Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Tarina Desai.
Dr. Desai, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As a young girl, I was always intrigued by cosmetics and skincare – putting on my mother’s makeup, using her face masks, I even got my own full Mary Kay skincare set in middle school! But cosmetics and skincare was always a passion for me, not my end goal. I wanted to be a doctor, the way it runs in my family, so I went to medical school. During residency, I took some elective courses in aesthetic medicine and instantly realized this was my passion and my profession in one! I began dreaming about how amazing and surreal it would be to be able to have my own medical aesthetics spa one day. It was my husband, who was my boyfriend at the time, that really pushed me to do this. I am not sure if I would have done it otherwise. I worked as a hospitalist for a couple of years to build up a savings and then while I was pregnant, I started taking courses and practicing on friends and family. I continued to work part-time, take care of my baby, and work out the fundamentals of my business, which is in all aspects, my second baby. My mentors at Score helped me greatly throughout the process of planning the business and I would highly recommend them to anyone wanting to start their own business.
Has it been a smooth road?
Of course, it hasn’t been a smooth road and I did not expect it to be but overall I think I have been pretty lucky so far. A big reason I have been able to get through the ups and downs and devote time to starting this business is my family. My husband especially, who has been nothing but supportive and has been helping out immensely with taking care of our baby. I planned this business during my pregnancy and have had a lot of help from the family taking care of my baby which allowed me to focus on this new venture.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We are a spa that specializes in medical aesthetics and skin care. Our treatments are results driven and many require physician oversight. Some treatments we are known for include Botox, Juvederm fillers, customized Skinceuticals facials, VI Peel, microneedling, and Dermal Infusion MD. The Dermal Infusion MD system is a microdermabrasion machine unlike any other; it exfoliates with a diamond tip, extracts with a medical grade suction, and infuses a choice of serums directly into the dermal-epidermal junction. Currently, we are the only practice in the Heights that has this piece of equipment! As a company, we are most proud of our personable nature to treat each patient individually and form a bond with them. I offer free full and personalized consultations where I like to take my time to really listen to my patients’ concerns and goals, educating them at the same time and come up with the most cost effective treatment plan together that will help them achieve these goals. We even have a membership program to help make these treatments more affordable for those who want regular skincare maintenance. Most people don’t realize they really can have the skin and facial structure of their dreams without surgery or downtime; aesthetic medicine has advanced so much and is constantly progressing in ways that we can achieve wonderful results! What sets us apart from other similar practices is that we have a board-certified physician on site at all times doing all of the consultations and procedures. This keeps our treatments safe and provides our patients the confidence in knowing that they are receiving high-quality care.
What are your plans for the future? What are you looking forward to or planning for – any big changes?
We plan to grow and add more services in the future. I am constantly attending aesthetic conferences, lectures, and seminars to learn about the latest advancements so I can bring them back to benefit my patients. We will be adding PRP later this month which is a relatively new and innovative treatment where we take our patient’s own nutrient-rich growth factors and concentrate them directly into the face to dramatically improve the skin and the facial structure, including deep acne scars, dark under-eye circles, and deep wrinkles, and into the scalp to encourage hair regrowth. We have also added a brand new FDA approved filler to the market called Versa, perfect for those that want the results of a filler without as much of the swelling, at a lower price. In the future, we will be adding lasers for anti-aging and body sculpting and thereafter expand into wellness with vitamin shots and IVs.
Pricing:
- Botox $13/unit, $11.50/unit for members
- Juvederm Ultra XC $625/syringe, $600/syringe for members
- Juvederm Volbella $450/syringe, $425/syringe for members
- Versa filler $550/syringe, $500/syringe for members
- Dermal Infusion MD $180/$170 for members
- Skinceuticals Facials include a peel or dermaplaning $125-$175, $110 for members
Contact Info:
- Address: Heights Mercantile Shopping Center, 2nd floor 714 Yale Street, Ste 2K Houston, TX 77007
- Website: artavimedspa.com
- Phone: 832-649-7266
- Email: info@artavimedspa.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/artavimedspa
- Facebook: facebook.com/artavimedspa
- Other: https://www.yelp.com/biz/artavi-med-spa-houston-4
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
