somewhere else and it was a complete mess. Soheila did an awesome job at fixing it. Now it looks perfect! Thank you! read more

I know Elly's review is from 2008 but I could write the exact same words now, June 2013. I had been having electrolysis performed at another business but I wasn't seeing any difference, except in my bank balance. I searched for another idea and came upon A Gentle Touch. Soheila is the only electrolysist that offers more than one method of electrolysis. AND IT WORKS! I can't believe the change in my facial hair growth and how it has freed me from a lifetime of tweezing. I use to spend a good bit of time in front of my mirror each morning getting myself "ready" for the day. Obviously this is not a task I wanted everyone to see or know about, so I had to plan time whether at home, on vacations, or other outings when no one was around...not alot of fun; but alot of stress. Now I can just wake up and go anywhere with confidence. Soheila has definitly changed the quality of my life. She been kind, gentle, and completely understanding of how a life-long addiction of tweezing can affect one's life. Now that I am feeling so much happier with my appearance (my skin has improved greatly now that I am not attacking it every day), I decided to have Soheila do my permanent eyeliner. It is interesting that again, she is the only one around doing it the way she does. The procedure was alot easier then I had anticipated and my results are terrific. Now, not only don't I have to find time every morning to get rid of any unwanted hair, I don't have to sit and apply eye makeup. It is perfect every day! Soheila is truly a treasure. The methods she uses aren't the fast procedures that most places use so that they can get the most clients in and out in a day regardless of results; she employs the methods that take skill, experience, and the sure hand of an artist. I would highly recommend that if you are looking for true results from hair removal, or if you are thinking about permanent eye makeup, or even if you would like a professional make-up lesson, that you call Soheila at A Gentle Touch and schedule a consultation...if you do, you will soon be writing a review like mine. read more

I discovered A Gentle Touch through a friend who had been going to Soheila for years. To start, the booking process was a breeze. Sohelia was so flexible with my schedule and such a pleasant person to deal with on the phone. Upon arrival I noticed how the location was so convenient with easy parking. I was welcomed as I walked it and began the appointment for my deep cleaning facial. I enjoyed every part of the process from the beginning preparations to the extractions. Sohelia is very knowledgeable in her field and I really liked how each part of the process was explained to me in depth. Following the facial I was provided with recommendations on skin care products for my skin type. Not once did I feel pressured into purchasing those products as I have felt that pressure from other locations. Overall, I had an excellent experience and plan to come back as often as needed. I highly recommend A Gentle Touch! read more