Expert Bio: Cindy Barshop

Cindy Barshop is the owner of Completely Bare, the upscale Madison Avenue medi-spa known for its cutting-edge, results-oriented treatments. A favorite among magazine editors and in-the-know New Yorkers, Completely Bare has become one of the most popular spa destinations in New York City. Cindy Barshop is proud of the reputation she has built and maintained for her company, which is that of a unique facility focused on personal attention and advanced skin care and hair removal treatments.

The business began as a result of Cindy's own personal desire to find the ultimate hair-removal technique. A graduate of Farleigh Dickinson University with a Bachelor of Science in marketing, Barshop was working in telecommunications for IBM when she uncovered Epilight, a photo epilation system that uses light to permanently remove hair. Frustrated at how long it took her to find such an amazing machine, she became determined to make hair removal easily accessible to people like her, who crave expert service in a comfortable spa environment. Her uptown day spa, Completely Bare, opened its doors in 1998.

Overnight, Completely Bare became an instant hit. Men and women were both drawn to its cutting-edge spa concept, spa-tology, a combination of personalized, luxurious spa treatments and results-oriented methodology. By using the most advanced technology available, Completely Bare provides treatments that show results almost immediately. The buzz surrounding Completely Bare was so great that people outside New York City began traveling to Manhattan just for treatments. To accommodate the demands of these customers, Completely Bare opened its second location in Scarsdale, New York, in July 2000, and then followed that with a third on Fifth Avenue in 2002 and a fourth in Barneys in 2003. The demand for more of Completely Bare has been so overwhelming that Barshop opened a fifth location in Palm Beach, Florida, in April 2006.

Cindy Barshop has never lost sight of her original vision, which is to make accessible treatments and technologies that are in demand but not always easily found. She never forgets that she is, after all, a customer herself. Completely Bare's product line is a direct result of this vision. The line began with Completely Buff, an at-home microdermabrasion powder that Barshop knew would be a hit with customers who like to keep up their exfoliation in between spa trips. In 2002, Completely Bare introduced Solar Shield SPF pads and Bikini Bump Blaster pads, which instantly gained a cult following among beauty junkies.

Completely Bare locations: 304 South County Road, Palm Beach 561.837.9595; 103 Fifth Ave, NYC; 764 Madison Ave; NYC, Barneys New York; Scarsdale, NY

Ask our Cindy Barshop your questions in our comments section below.