About six weeks ago Leena Dedhia opened the doors of her Threading Spa at 79 East Putnam Avenue, and a steady stream of customers have been delighted to discover her business.
Located by the former Outdoor Traders building, across from Whole Foods, Leena and her partner Grace Adithela said the location is ideal, and that a number of existing Greenwich customers are thrilled not to have to travel to her location in Stamford Town Center.
“This is the perfect space with just about 600 square feet,” Leena said on Wednesday, between a steady stream of customers.
Leena Dedhia and Grace Adithela at the Threading Spa at 37 East Putnam Avenue. Photo: Leslie Yager
Twenty-five years ago Leena came to the US from India where she did henna tattoos. “In Indian culture, the bride gets henna on her hands and feet for her wedding, she explained. “So you need a professional artist for that.”
After 30+ years specializing in henna tattoos, Leena came to the US and found herself doing henna tattoos for friends. “I still do it,” she said. “But it’s very time consuming – it takes three to four hours for one person.”
After raising her daughter who is now in medical school, Leena worked for a chain of threading salons managing ten of the owner’s 250 locations, traveling constantly.
Still it was her American Dream to have her own business. Her first location was at the Palisades Center in Nyack. She has a location in the Stamford Town Center, the Threading Brow Bar, that many Greenwich residents have traveled to. And she has a location in Fairfield.
In Greenwich, the Threading Spa offers much more than eyebrow threading, though to watch Leena and Grace’s busy hands, their technique is something to behold.
While many eyebrow threading experts work with the thread in their teeth, that makes it a challenge to talk while working.
“We don’t hold the thread in out mouths. We keep it around our neck, so we can talk while we’re working,” Grace explained.
Grace said that with threading, hair does not grow back any darker because, unlike waxing, which they also offer, the hair is taken out by its roots. In addition to eyebrows, customers can have their whole face threaded, or partial face (chin, upper lip, etc). On Monday a middle age woman with fair skin had her entire face threaded in 12 minutes.
Grace and Leena explained that for women whose skin pigmentation is fair, removing hair on the full face is ideal for several reasons.
“If you take out the baby hairs – the peach fuzz – your make up goes on much better,” Grace said. “Also, it takes off the dead skin and exfoliates, so the make up sits better.”
Leena and Grace said customers have been coming in to have their eyebrows threaded, and are delighted to learn the Threading Spa also offers eyebrow and eyelash tinting, as well as eyelash extensions.
It is not necessary to make an appointment for threading, but for eyelash tinting and extensions, they prefer to set an appointment.
The Threading Spa offers a package where customers pay $40 for five visits for eyebrow threading, which reflects a savings of $15.
“People have been so happy to find us here. They say, ‘We’re so happy. We’ve been driving to the mall and now we don’t have to,'” Leena said.
The Threading Spa is also popular among men. “About 20% of our customers are men who like a little clean up,” Leena said. “They may have unibrows or are too bushy.”
She said men are asking to have their beards groomed.
“Barber shops do it with wax, but we can thread the beard line,” Leena said. “‘Manscaping’ is growing – it’s not for shaping, but for cleaning up.”
Threading Spa is located at 79 East Putnam Ave. Tel. (203) 992-1400.
