Beauty By Dolly

Beauty by Dolly is a salon specializing in threading, an ancient hair-removal technique pioneered in the hirsute Middle East. Located at the corner of Black Mountain and Activity Road in Mira Mesa.

Dolly Bakshai and her sister Kashmira Torki have been tending to the various hedges of smart San Diego women quietly since 2005.
While Western women have relied on unwieldy and uncomfortable depilatory techniques—waxing, plucking, shaving, what have you—women from South Asia and the Middle East have been threading for centuries.

Threading is done by using a thin twisted cotton thread. One end is held in the practioner’s mouth, the other in their hand. The thread is then rolled over hairlines— brows, mustaches, cheeks, jaws—and the hairs are plucked from the follicle. Unlike tweezing, threading removes an entire row at one time, resulting in a straighter line. In the right hand (and mouth) it can be an art form. Threading is a wonderful alternative for those with sensitive skin or who use Retinols.

In addition to threading, Dolly uses an all-natural, homemade sugar wax to remove larger areas of hair on the body—arms, legs, bikini area and underarms. The wax is a combination of sugar, lemon juice, water and glycerin. Dolly doesn’t heat the wax and there are no chemicals added, and unlike traditional waxing it doesn’t hurt or pull the skin.

The smell of incense is strong when you enter Beauty by Dolly. Customers are greeted with the warm and genuine smiles of the dark-eyed beauties that work here. The only thing more relaxing than the experience is the price: $12. A traditional “brow lounge” will run up to $40. This is a deal you can’t beat.