Hello!

I am a licensed esthetician based in Atlanta, Georgia. I attended the Atlanta Institute of Aesthetics, a division of the Atlanta School of Massage, and am licensed to practice in the State of Georgia. I live in the Virginia Highlands/Morningside community with my husband, Steve, our son Miles, our dog Lucy and cat Ronde. I own and operate New Moon Skin Care, a microdermabrasion, skin care and hair removal business that I operate out of our home. I also do house calls and spa parties!

Prior to acquiring my license in esthetics, I worked as a publicist in the record industry. For eight years I was a publicist to bands and artists such as 311, CAKE, Widespread Panic, Galactic, Vic Chesnutt and Precious Bryant. I worked for two (sadly) now defunct record labels that called Atlanta their home, an independent label that was founded by my brother-in-law Jeff, Terminus Records, and the legendary Capricorn Records, which was founded by the late, great Phil Walden, a man who was also instrumental in helping to start the musical career of my father, keyboardist and environmentalist Chuck Leavell.

I have always been passionate about music and working in the industry was a wonderful way to satiate my appetite for destruction during my 20s. But late nights in smoky bars and the stress of a demanding lifestyle left its toll on me...and particularly on my skin. Night life taking a back seat to night cream, I found myself looking into skin care programs in the Atlanta area. I chose to attend the Atlanta Institute of Aesthetics, a division of the Atlanta School of Massage, and completed a ten-month, 1,000-hour course in 2005. There I studied histology of the skin, skin diseases and disorders, hair removal, nutrition, aromatherapy and holistic health care for the skin, and anatomy and physiology. I was also certified in CPR and microdermabrasion, the latter now being my specialty.

Our skin plays such an important role in our lives and we often overlook its value or, even worse, we neglect it all together. The skin is the largest organ of the body. It has many vital duties - our skin provides protection and insulation to our internal organs, is a gauge to our internal temperature, makes Vitamin D through exposure to sunlight and acts as our body's largest elimination organ, getting rid of harmful toxins through perspiration. I could go on and on about all it's invaluable duties!

So, why New Moon? Healthy skin cells normally regenerate every 28 days...about the same as the cycle of the moon. Although our bodies are created to do this naturally, sometimes the result of our neglect of the skin requires that we give it a friendly nudge to keep the process going. If not exfoliated regularly and consistently maintained, dead skin cells build up, leaving the skin looking dull and lifeless. Sometimes you may not even notice until you have a facial, prompting a memory of how amazing your skin can look if taken care of. Perhaps you abused the sun or the tanning bed a bit too much in your twenties (I did it, too) and when you see yourself in the mirror you notice dark spots caused by prolonged exposure to harmful UV rays. Or maybe the acne that you had as a teen has left you with visible scars well into your adult life. A series of microdermabrasion treatments can help diminish the appearance of those scars, hyperpigmentation caused by sun or hormones, fine lines and more. Just one treatment a month will leave your skin feeling fresh and revitalized!

I believe that the foundation of healthy skin is built upon how you treat your body from the inside, and it is complemented by how you treat it from the outside. Because our skin absorbs a large percentage of what we place on it, what we feed our skin should be organic, healthy, nutritious and toxin-free. I am excited and proud to use organic skin care products that are free of pesticides, harmful chemicals, fragrances and preservatives.

I am always available via phone or email for any questions or concerns that you may have. Are you too busy to come to New Moon? Please contact me if you are interested in having your microdermabrasion treatment "to go" or if you would like to host a spa party. We make house calls!

See you soon,

Amy Leavell Bransford, Licensed Esthetician
New Moon Skin Care, LLC
P: 404.375.5457
E: amy@newmoonskincare.com