I find bikini waxes extremely painful and thought sugaring could be the perfect solution for my sensitive skin, so I decided to try Shobha since they seem like a very professional operation. The shop itself is very clean and inviting, and the staff quite friendly. However, I was disappointed to find during my first ever treatment that sugaring does not work on my skin - it left quite a bit of hair on the test area. My Shobha specialist had very politely warned me it might not work, so she already had my consent to resort to regular wax. The pain level with the wax was about the same as other salons (OUCH), and I had the expected itchiness and red bumps for days afterward depite following the aftercare instructions. I don't necessarily feel this outcome was anyone's fault, but at $48 a pop, I will probably opt for cheaper torture somewhere else next time (or just bite the bullet and do laser removal). There was one other odd issue that I feel compelled to warn others about. They have you completely strip from the waist down. I usually like to keep undies on so they don't accidentally give me a brazilian (I had explicitly stated I wanted a bikini), but since it was my first time sugaring I figured maybe the sugar is runny and they want to protect my clothing, so I complied. Then the specialist cleans the area with baby wipes - but watch out for the full frontal wipe down! It was very awkward but I had to put a firm stop to that - there is no need to wipe or in any way touch a woman's sensitive areas that are not part of the treatment area. The specialist was very apologetic when she realized her error, so I let her move on with the treatment, but I would keep my stuff covered were I to return here. read more

Having been looking for a place to start doing laser I was delighted to see that Shobha had offered it--it turns out they've been doing it for awhile! I took advantage of their free consultation and had a fantastic experience. Their laser specialist, Jax, was kind, thorough, professional, and answered every question I had. I quickly agreed to get my service done and I'm so glad I did. Jax was careful, courteous, and comforting throughout the entire experience. She explained the entire process to me as we went through it and all I can say is that everything was well beyond expectations in every possible way. I cannot encourage enough that everyone get their laser done here! read more

Amazing place , quite , clean and the staff ate so friendly . you guys don't miss the opportunity for their Yelp free service to new clients i got my brows done for free just show them the offer at the desk . Will come back again for sure. read more

I love Shobha because the front desk staff are so friendly and helpful, and most of the ladies who have waxed me have been great. The only issue is that they book waxes back to back, so I almost always budget an extra 15 minutes of time since they run so late with other appointments - I've never had someone get me early or even on time. Once someone near me waited 15 minutes and got 20% off her service but it wasn't offered to me for waiting longer than that. Regarding the services, they are all consistent and quick, and don't double dip sticks. The waxers recommend aftercare and I've never had anyone push product on me. read more

I recently went to Shobha for a brazilian wax after a friend told me about her friends touting this place in NYC. I had a coupon, so I went ahead and gave it a try. It was WAY more painful than any wax I've previously had. She did a great job and it lasted a good 3 weeks, but I don't know if I could ever go back knowing how painful it was. Also, the waxer finished up the procedure with threading which I think is a very strange technique for a brazilian and made me a little uncomfortable. It was also way more painful than tweezing normally is. Overall, the location is convenient, the people are very nice, the place is very clean and serene, but I'm just not sure that's enough to keep me coming back. read more

I see Durga for my services and she does an excellent job. I highly recommend the salon for its professional staffing and Durga's services.

It's a nice location and the service is fine. I also used a Groupon which made the wax a very reasonable price, I want to say around $35? Not sure since it was a while ago. However, they use soft strip wax for everything which makes everything much, much, more painful than it needs to be. This was not my first wax but it was the most painful one I've had in my entire life. I almost wanted to tell my aesthetician to stop but I finished out the whole painful experience. If you're getting threaded, or really any body part with softer hair waxed, you will probably be fine and they do have good deals. I do not recommend this place for Brazilians though. read more

I've had a couple of different women tend to my brows, and they were all extremely talented and kind. Jwala, in particular, is heaven sent. I'm there every two weeks, and I'm always greeted by the delightful women at the front desk. For those scoffing at the price, don't listen to them - it is worth it and more. High quality work and a super comforting salon. read more

5 stars for customer service, friendliness of staff, professionalism and effectiveness of the esthetician. I came for a full on Brazilian. Pooja was my esthetician. Miranda checked me in and was equally great. -The procedure was 10 minutes long, plus an extra 5 minutes for treatment after. -Pain? Always, but the waxing didn't hurt any more than other salons I've been to. The positive: Pooja removed more hair in fewer pulls so it was over quickly. -Salon and equipment looked very sanitary, and there was no double dipping in the wax. Price was $60. This is as much as I am used to paying, which is a lot because I don't have a lot of hair. But these are lady parts and I'll pay whatever to have a great job done. First time customers get a coupon off of care products. I'll definitely be back! read more

Made my first appointment through yelp and the owner was quick to my responses. Did good job doing my wax and offered serums afterwards. I was informed about their promotions and especially before I went to checkout which was nice. I will definitely come back! read more

So happy my girl Durga is back! I was able to make an appointment before MDW just 1 week in advance with no issue. I also bought the 6-pack for $300 which is a huge savings! This makes each wax $50 + tip ($16/wax saving), they never expire & you can use them at any location. Great deal. read more

Long story short: it's all about WHO you get. (Note, I am only referring to their threading.) The first person who I was with at Shobha hurt SO MUCH. I literally had to stop her every 30 seconds just to catch my breath. I thought this was normal UNTIL I returned and got another woman who was AMAZING and so gentle and did things like put a soft cool towel on me afterwards. Sorry I don't remember any of their names :( Anyway, I'm going back to see woman #2. I like the results and the vibe of the place is very cute too. But just do your homework and make sure you choose the right person!!!! read more

Durga is amazing. I almost didn't write this because I would like to keep her my little secret but I'm sure she is a lot of people's favorite! No one has ever given me more perfect brows. In addition, she does such a quick and painless Brazilian wax! She is always so cheerful and nice to talk to as well. A great, professional front desk staff round out the experience. read more

I get my Brazilians done here faithfully !! Robin did my first Brazilian ever i was sooo nervous ‍‍‍ but she made me feel so comfortable i love the staff and the environment is beautiful read more

Okay sanitation, terrible threading. I very rarely post reviews but my eyebrows have still not recovered from my time here. If you have never gotten threading before -- do not go here. I religiously get my eyebrows waxed but due to COVID-19, I had to find a new place accepting new clients. I was okay with the sanitation process for the most part, but nearly a month after my threading appointment -- which was an incredibly painful experience compared to waxing -- my eyebrows are still at very different shapes. I was hoping they would grow out but one is still noticeably higher and bushier than the other. I have no plans to return and would not recommend. read more

I have to say I never imagined getting laser hair removal anywhere else other than a doctors office. And, although laser hair removal is on my life long list of things to do, I didn't have any plans to do it anytime soon. Well a friend had a promo code for a free underarm laser session & I set up my appointment within that week. My laser tech was Ivory & she was amazing! She took her time to explain every aspect of laser hair removal (she has 14yrs of laser experience) & was patient with answering all of my questions. As far as the procedure itself, Ivory was sure to check in with me about any discomfort & adjusted the laser to my response. However, even when she increased the frequency of the laser, I barely felt anything! I do tend to have a higher pain tolerance but I believe someone with a lower pain tolerance still wouldn't be too uncomfortable. I wasn't red once it was over, haven't had any reaction, & my underarms feel super soft. My experience at Shoba from booking the appointment to checking out was great! I'll be returning in July for my next session. read more

The space was clean and the vibe was bright and happy. The front greets you with a smile and tea or scented water. Yamuna was the brazilian aesthetician. She could see the terror in my eyes and did a great job at chatting me up about this and that to keep my mind off the task at hand. She was professional, efficient and thorough. The result was success - minimal soreness, redness and no bumps. Mamata was my eyebrow threading aesthetician. Again, she did a great job, didn't go overboard and kept the natural shape of my brow. I had to ask her at the end to go over a couple of spots to clean it up but she was happy to do so. A bit pricey but worth the experienced and pleasant staff. read more

Jax was amazing!! Made the entire laser process really easy and painless. Super fun to talk to and super thorough in making sure you get the best treatment and have the best experience. I was really scared but am so excited to go back!! read more

I have been to Shobha DC twice for eyebrow threading. Both times i got lil red cuts afterwards. It is not redness or a skin things. I have tiny cuts. I am Indian and have done eyebrow threading all my life and so this is not normal. I wouldn't go there again for threading. There are other places in DC which are cheaper and do a better job. read more

This place is like Laser Disneyland- literally the best and happiest place on earth. The laser specialist, Jax was so incredibly detailed and actually concerned about my health, skin care and general well-being. She gave an extremely detailed overview and an excellent on boarding too. Miranda, the front desk receptionist was extremely helpful, and was happy to help with timings and refreshments. I was blown away by the attention to detail by everyone, from Miranda at the front and Jax and Michelle. Highly recommend this place for your laser needs. First time people get 15% off packages! read more

I just went in for my first Brazilian wax and everything from my interaction with the receptionist, Jazmin, to my waxing experience with Durga was very pleasant. They were very knowledgeable and fully answered all of my questions. The facility was clean and calming and i was in and out in less than 25 mins. I highly recommend this location and I will definitely be back. read more

This place is amazing. I used to go to the one in New York City and loved it. When I move down to DC I was worried about where to go for all my waxing/laser needs. Michelle, their laser specialist, was absolutely amazing and offers high-quality laser service, especially for people with darker skin tones. I highly recommend this place for their professionalism, customer service, cleanliness and quality of work. read more

I had a very unpleasant experience at Shobha. I have thick, naturally medium-arched eyebrows. I go for threading once in 3-4 months just for a clean up as they get a bit unruly. I have been to quite a few threading places in DC. Moving on to my Shobha experience..I was very excited to see them open in DC. They had great reviews for their NY locations. I made an appointment to see a stylist for threading. I was VERY specific and told her I wanted to maintain the thickness, my natural shape and just wanted a simple clean up. I have to say, this was my most painful experience threading. I was literally yelping on the chair the entire time. I have never had threading take more than 5 minutes and I sat painfully on her chair for almost 15 minutes! Towards the end it was so painful I asked her to stop and took quick look in the mirror. She had taken off most of my eyebrows to the extent that you can see a tan line on the lower part and shaped them so oddly. I now have one arch super high and the other medium making me look like a clown. She then proceeded to argue with me and tell me she was not done. I refused to let her continue anymore only to take off more! I was visibly upset and rightfully mad. I will give them a little credit as they comped the fee and gave me a free eyebrow pencil to use. This in NO WAY makes up for the fact that I now have eyebrows that are of different thickness, start at different points above my eyelid, different arches, and I have to wait 3-4 weeks for them to fully grow in. I understand that they just opened and I would be willing to overlook any admin related goof-ups. But their main business is threading! You should NOT be open if you don't have qualified people who can do their job!! I most certainly will NOT return. read more

5 stars from the moment you walk in to when you leave. Everyone at the front desk was extremely friendly. My technician was friendly and efficient. Cannot say enough good things about the place. I went there after reading great reviews online and I wasn't disappointed. I'll definitely be back. Only slight downside was they didn't offer a first time client discount which I had heard about at other locations. read more

Thought I'd try the convenience of a place that does waxing and threading, but after the shambolic and overpriced experience, I wouldn't recommend doing so here. They literally just opened, so I will be fair and bet that they can fix the comedic lack of organization (five staff standing around a huge computer trying to sort out paper tickets for all of three clients), before my brows return to normal. So much for the beautician's discussion of quality control (she was brought in from NYC to train up the DC shop). My brows have totally different arches after her drastic attack on them. She had a really rough threading style, too. ...and then they tried to upcharge me for receiving a "senior specialist" service! There didn't seem to be anyone else working there. Don't try to rip me off (no waxing pun intended) - this isn't New York. If you're already going to Dupont Threading, you should probably stick with it even though they're not perfect either. Oh, and $22 for brow threading when Dupont charges $12? Nuh-uh, no way. read more

Happen to be in the area and on a wing (and a prayer) decided to stop in for Brazilian as my girl was booked that I typically go to. I had such a great experience. As painful as a Brazilian can be, it was fair, but quick. That, all by itself, is awesome. Great work as well. Very professional and plan to go back in the future. I wish they were in my area. read more

My favorite place to go!! They always are so professional and do a great job!! I'm a regular for my brows and have never had a bad experience!! read more

A client of mine started working here and was telling me all about it. I had NO IDEA specialty waxing salons existed. I had to try it out. This place is SO clean and professional. Everyone was super nice. I went in for an underarm wax and the tech got EVERY single hair. Lots of places leave a few strays which is really annoying. The best part about my experience is they actually prep your skin properly and clean it afterwards which a lot of salons dont do right. They also put on this cooling gel afterwards which really helped with the stingy feeling. It's slightly pricy, but honestly they did such a good job I think it's 100% worth it. I will absolutely be coming back here and recommending all my friends. Love it! read more

This is my 3rd time coming in for a brazilian, and first time with sugaring. On the plus side - I do love the salon, the way it smells, the cleanliness, etc. And, my first two times, the waxing was pretty good - although to echo some others' comments, it was much more painful than other places (and i've been doing this for years!). Unfortunately, this last time, was bad. I don't know if it was the sugaring or the technician or both. I told her that if sugaring didn't work well with my hair, then to please just wax. Ultimately, she stayed with the sugaring and there were hairs EVERYWHERE. I had to point it out at which time she threaded them - OUCH. But there were still so many that she had to go over it again! It still didn't really do the trick. She claimed it was my fault - ingrown hairs (not true, since you could see so many of them!), asking if i shaved (i hadn't), etc. She was still very nice and tried her best, i think, but i left there feel like i had far more strays than normal. And, for a place that expensive, I expect more. I answered that my service was "um, just ok", when i left, but they didn't ask for more info. I'm very disappointed. read more

Came here today to get the sugaring Brazilian for the training they had going on. First off I am a big fan of this place, I come here to get my eyebrows done and they always make me feel so welcome, so I had no doubts about trying a new service with someone who was training. Michelle, the manager/trainer is just a doll. She did such a great job with teaching the student and making sure she did everything correct and removed all the hair. The young lady who performed the sugaring Brazilian was just as sweet and did an excellent job. I have to say I am officially leaving the waxing side and will from now on get sugaring performed. There was hardly any pain even in the areas that usually are painful when getting waxed. I just love shobha and I will always come to them for my services :))) read more

This place used to be great. Now every visit all the technicians are new, it seems. Recently scheduled an appointment for a Bikini wax with a specific, experienced technician and was given another upon arrival. It was obvious that she was very new. Horrible experience. I had been going here frequently for bikini waxes for about a year, but will now find somewhere else. read more

This place is the real deal. After ~12 years in DC and several brief stints with various salons (Polished in Georgetown and Silky Smooth in Dupont having been my longest past waxing "relationships"), I finally have a waxing "home," and that's at Shobha. Yamuna is the real deal. Great bedside manner, not too chatty and not too reserved. As painless (and non-irritating) a Brazilian wax as I've ever had, and I have particularly sensitive skin. Buy a 6-pack of waxes for $300 and you're essentially getting one free, plus you can switch between waxing and sugaring as the method. That type of flexibility is a win in my book. Download the app for $5 off, and I think they still have Yelp Deals / Groupons from time to time for first time customers. The app and online appointment booking are game changers. Plus, nice waiting area, friendly ladies at the cash register and check-in/check-out. read more

Great product but double the price and twice the time. Best eyebrows I've had done in DC but unfortunately they have a really long intake process and its $22 a session. It's going to be hard for them to stick around if they don't lower their prices and speed the process up. read more

Durga is the BEST!!! She definitely made my experience comfortable. Hadn't been in awhile so I already knew what to expect but Durga made it less painful (if that was even possible...lol). Both the Front Desk Assistant & Durga made me feel very welcomed. I have already made my 5 week appointment! read more

I will drive from Beltsville, suffer through traffic on NY ave, pay $4 to park my car all to get a Brazilian at Shobha. Nuff said.

Their menu of services lists sugaring, but this is NOT real sugaring technique. It's just regular strip waxing with sugar water. It was very misleading, and $66 for a service that is the same as their cheaper, regular bikini wax. read more

Great service! Staff was friendly and polite. Threading was the least painful I've ever had done. The place is very clean, and Durga does a beautiful job on eyebrows!! I will definitely be back again. They talk walk ins and regular appointments. Prices are reasonable for the service provided! Seriously check them out!! read more

I had a great experience at Shobha (well, as great an experience as possible when hair is being removed). I wanted to find a new hair removal salon after having a bad allergic reaction to the wax used at another salon. I went to Shobha as they offer sugaring, and I wanted to try it to see if I could avoid a bad reaction. Mamita was my esthetician, and she did a great job. The sugaring was a success, and I had no reaction afterwards at all--no bumps at all! I may try one of their waxes next time, as they seem to be organic and they have a variety to choose from (sugaring is a good option, but waxing is slightly more thorough). Anyhow, I'll definitely be back, and they offer a decent deal when you buy a three-pack of waxing sessions. read more

Pros: -clean and welcoming -excellent service Con: -Price is steep Overall, this is a lovely salon with excellent staff who are very thorough while threading. Unfortunately, as a student I can't afford $22 eyebrow threading and was pretty shocked with the price. Even, if I was working though, this price seems unreasonable. While DuPont Threading (nearby) is not as good, it's much more reasonable. If you can afford this place, I highly recommend it. read more

I went to Shobha about two or three weeks ago for the first time. I only booked an appointment for brow threading, and I saw Shushma. I was amazed at how much it felt like a salon and that my brows were being taken care of, rather than just simply sitting in the chair and getting it over with like at most places I've been. My technician knew my name, asked what I was looking for, and showed me in a mirror what she was planning on doing. They treat your brows with one of their rosewater wipes before starting. She made some small talk with me while threading, and when she was done (about 10 minutes) she placed a hot compress on to calm the area and even gave me hydrocortisone cream since I tend to get a bit red. It may be a bit pricier than other salons, but you get so much more in service. Plus, I noticed at the end they have a secure tipping safe, which is great because I know it's so common for salons to collect tips and never give them to their employees. Lastly, they offer (and use) their own line of products for hair removal, and other brow and skin related goodies. They also have a few other 3rd party brands available. I'm a huge safe cosmetics fan, and I noticed while browsing that all of their products have vetted, safe ingredients and aren't just green-washing! I've only started off with the brow pencil, which I really enjoy because it blends really well. I'm excited to go back and try other products and brands because I know they have a selection I can trust... If you're at all concerned about ingredients in your products, check out what they have. read more