Thomas Tullo, founder of Aman Spa in Toronto and creator of Face Pilates, is reshaping the way we think about beauty, aging, and self-care. What began as a therapeutic technique to relieve jaw tension has become a holistic ritual; one that merges science, artistry, and emotion.
In this conversation, Thom opens up about his journey from the aesthetics industry to authentic wellness. He shares how Face Pilates works on multiple levels — physical, emotional, and energetic — and how true beauty radiates from inner peace, not perfection.
The Birth of Face Pilates
Thom’s method evolved from years of hands-on work and curiosity. “A lot of times people think face Pilates is a facial. Right. And it’s not. It’s truly a massage using general Swedish techniques.”
He developed the practice after noticing recurring tension patterns in his clients. “The reason I created Face Pilates is I had a really large amount of my clients that I saw suffer from TMJ… It’s happening from overlying stress conditions — work, travel, personal and life stress — but also mostly from clenching.”
What began as a treatment for jaw pain became something far deeper. “Ultimately what I’m trying to do is decrease stress in our face, release tension in our muscles, and really help create a healthy system in our body through our lymphatic system, our nervous system, and our circulatory system.”
The Eight Steps to Transformation
Face Pilates follows an eight-step process that combines massage, fascial stretch therapy, reflexology, lymphatic drainage, and microcurrent stimulation. “Everyone always asks why eight steps, that’s a lot of steps,” he laughed. “But they all do something very specific.”
He begins with fascial stretch therapy to “break up fascia adhesions… creating more range of motion,” followed by reflexology to “play with your nervous system.” Then comes lymphatic drainage, which he calls “the beginning phase of you getting the circulatory system up and running.”
Midway through the treatment, Thom performs buccal massage — an internal technique to release jaw tension — before finishing with microcurrent, red light, and cryotherapy. “We’re tightening, toning, lifting, strengthening, rejuvenating the muscles through massage and Pilates motions,” he said. “It is truly gym or Pilates for your face — but I’m doing all the work for you.”
Energy, Empathy, and the Healing Exchange
For Thom, touch is sacred. Every treatment is an energetic dialogue. “Whenever someone is treating you hands-on, it’s an energetic exchange,” he explained. “Sometimes I get that energy from them, that’s what’s kind of exhausting. You have to find ways to recharge.”
He finds his restoration in water, his element of renewal. “For me personally, I’m a water person. I need to be in water to recharge. Whether that’s a shower, a bath, or even just washing my hands, it’s how I decompress.”
This sensitivity to energy shapes every aspect of his work. “I’m manipulating your nervous system for you to relax. I’m manipulating your nervous system for your muscles to relax.” His treatments, he says, are “not just about beauty, they’re about nervous system regulation.”
The Evolution of Aman Spa
Aman Spa embodies Thom’s lifelong love for wellness, art, and culture. “The design is a combination, a lot of influence from the Middle East,” he shared. “My partners are from the Middle East. One of my partners is an interior designer.” Even the name, Aman, carries meaning: “In Arabic, it means peace, tranquility, harmony, safety.”
He first envisioned the spa years ago while traveling abroad. “I knew then I was destined to go into spa worlds… I was manifesting this spa, this is the spa name.”
What began as a dream became a sanctuary, a place that blends aesthetic excellence with emotional depth. “At a luxury spa, you have standards,” Thom said. “To me, I don’t like a therapist that just rubs oil because there’s way more into massage than just rubbing oil. It’s truly manipulation of your nervous system.”
From Aesthetics to Authenticity
Thom’s relationship with beauty has evolved profoundly. “I was very, very superficial and almost narcissistic in a way,” he admitted. “I went down a hole of cosmetic injections… I truly looked like a Ken doll at one point, structured, chiseled, everything about me was shiny and angular.”
But something shifted. “I started looking at myself and just not seeing me anymore. My eyes were there in the mirror, but I didn’t see me anymore.” That realization sparked a transformation. “I dissolved everything. I stopped all of my Botox. I stopped all of my filler. I went very natural. This just comes with healthy diet, exercise, sleep, loving yourself.”
His message is now one of inner peace and balance. “I think it’s about who you become in that process. It’s growth. It’s divine timing.”
Wisdom from Within
When asked what poisons the body most, Thom’s answer is simple and wise. “There’s three things that are really poisonous and toxic to the body: cortisol, jealousy, and sugar.” His advice? “Minimize your stress. Be happy for other people — your time will come. And don’t ingest too much sugar.”
He believes wellness is about harmony — not excess. “In North America, we think of retiring and stopping everything we do. Stopping everything will kill you. Being active is almost the most important thing to longevity.”
Above all, his work is about coming home to the self. “True beauty’s on the inside,” he said. “My main goal is to make you healthy. The beauty side effects are just a secondary thing that tag along.”
Coming Back to Balance
Thom Tullo’s story is one of transformation, from the pursuit of perfection to the embrace of peace. Through Face Pilates and Aman Spa, he’s helping people reconnect with their bodies, release emotional tension, and rediscover what it means to glow from within.
In his own words: “When you strengthen the muscles and develop them, you get more volume back. You move into the positions you were designed to be in. It’s not about changing who you are, it’s about coming back to yourself.”
