A NEEW KIND OFF SPA – A LOOK INTO ATANTA’S MEDICAL SPAS BY ANYA MARTIN
Founded in August 2003, AYA™, named for the Japanese word for silk, is owned and operated by Atlanta Plastic Surgery, PC. It has two locations, one at Phipps Plaza and the other near Northside Hospital. Its medical director is James D. Namnoum, M.D., chief of plastic surgery at Saint Joseph’s Hospital and internationally known for his expertise in breast reconstruction, lifts and augmentation with minimal scarring. AYA™ exclusively uses the prescription-only Obagi skin care line, whose active ingredient is Retin-A. The experience: To get the male perspective, my husband, Phil Nutman, agreed to try microdermabrasion. He has a completely different skin type from me – oily – and had been battling some break-outs on his cheeks for several weeks. Esthetician Heather Tereso turned down the lights, and to a soothing soundtrack, cleansed Phil’s face, gave him a hand massage, placed his hands in warm mitts and put herbal eye pads over his lids. He felt so relaxed that he fell asleep – something Heather says men are more likely to do. Then Heather fired up the Megapeel machine and applied fine crystal grains to Phil’s skin with a handheld wand, exfoliating and removing the upper layer of dead skin. Phil says the sensation was “intense but pleasant, like a gentle citrus peeler.” His skin was slightly redder for about 12 hours after the procedure and required extra moisturizer for a few days, but overall it “looks and feels cleaner, clearer, and more vibrant.”