Meet Dr. Lori Martin

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr. Lori Martin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr. Lori, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
Non-surgical aesthetics is an art. Not everyone has the eye for facial balancing and proportions – which is necessary for a natural enhancement to the aging skin. There are many practitioners that jump into the field after a career of working in the hospital, thinking anyone can do botox and filler injections and opening a med spa is an easy way to make money. The qualifications and experience of the provider has a lot more to do with the results than the product they are using. I discuss with every patient what goals they have, what they love and do not currently love about their skin, and what treatments they have tried so far. Many times, patients are fearful of a certain procedure or product, say filler for example, because they have seen photos/videos/social media highlighting filler that has been poorly placed or overdone. That doesn’t mean all filler is bad. You just have to make sure you trust someone who is looking at the full facial picture, appropriately balancing your features for a beautiful transformation that is never overdone. Understanding facial anatomy is incredibly important in our field, more so, understanding the variations of anatomy and how each patient is a unique case – cookie cutter injection patterns do not work. There is also often a huge disconnect between what the patient wants to look like and what their budget will allow. One syringe of filler, or 25 units of botox is not going to be enough to take away 5-10 years of aging. It is a syringe not a magic wand, we often joke. With social media on demand, it is easy for patients to become confused about what is possible for their own skin. Seeing the immediate transformation of a before and after, often sets the expectation that the results should be immediate. Often with aesthetics procedures, we are stimulating collagen to reduce the signs of aging, and that is a process that takes several weeks. Most before and after transformations consist of multiple treatments, multiple treatment modalities, and results develop over weeks to months.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started working in aesthetics and functional medicine almost 15 years ago and incorporated regenerative medicine into my practice around 10 years ago. It wasn’t until 5 years ago that my husband and I opened our own practice, so I spent all of my time contracted part time at multiple facilities. I learned so much with my exposure to various businesses and clientele. I began to develop an idea of what I would want my own practice to look and feel like, and I also found a niche where there is a demand for medical spa oversight, aesthetics trainings and consulting. One client at a time, I slowly built up my consulting company while working part time in various offices. Finally, five years ago, when Daniel and I opened our own med spa, I was able to step away from the part time contracts and focus on building our med spa, knowing that I had the income support from my consulting company to keep us going during the start up phase of Longevity Wellness and Med Spa. Most new businesses take around a year to become profitable, but often for med spas it is more like two years. There is an ebb and flow to the industry that takes adjusting to as well, and slower months can be debilitating if not well planned out. There is always something new to learn about, which keeps things exciting. The aesthetics world is always evolving and you have to stay on top of the innovations, without following every trend that comes along. There is always someone that wants to sell you the next best device or product. There will always be a med spa that is bigger, busier and has all the fancy machines, but with time you find your sweet spot, doing the procedures you are really in love with doing and do really well. I think one thing that sets us apart is the history and love I have with aesthetics, the desire to provide only the best, most effective, most natural treatments available. I do not offer anything that I would not use on myself, friends or family. And I don’t offer it on the menu until I have personally tested it out to make sure it delivers what it promises. Everything from our skin care to our devices have been tried by me personally. There are too many med spas that are popping up under the direction of MDs that have zero aesthetic training or experience. It is an art, and not everyone can perform it as beautifully as those of us who have practiced for years, devoting all of our training and time to perfecting the art. My absolute favorite procedure to perform is lip augmentation. Over the years I have evolved and perfected a signature lip technique that is natural and beautiful. It is always exciting to transform a patient’s lips into something they truly love and are excited to show off. There is something about a little lip volume that makes a lady feel more beautiful and confident, at any age.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are so many great places and diversity all around the Atlanta area. Since we are located in Woodstock, a lot of our favorite spots are nearby, but we love to explore other communities too.

Day One – wine tasting in the North Georgia Mountains, with lunch at the vineyards. So many great choices, but Wolf Mountain, Kaya, Three Sisters, are at the top of the list.
Day Two – Eagle watch golf club, where we live and love being members of the club. Enjoy lunch at the clubhouse, followed by a round of golf. Head to downtown Woodstock for dinner at Ten Sushi, our favorite spot for the freshest sushi with creative ingredients and wasabi martinis. Finish the evening at Mad Life for a live cover band show.
Day Three – Visit downtown Alpharetta and the Avalon. Lunch at Rumi’s Kitchen, followed by shopping, then enjoy cocktails at the Cape, known for their seasonal and creative cocktail list. Transition to downtown Alpharetta for dinner at Citizen Soul, then enjoy the live music and swanky vibes of the speakeasy Roaring Social.
Day Four – Hike Amicalola Falls, stopping midway for lunch at the lodge at the top of the waterfall. Dinner at Nuevos Amigos Cocina Mexicana for the deliciously fresh and authentic food and margaritas with a great patio on the way back to Woodstock.
Day Five – Brunch on the beautiful patio of Prime 120 in downtown Woodstock, then enjoy the backyard and brews at Reformation Brewery.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would have to dedicate a large portion of my success to my husband and business partner, Daniel. When we first launched our med spa, he had no experience with the world of aesthetics. He is a chiropractic physician, and ran his own practice for nearly 30 years. At that time, I was contracted with multiple offices and med spas providing my services, traveling all around the city. We decided to add a med spa to his chiropractic office to test it out. He put his full trust in me that all of the time, money, and hard work we put in to creating our med spa would eventually pay off. We worked side by side building our brand from nothing. He began learning the aesthetics industry so that he could run the business, manage inventory and finances, and schedule patients, freeing me to focus on our patients. Without him, Longevity Wellness and Med Spa would likely not exist.

Website: yourlongevitymd.com

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Image Credits
Jensen Nemec, Come Alive Visuals Anna Dower, Anna Dower Photography