Katie Boone and Emily-Anne Boone created something that became bigger than expected.
Katie began her career as a wedding photographer in Baltimore and dabbled in the restaurant industry before moving home to the Seacoast and partnering with her sister, Emily-Anne, in a business venture. The sisters, who grew up in York, Maine, launched LIIV Medical Aesthetics in a quaint brick building just steps from Portsmouth’s Market Square in 2023. They renovated the space to create a calm, boutique medical spa, where Emily-Anne served as medical director and Katie as the practice manager.
“There’s no better place than Portsmouth—aesthetically, the downtown is beautiful. When I moved back to this area, it was a breath of fresh air,” Katie said. “You have the beauty of the Seacoast, nature, eclectic businesses, and interesting people. I just love it.”
Katie is excited for the next era of the business, which has been acquired by MD Esthetics. Founded in 2018 by a husband-and-wife team, Dr. Michael Pedro and Danielle Pedro, the MD Esthetics medical-spa has locations across three states, totaling four in New Hampshire with the acquisition of Portsmouth.
“We're still giving clients the same quality service and expertise,” said Katie. “By joining with MD Esthetics, we now have greater resources, allowing us to offer new procedures, bring in advanced devices, and expand our provider team.”
Entering the spa’s reception area, clients may feel they're inside a boutique hotel instead of a medical spa, as they detect a hint of lemongrass, the spa's signature scent. Other rooms feature exposed brick, tall ceilings, and soothing colors. The wellness room features cozy chairs and a tall leafy plant.
The spa emphasizes natural results and embraces prevention before correction. Maria Ammon, Rebranding Manager for MD Esthetics, explains the spa’s approach. “Our focus is natural-looking results, personalized care, and treatments backed by medical expertise,” Ammon said. “Good skin health comes first.”
The medically guided offerings include injectables, laser skin rejuvenation, medical grade facials and peels, weight loss medication, hormone optimization, and personalized skincare plans. One of the new treatments is the ‘“DiamondGlow”’ facial, which uses a diamond-tipped wand on your face. “It exfoliates, brightens, and pulls impurities out of your skin,” said Ammon. “It also infuses a customized serum into your skin, depending on your skin type.” The InBody scanner uses bioelectrical impedance analysis to measure muscle mass, body-fat mass, bone mass, and body water. “It will literally give you everything,” said Ammon.
New clients begin by meeting a member of the medical staff like Gabby Sweeney, a nurse practitioner. “My passion really is about making our patients feel incredible from the inside out,” Sweeney said. “It’s really important at this practice that we value everything our patient says. We give a very detailed in-depth assessment and consult where we look at the whole person.”
Team members identify the root cause of a patient’s symptoms rather than just “putting a bandage” on them. While there's endless information online about wellness, weight loss, and hormone replacement, having access to a medical professional is essential.
“I think it’s absolutely fantastic for our patients to come in and have a board-certified provider sit down with them,” Sweeney said. “It’s individualized—there’s no black and white with the care of our skin,” Ammon adds that skin care doesn’t just include the exterior. “With our wellness program, it's inside-out as well, so it’s overall health.”
Jennifer Edgerly, a registered nurse, sees the chance to combine her experience as a labor and delivery nurse with her creative side at the medical spa.
“I’m a photographer on the side, so, coming from a hospital setting to a medical spa, I’m able to branch out and be more creative with my degree,” Edgerly said. “I love working with people—that’s why I became a nurse. I want to make people feel great about themselves even after they delivered their baby.”
Edgerly appreciates the holistic perspective at the practice and points to a trend toward people taking a preventative approach to their skin care.
“We can do things to help your body without adding things to your skin,” said Edgerly. “There are things like microneedling and lasers where your own body is doing more of the work.”
Although the name and ownership of the spa have changed, its warmth and commitment to clients have not. “I want everyone to know the team is still here, and we want everyone to come see us,” said Katie. “We're really excited to share the new services we’re offering.”
MD Esthetics
24 Ladd St, Portsmouth
603.812.3522
mdestheticsus.com