Threading may have been the third world's beauty tool of choice, but not anymore. Shobha Tummala has taken the ancient beauty secret from underground to uptown. The Michigan native and current New York resident was a longtime advocate of traditional Indian beauty practices, having been exposed to them during annual trips to India as a young girl. Unfortunately, she couldn't find a salon back in the States that combined the ancient arts with modern customer service. "I always wanted something like this for myself, sugaring [and] threading but in a clean environment, with quality control. I thought someone should take this to the next level, and I was always waiting for it myself. And then I thought, you know what, I'm going to do it."

After successfully introducing many of her non-desi friends to threading, a quick and relatively painless method of hair removal using (what else?) thread, Tummala realized there was a potential market for her services. "I took a lot of my own friends to [predominantly South Asian neighborhoods] Jackson Heights or Devon, and they loved the threading, but they said that they wouldn't come back on their own." Tummala relied on her engineering degree as well as her Harvard-trained business acumen to establish a small-scale threading operation in a local salon. She hoped to bring ancient beauty practices out of the auntie's kitchen and into a salon setting, where non-desis would feel less intimidated. Aided by a timely mention in Vogue magazine, Tummala's concept took off, and she eventually expanded into two full-service salons in New York City.

Although she doesn't perform threading or sugaring (a natural method of waxing using homemade sugar and lemon gel), herself, Tummala remains intimately involved with all aspects of her salon, Shobha. She does everything from running the business to supervising the training of the aestheticians. "After training, I'm the guinea pig; I'm the person they have to pass before they get on the floor." Her exacting standards have paid off, as the salons attract a diverse clientele of men, women, South Asians and Caucasians. Tummala was initially taken aback by the number of desis who frequented her salon. "I was surprised by how many desi folks were coming. I didn't expect it, because South Asians felt comfortable going were they already went." She soon realized, however, that Shobha salons' commitment to customer service represented one of its main attractions. "There are many [desi] people like me who need appointments, and don't want to see thread all over the floor. We don't want to have that feeling that nobody is paying attention and we want a place where we know we'll be taken care of."

Clearly, Tummala has tapped into a hidden market. Business is booming, and expansion plans are currently underway. "Expansion to a few cities is a goal at some point, but right now we want to find some stability. We're in the process of launching facials. You hear a lot about Indian skin care and ingredients, just because South Asian culture is becoming more popular in the mainstream." The facials will join an extensive list of services that includes not only the ever-popular threading and sugaring, but also henna tattoos for special events and bridal parties. Shobha also offers beauty products such as toners, exfoliators and even home hair removal kits. Teas, tees and educational literature round out the salon's offerings.

Shobha Tummala's has fulfilled her goal of bringing desi grooming practices to the mainstream, and at the same time, she's struck a chord with desis and non-desis alike. Everyone, it seems, is searching for beauty without artifice. And what could be more natural than that?