A Special Kind of Treatment

Alyssa Licatese, owner of Blossom Med Spa, grew up fascinated by makeup, fashion, and skincare.

However, until a close family friend suggested the career path she is now successfully traveling, Licatese said she would have “never known that there was a career out there for everything I loved!”

Upon graduation from Red Lion High School, Licatese pursued further schooling in the field of esthetics.

“After graduating from the esthetics program, I continued my education to gain more advanced certifications,” she said.

Licatese started out working in a salon for about three years before moving on to work in a spa and then a medical spa, continually gaining knowledge and experience.

“I always knew I wanted to have my own business, and five years ago is when I realized I was ready to begin this journey,” she said.

Licatese credits her family as part of her motivation to open Blossom Med Spa.

“They are all so supportive, and I am so thankful for them. I have invested my time and my life into this business,” she said. “All of the sweat, tears, and long hours have certainly been worth it.”

So what is a “medical” spa, and what makes it different from other spas?

“We offer a variety of different services to address all different concerns,” Licatese said. “We are a full-service medical spa that combines relaxation with advanced skin and body treatments. We are a medical spa because our services go beyond traditional massages and facials. Because we are medically directed, we are able to offer a variety of different laser treatments, cosmetic injectables, and deeper skin treatments.”

Because she works in a rapidly changing industry, it is important for Licatese to stay on top of the latest advances so that she can provide the best services possible for her clients.

“Our clients are like family, and we treat them as such,” said Licatese. “Our goal is to help people achieve the results they desire, which, in turn, helps their overall well-being.”

New technology and new products are constantly being introduced, and Licatese and her team strive to always stay educated and informed about those changes. Licatese said that in some ways, clients continue to seek out many of the same types of services as they did in the past.

“Anti-aging treatments will always be popular,” she said, but “there is more interest in some of our deeper treatments now than there used to be. Clients don’t seem as interested in basic treatments, like facials and mild peels, anymore. They’d rather invest in something that will provide them with more dramatic results.”

Clients, she said, are looking for a more significant impact.

“There is also a higher need for tattoo removal now than ever before,” she added.

As a business owner and medical esthetician, Licatese said that her days are definitely busy. She is responsible for hiring, managing, and training her staff; handling the inventory for the business; providing treatments to clients; planning events; greeting clients; handling the website and social media … and the list goes on and on.

“My favorite part of the day, though, is meeting all of the wonderful clientele that come through the door and hearing about their wonderful experiences,” she said. “My least favorite is no one’s favorite — paying bills. But overall, I love my field, so I really don’t have any complaints.”

Licatese feels that providing services for the clients who visit Blossom Med Spa is not only a matter of investing time, but also involves an emotional investment. She is proud to be a part of the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce, and, through the business, has provided donations “in crisis situations and occasionally donated a portion of sales to a specific cause,” she said.

“I feel it is important to be a part of the community you are in, especially because these are the people also supporting your business. We like to be a part of the small-business community and support others as well.”

Taking that leap of faith and starting a new business is hard work.

“I never realized how hard I could push myself until I opened a business,” Licatese said. “I’ve learned I’m stronger than I give myself credit for at times. I believe that with enough passion and dedication that you can make anything happen.”

The future looks bright for Blossom Med Spa and for Licatese and her team.

“I see Blossom continuously growing and expanding, always adding new services and educating ourselves to stay up to date,” she said.

Licatese is also quick to emphasize that she can’t take all of the credit because she has a “wonderful team who also has put their entire heart into this as well. Sometimes it is surreal when I sit back and see the business that’s been created, and the clients coming through the door — that this is what I built.” BW