Good Massage

Treatment we had: 50-minute deep-tissue massage, $82.

What we liked: Hair Port, a Sterling salon and spa, offers more than just hair treatments. I booked a deep-tissue massage.

After an initial consultation—during which the therapist questioned my request for deep-tissue by saying that most people don’t need more than a standard massage—we settled into the treatment. The room, which the therapist admitted was cold, housed a simple massage bed, which wasn’t heated on my visit. Halfway through the massage, I asked for a blanket to get rid of my goosebumps. She turned up the space heater.

Exactly 50 minutes later, the treatment ended. I changed and looked for the therapist—during my search, I noticed a small spa waiting area that had water and what looked like freshly baked cookies, but when I finally found my massage therapist, I was ushered out (with a glass of water). The receptionists, friendly at check-in, seemed more concerned with talking to each other than getting payment for my treatment, making for a cold end to a lukewarm massage.

What you should know: This salon does spa treatments in an area separate from the hair stations, with its own door, so you have room to relax. A small changing area with shower and aromatherapy sauna provides room for those who want to relax all day.

Bottom line: The amenities are thoughtful and the treatment nice enough, but unless this is your neighborhood salon, it’s not worth a special trip.

Hair Port, 46 Pidgeon Hill Dr., Sterling, 703-430-3400; hairportltd.com.

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