While window shopping, have you walked by the Georgetown Allure Medical Spa at 3288 M St. NW and wondered what the allure’s all about? We caught up with Georgetown Allure Medical Spa’s owner Adam Ohayon about the four-year-old business and some great options for your holiday self-care.
GT: Tell us about Allure Medical Spa. How did the name come about?
Adam Ohayon, Owner: I moved from New York to here. My [former] business partner Ron Cymbal used to run the Ritz Carlton in Pentagon City. Our goal was to open something in Georgetown and we wanted a name to go with Georgetown. The name allure means “attraction,” we wanted to attract the right clientele. We thought the name Georgetown Allure rolled off the tongue.
GT: Tell us more about yourself. How did you become interested in this type of business?
AO: I grew up in Israel and was a paramedic with the paratroopers. In the military I become interested in the health and medical field. I have some family members who are plastic surgeons in New York.
After the military, I did some traveling and went to work in the medical field. My main goal was to open a space for people to both look and feel better. We wanted to make people look younger with the best out there technology-wise to improve the health of the skin. I worked in spas and wellness for a while and then decided to open a space more in our image. We wanted a warm vibe. People have been our loyal clients at Allure, even during Covid. What is unique about us is that we are like family. We are a community over here.
GT: What type of services does Allure offer? What are some of the most popular options?
AO: We offer over 27 different types of facials, from hyperpigmentation to anti-aging, acne treatments and more. We try to focus all of our facials to be specific and very results oriented. We customize every facial for each client.
We also do micro needling and chemical peels as well as laser hair removal and laser resurfacing. There’s also a 24-karat gold aloe facial. We have a skin analysis device where you put your face inside, and it tells you everything you need to know about your skin like the collagen level, why you have spots, elasticity level, everything. It allows us to be very customized with our treatments. We also offer massages, but mostly medically related ones, for example if someone has had liposuction or had any kind of surgery and needs something specific. It’s not our vibe for relaxing couples’ massages or things like that. We also offer all the common injections from Botox to fillers, everything that’s on the market.
GMG: Tell us more about your membership options. Why do you think this is the best deal for those who see you regularly?
AO: Our most popular options are our membership choices. To improve your skin, it’s not going to be just one time. When a person comes for the first time, we can’t be too invasive. We have to learn the skin, check the progress after a few months and make sure our customers are happy. Usually after three-to-four months people want to stay, not just for the vibe but also for the results. We offer non-surgical face and neck lifts that are quite popular. The results last 10 years with a unique combination of collagen masks and an LED device. It’s our most popular program.
We have a special facialist Kim who goes all over the U.S. to promote the device. We also do a lot of events, for Bozzuto, JB Smith, corporate offices and the like. We do mini facials and massages and have champagne; it’s very fun. It’s how we get a lot of clients. We sell a lot of different skincare too.
Pricewise, most of our facials have add-ons that are $50 to $60. Members commit to come once each month and memberships are usually 40 to 50 percent off regular prices. We’re not like gym memberships either, we allow credit in case you travel or are unable to come in one month. We also offer a newsletter with tips on what to do to help your skin.
GT: How do you help clients who may be interested in what you have to offer but may feel overwhelmed?
AO: Actually, when it’s your first time, you can try to choose what you want to do but it might not be exactly that. We have our 3-D skin analysis machine that we start with and after that we recommend customizing your treatment. Some people say they want a chemical peel for their spots and they may be deeper than originally thought and an LED device might be the better option. People think they know what they need after reading online or friends recommend something, they can try but we always like to check.
GT: What is the hiring process like for those who work at your spa?
AO: For medical estheticians, they must have at least five years in the medical field. Our esthetician group are highly qualified. Our head esthetician Sadie has worked in the field for 30 years. Our skin specialists are Kim, whom I told you about, and Vicki, who has worked in the field for over 10 years. We’re a super international group which is cool for D.C. We celebrate our diversity. Our main focus is family and we really care about our clients.
GT: Finally, why do you think Georgetowners should consider self-care this holiday season with a treatment from Allure?
AO: First of all, Covid has been hard. A lot of people couldn’t go and do treatments. I think especially after the third vaccine it’s the best time to go and get a facial. It’s wintertime so we can do a little more advanced stuff. People need to focus on their health and feeling and looking better, especially with all those Zooms! In general, anyone who tries us out will love us. Most people do. We’re really trying to do our best to customize the needs for each client and thinking out-of-the-box, encouraging them to live better, healthier lifestyles.
