Jason A. Smith | The Valdosta Daily TimesTalarie Giddens watches Kelly Ramirez as she demonstrates laser hair reduction at The Spa Aesthetics and Wellness. 

VALDOSTA – Kelly Ramirez and Talarie Giddens purchased Ageless Medical Valdosta and rebranded it as The Spa Aesthetics and Wellness in the summer of 2018.

Before purchasing Ageless Medical, Ramirez and Giddens had talked about starting their own wellness business but the moment had never presented itself. They decided to take the plunge when the previous owners of Ageless Medical reached out to Giddens to ask if she knew anyone who would be interested in taking over the business.

Giddens approached Ramirez about the offer, and the two thought it would be a good move to make because it is an established business with an existing client base, Giddens said. The philosophy of Ageless Medical was similar to the ideas of Ramirez and Giddens, so “why not take an existing business and build onto it?”

When they purchased the business, they needed to move it to a new location because the old building would not be available. Ramirez and Giddens chose a location on Bemiss Road that was not facing the road so clients could expect privacy.

“Some people don’t want to be seen after having a treatment done,” she said. “This particular location we felt suited our needs. It’s in a pretty good location and the way it’s built-out suits us.”

And while the philosophies of Ageless Medical and The Spa are similar, The Spa is adding a holistic approach to the business.

Rameriz described their holistic approach as using “clean products.”

Clean products are “free of harsh chemicals, preservatives, and gluten but perform on a medical grade level and produce results that are comparable to other medical treatments,” she said.

Outside of the types of materials used at The Spa, using a holistic method means looking at more than a simple cause-and-effect relationship.

“It’s looking at the whole person, not just throwing products or treatments at the skin,” she said. “It’s investigating what’s happening on the inside. We brought a holistic element to it. We are still medial. We felt Valdosta needed a clean option.”

Giddens said of holistic treatments: “The face does tell a story about what is going on inside. There is a manifestation. She and I both have a similar philosophy in that it’s great to get good skin care and have a good routine going that gives you results, but if you are putting that product on your face and it is giving you adverse effects, then it kind of defeats the purpose.”

Ramirez and Giddens have a combined experience pool of about 30 years in esthetics, Ramirez said.

Both have several certifications including a professional licensure of Georgia to practice esthetics, a medi-clinical certification, and a cosmetology license. Both are certified assistant laser practitioners.

Ramirez said they are listed as “assistant” in the certification so they are not confused with physicians. They do not need supervision to perform laser hair reduction.

Ramirez has a certification for oncological, or cancer-related, esthetics. Giddens is working on earning the same certification. Giddens is certified in lashes and lash extensions.

Giddens said laser hair reduction is a “very popular treatment” for both men and women.

For women, the majority of the hair removed is facial hair.

“Nine times out of 10 it is caused because of hormones,” Ramirez said. “It really helps women with their confidence. We do the full body.”

For men, the main places Ramirez and Giddens reduce hair is on the back and the chest. Some men use laser hair reduction on their face to create clean lines for hair growth.

“Our treatments aren’t completely painless, but it is virtually painless,” Ramirez said. “The device they use spreads the heat out, so it isn’t concentrated in one place.”

The treatment sequence for laser hair reduction requires six visits spread out during six to eight weeks for optimal results, Giddens said.

Having laser hair reduction can leave patients looking less than ideal after the treatment is first completed, which is part of why Giddens and Ramirez want their business to have some privacy and not face the road directly.

“We do some laser work and that kind of leaves your face a little red and splotchy,” Giddens said. “It gives them that privacy if they want it.”

With her oncology certification, Ramirez focuses on residents who are going through cancer treatments or have just completed cancer treatments.

“A lot of people give cancer patients gift certificates, but their skin is compromised,” she said. “We want to use the right products and be safe.”

Ramirez said giving a spa and wellness certificate to a cancer patient is normal because it is a “nurturing kind of care, a healing touch.”

Because health and wellness for cancer patients is a top priority for the patient’s family, caregivers often don’t have the time to take care of themselves either.

“I’ve had a lot of people, not just here but at my previous job, that have been taking care of their husband who has had cancer for 10 years, but they have not been taking care of themselves. They have put their own care on hold,” Ramirez said.

To round out the holistic side of the business, Giddens and Ramirez have a reiki certification.

“It is an energy modality; It has to do with mind, body, spirit wellness,” Giddens said. “So that will be a part of the wellness we offer as well.”

Other holistic wellness programs include yoga classes and massages.

“We look at the whole person, not just at the skin,” Giddens said. 

The Spa also offers a skin-care membership, Ramirez said. 

When a resident joins, they can come in once a month for treatment. There is one fee that members pay each month. The Spa offers tiered memberships so residents of different income levels can participate in it.

The Spa Aesthetics and Wellness, 2420 Bemiss Road, Suite C, is open by appointment only Monday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday; and available by appointment at other times. For more information, call (229) 247-3332. 

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1257.