our staff is the reason why we are the best med spa in houston
Dr. Tarina Desai, MD
A board certified physician, wife, mother and Small business owner.
After practicing medicine for almost 7 years and living life as a skincare and makeup fanatic since early middle school, she decided to start her path down the middle, bringing the two together. Born and raised in Houston, TX and recently moved to Oak Forest, she found the Heights Mercantile in Houston to be the perfect place to open her med spa.
Dr. Tarina Desai is the Owner, Medical Director, and Chief Injector of Artavi Med Spa. She received her BS in Business Administration from Trinity University and thereafter attended medical school. She completed her residency training in San Antonio, TX where she also served as chief resident and became board certified in family medicine.
After finishing her residency training, she worked as a hospitalist in Houston for a few years and then set out to further her studies in aesthetic medicine. She spent two years studying aesthetics, flying around the US to train under expert injectors who have been in the field for over 20 years, including Family Practice physicians, Dermatologists, Plastic Surgeons, and Neurosurgery physicians.
She has a long list of certifications which include the art and science of botulinum toxin cosmetic use injections, the art of dermal filler injections, sclerotherapy, emerging therapies in regenerative aesthetic medicine, laser and IPL training, and the science of skin rejuvenation with chemical peeling, medical microdermabrasion, and microneedling. She is one of the top injectors in her field and uses advanced techniques to give the most natural and visible results that her patients desire. Dr. Desai is continually advancing her knowledge and training in aesthetics by attending conferences and courses to perfect her skills. She was selected by Allergan (the makers of Botox and Juvederm) to attend their exclusive institute masterclass led by a Beverly Hills Plastic Surgeon. Other notable examples of her continued training include:
2022 Allergan Medical Institute Master Expert Series Program
2022 Swift Beauty International Masterclass on Advanced Injection Therapy in collaboration with world renowned anatomist Dr. Sebastian Cotofana, MD, PhD, PhD
2022 IMCAS in Paris, France- a conference where the leaders in the aesthetic industry go to teach and learn from each other. Dr. Desai traveled to Paris to learn about the latest techniques and advancements in the aesthetic industry straight from the source!
2021 Allergan Medical Institute Master Expert Series Program
2021 Swift Beauty Lip Enhancement: Anatomical-Based Injection Techniques with Julie Horne
2021 Swift Beauty Treatment of Temporal Hollowing: Anatomical-Based Injection Techniques
2020 Academy of Injection Anatomy- a unique, Hands On cadaver training course for filler injection
2020 IMCAS in Paris, France- a conference where the leaders in the aesthetic industry go to teach and learn from each other. Dr. Desai traveled to Paris to learn about the latest techniques and advancements in the aesthetic industry straight from the source!
2019 GAIN Galderma (makers of Dysport and Restylane) teaching conference on cannula use with Restylane Lyft
2019 GAIN Galderma course on lip injections taught by the world renowned top expert in lip fillers, Julie Horne
2019 ASLMS scientific conference on energy based medicine and laser use
and many more including multiple courses by Cutera- a laser device company, Amspa, Allergan, Galderma, Diamond Glow, Skinceuticals, Sciton, InMode
Dr. Desai likes to spend her time outside of aesthetics with her husband, two kids (6 year old and 3 year old), and dog Coco. Fun Fact: She named Artavi after her family. “AR” is the first two letters of both of her kids’ names, “TA” is the first two letters of her name, and “VI” is the first two letters of her husband’s name!
Avnie Malani, PA-C
board certified physician assistant
Avnie Malani, PA-C, is a Board Certified Physician Assistant with 10 years of surgical and medical experience and a dedication to aesthetics and plastic surgery which she studied throughout her graduate school career. She received her Masters of science in Physician Assistant Studies from Western University in Southern California and graduated from the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Avnie has always had a keen interest in skincare and aesthetics and did her clinical preceptorships in dermatology and plastic surgery in Newport Beach, CA and Houston Tx. She is certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Avnie joined the Artavi team to pursue her passion and career in aesthetics, plastic surgery and dermatology. She is trained in Injectables, Microneedling, PRP, Laser Genesis, IPL, Diamond Glow and VI peel. During her free time she loves to be at home with her husband and two young children, travel, listen to music, and study aesthetics.
Grace Bartlett
medical aesthetician & certified Laser technician
Grace is a licensed aesthetician and senior laser technician in Texas. She received her esthetics license at Florida Dermal Institute in Longwood, Florida in 2021.
Grace prides herself in learning new skills and continuing her education through different seminars and webinars with a focus on skincare and new technological innovations in the medical aesthetics industry.
She is trained in Secret RF, IPL, Laser Genesis, VI Peels, Diamond Glow, Microneedling & more!
Her favorite treatment is VI Peels because they have the ability to drastically transform the skin and they are great for all skin types. Grace has always had a passion for skin care and treatments and loves to share her knowledge to help others achieve their best skin! In her free time, she loves to try new restaurants, travel, and go on runs with her dog, Millie.