Biography of Maris Dusan

Lidia Tivichi is one of the most highly respected and sought after clinical aestheticians in Manhattan. She has spent over four decades in the industry perfecting her craft, and in 2011, established her boutique salon, Maris Dusan. Located on the Upper East Side, this sophisticated and serene space offers the latest in an array of skincare treatments with state-of-the art technology and an extensive line of private label products. Every aspect of the experience at Maris Dusan is carefully curated by Lidia for each of her individual clients and integrates a blend of time honored traditions tracing back to her Eastern European roots with cutting-edge and innovative methods to keep skin rejuvenated and healthy.

Born and raised in Romania, Lidia learned from her mother and grandmother. They were her first teachers and most influential role models. With a passion for beauty and use of natural ingredients in every aspect of life — whether preparing food for the table or ointments and lotions for the face — their methods offered Lidia an initial training ground. Her grandparents were both “holistic healers” in a sense as they took advantage of the natural spring water in the mountains, grew herbs, and made their own soaps, masks, perfumes, and other remedies to care for family members. The purity they sought for the well-being of their family, friends and community back then, coupled with the business sense that Lidia’s mother imparted and the educational, philosophical approach her father took, provided the foundation for Maris Dusan today.

At the age of 20, Lidia formally enrolled in beauty school, but had already logged hours of practice and a roster of regulars having routinely performed facials and waxing for friends and relatives. In 1987, newly married, she emigrated to America to join her husband Michael, and soon began working in a Manhattan salon. It was not long before she noticed how focused the beauty industry was on hair care rather than skincare. The gap in the marketplace fueled her interest further as Lidia took courses, earning certificates and licenses, and ultimately opened a skincare division at the original salon where she started. She was adamant to never turn down a cold call or knock at the door from a rep or tech, no matter if they were selling beauty for the face or hair or make-up, as she approached the encounters as an opportunity to learn.

Lidia was quickly identified as a rising star and soon hired to be the lead aesthetician at Kimara Ahnert, a Madison Avenue make-up studio, where she held that esteemed role for over twenty years. She swiftly made a name for herself as a pioneer in the field. Her waxes and facials were and continue to be ranked at the top of beauty magazine lists, and she was one of the very first in New York City to introduce acid peels and its benefits to her practice. While Lidia was and is never one to seek out press, her recognition grew widely as editors and influencers began writing about her work and her style. She is frequently quoted in magazines and publications, including most recently wellness and lifestyle brand Goop and a feature in the November 2025 issue of AIR MAIL.

Lidia continues to be at the forefront of skincare, and prides herself on using top quality organic products free from synthetics and chemicals. Recently, under the Maris Dusan brand, Lidia developed a human growth factor serum, now a bestseller. She has always been thirsty to learn and made it a point to meet and collaborate with plastic surgeons and dermatologists with the idea that working together would only serve to help her clients and their patients.

Today, her extensive and loyal following ranges from high profile celebrities to young adults, as well as multi-generations of family members, both men and women of all ages. While it is Lidia’s skill and technique that have earned her accolades from fans, her no-nonsense approach, sense of humor, and kind heart have also become part of what makes her a star. Even during holiday times when waiting lists can run weeks out, she is notorious for always finding a way to squeeze clients in before or after hours. All treatments include a complimentary customized review of Maris Dusan products and recommended regimen, a cup of coffee or tea, conversation, advice, laughs, and pure relaxation.

Her professional work ethic extends to her personal devotion to family. Lidia is immensely proud to have supported twelve nieces and nephews in Romania through college, and funded the education of many more godchildren both here and abroad. She has built her business and her brand on a promise made to her grandfather just before his granddaughter departed for the United States. He told her that she was headed to the “land of wonders and promises,” a place he had only read about described that way, and made Lidia give her word to always be respectful and never take advantage of all that she was given in the pursuit of her dreams. It is with those directives and a deep sense of integrity that she credits in leading her through and to the success of Maris Dusan.