Shirley Shuman
On Saturday, January 28, the Forever Young Medical Spa, located at 615 Elk Street in Gassaway, will have its grand opening. Owner Tonya King Young, who has already been taking appointments, looks forward to serving the citizens of Braxton County and the surrounding area.
Explaining the reason for this venture, Young said, “My whole life I have been interested in the skin care aesthetics field. One day back in September I did some research, and I told my husband Russell what I thought about a medical spa. He was all for it, and now we’re here.”
Asked what she hopes to accomplish, Young said she wants “to bring health and confidence to Braxton County and surrounding area.” She added, “There are no services such as this in our area. Therefore, many people travel, sometimes long distances, to obtain them.” Discussing her goal of bringing “health” to the area through a spa, the provider maintains that being confident in one’s appearance is essential to good emotional and mental health. “We hope to use our services in such a way that our patients increase, or perhaps even develop, confidence in their appearance,” she said.
For now, Young explained, the spa’s services will include “health, beauty, and weight management.” In the near future, she plans to add derma filling to the current offerings, “and to keep on adding services as [they] go.” In the area of beauty/skin care, services currently offered are neurotoxin (Botox injections), facials, latisse eyelashes, teeth whitening, chemical peels, and microneedling. In addition, the spa offers advice on medical weight loss. This service includes an initial consultation with a plan development that includes diet and exercise along with various other procedures including Vitamin B12 injections.
To prepare for this venture, the owner has added extensive training to a medical background. Young’s first degree was a Bachelor of Science in Animal and Veterinary Science along with a minor in Environmental Microbiology. Next came her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2007. After obtaining her nursing degree, Young worked in the Medical Surgical Intensive Care Unit at WVU Hospital. During that time, she earned a Master of Science in Nursing, which enabled her to begin her career as a Nurse Practitioner.
She stresses, however, that she has not been alone in planning and preparing for the soon-to-be open spa. Young declares that it has been a joint effort, with her husband Russell completing “a tremendous amount” of behind-the-scenes work. Actually, it was he who provided the name of the spa although at the time of its inception neither of them had any thought of developing a business. The name came from a remark that Russell made to her when they were married. She said that he turned to her and declared, “Now you’ll be forever Young.” Of course she never forgot his declaration, therefore the name Forever Young Medical Spa.
At this time, spa services will be provided by appointment only, and those appointments will be during evening and weekend hours. To book an appointment, prospective patients may book at the Website www.foreveryoungWV.com or call 1 (304) 774-4478.
The grand opening is set for Saturday, January 28, from 10 a.m. until noon. Those present will be treated to refreshments, chances to win raffles, and viewing of the facility.
