Some of the best beauty traditions are those that have stood the test of time over centuries. The new Pink Karma Salon and Spa in Sterling, Virginia offers those same traditions combined with cutting-edge design, fresh methods and natural products: ancient beauty with a modern touch. "People are looking for a holistic approach, rather than putting chemicals into their bodies," said owner Omairah Iqbal.
From the moment you walk in the door, elements of Pink Karma's ambience, products and service invite you to relax and be pampered both inside and out. Holistic care is practiced here through the use of ayurveda, a system of traditional Indian medicine focusing on balance and vitality, as well as many longstanding Eastern beauty traditions.

Ayurvedic facials at Pink Karma are prepared with a variety of special ingredients, like certain essential oils, fruits or even precious metals. Other traditions include the ancient practice of threading instead of hot wax for facial hair removal and eyebrow shaping, or the use of henna to condition and color hair. Scalp massages use Indian Amla oils to
prevent dandruff and premature graying and produce a cooling effect, and pedicures use arnica oil, which soften the foot's skin while protecting it with healing and antiseptic properties. In line with its beliefs in holistic health and natural care, Pink Karma
exclusively carries products by Aveda. "We are an Aveda salon because we share the same mission in taking care of the environment and giving back to the community," Iqbal said. "We truly believe in what goes around comes around - hence the word
Karma in our name!"
"We love our guests and truly appreciate their business," Iqbal added. "They do us an honor by letting us take care of them and we want to show our gratitude to them. Owner Omairah Iqbal, an Atlanta native, came to Virginia in 2003 but could not find any salon spaces offering the beauty traditions still common in the cultures of Indian and Pakistani women like herself. So she opened her own location, Maria's Place, in Herndon, which was noted in the Washingtonian magazine and Washington Post for her expert threading services.
To meet the growing demands of her business and to offer a full menu of services, Iqbal moved to a new location in Sterling in September 2008, and renamed the salon Pink Karma. Pink Karma is a full-service salon and spa located in Sterling, Virginia, offering a range of hair services, threading and waxing services, facials, massages, henna, and much, much more.

Maria’s Place was noted in the Washingtonian Magazine, the Washington Post and Northern VA Magazine for its services. Monkeysee.com has released a video on its threading services and will soon release another about its henna services.

Pink Karma’s clients range from young to middle-aged; a solid base of women aged 18 to 45 come in for threading and facials, but a growing number of soccer moms and even younger women, including teenagers, are coming in for haircuts and other services as well.

The salon’s most popular services by far are the Ayurvedic facials – particularly the gold facial, which uses the actual precious metal – and the threading services.