From dress fittings and shoe hunting to locking in a venue and finalizing floral arrangements – there’s so much wedding planning that you compromise on your beauty plans. Yes, we understand that it’s not easy to juggle all of it but if you stick to a beauty regimen, your face will radiate your inner joy! Earlier, women depended on salons and parlors to meet their wedding beauty needs, but modern brides turn to dermatologists and certified experts to help them look their best. Here’s a simple guide to get you gorgeous in time for your day.
Your Bridal Beauty CountdownTo Picture-Perfect Skin Your bridal beauty care regimen needs to start months before your big day. Ideally, you should visit your skincare specialist at least 6-8 months in advance so that you can discuss a beauty care regimen to get rid of existing skin problems as well as improve the overall health of your skin.
Beauty Treatments At 6 Months
The ideal time to start professional cosmetic treatments is 6 months in advance. This is because many beauty treatments require multiple sessions stretched out over several months. Let’s face it, most of us do not have the clear flawless skin we have always dreamed about but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get gorgeous… with a little help! There are several treatments to choose from and you should discuss the pros and cons of each one with your dermatologist before you decide on a treatment plan. More complex skin problems generally require a combination of treatments.
Chemical peelsare popular bridal treatments as they are very effective in treating acne scars and pigmentation as well as improving skin tone and texture. Superficial chemical peels are ideal for superficial scars while medium depth peels are the best option for deeper scars – the best person to decide which one is right for your skin is your dermatologist. Similarly, laser treatments will eliminate or reduce superficial and deep scars as well as shrink enlarged pores. Procedures like subscision are meant to target specific depressed scars while microneedling improves scars by stimulating collagen and elastin production. Most dermatological cosmetic treatments trigger collagen production over time so your skin texture and appearance will keep improving over the next couple of months.
Laser hair reduction is also a good choice as it allows you to wear what you want when you want! If you have excessive hair or don’t want to wax routinely, this is the right time to discuss laser hair removal with your doctor as laser treatments for facial hair are generally at least a month apart and you might require 4-6 sessions to get a significant reduction in hair density. In addition to laser hair reduction for facial, arm, and leg hair, brides often opt for laser back hair reduction so that they can flaunt their flawless back on their wedding day! For maintaining a healthy skin and keeping pigmentation at bay, routine microdermabrasion and cleansing, intermittent hydrafacial for maintenance and added glow is recommended even for brides with healthy skin.
Beauty Treatments At 1-3 Months
Your cosmetic treatments at 6 months targeted the deeper layers of your skin to improve skin texture. During the last couple of months before your wedding, you should focus on surface treatments to reduce spots, darkened patches, fine lines, and enlarged pores. For instance, a chemical peel with TCA (trichloro acetic acid) or retinol can help to get rid of stubborn scars and darkened skin patches. If you were lucky enough to escape severe acne during your teens, your dermatologist might suggest microdermabrasion instead as this will help to rejuvenate your skin and give you an even skin tone. Q-switch laser treatments are ideal for getting rid of tanning and brown spots for a clearer complexion. You can also opt for a back polishing treatment to give your skin a naturally clear glow.
There’s no escaping the stress that accompanies wedding preparations, especially not when it’s your own wedding! The stress is probably working its way into your skin in the form of frown lines and forehead wrinkles – Botox injections are a simple and easy solution. Botox relaxes the muscles and gets rid of wrinkles and frown lines to give you visibly smooth skin. The best part is that it takes just 15 to 20 minutes and there’s no downtime at all –which means that you can even schedule a session during your lunch break! You can also ask your dermatologist about fillers – these can be used under the eyes to remove a tired appearance and make you look vibrant; it can also be used to give you a more contoured jawline, enhance your chin, or give you fuller lips.
Bridal Beauty Bootcamp: Head-to-Toe Prep Guide
If you want that healthy, natural glow, you need to actually get healthy! Follow these tips in the build up to your wedding:
- Increase the focus on the right diet. Ignoring your diet, sleep schedule, and exercise regimen is a sure shot way to ruin your health and your skin.
- Have a holistic long-term approach towards skincare with regular exercise in addition to diet. This will also increase the effectiveness of your cosmetic treatments and improve your overall skin health.
- Cut back on junk foods as far as possible and swap unhealthy treats for healthy ones. This means that you should chuck that store-bought ice cream.
- Aim to have at least one serving of a colorful salad every day. Your salad should have plenty of beets, carrots, and bell peppers as these contain flavonoids – natural pigments that improve skin health and also help to prevent weight gain. You can retain these dietary changes after your wedding to move towards a healthier lifestyle. Don’t just be a beautiful bride, be a beautiful wife too!
- Avoid copying your friend’s beauty routine. One of the most common mistakes brides make when deciding on a beauty regimen is to copy their friend’s beauty plan. Your skin is unique which means that you have different skincare requirements as compared to your friend.
- Avoid trying any new treatments 30 days before wedding. Beauticians and parlors often try to push new treatments on their clients even a week before the wedding but it is unwise to try any new treatments in the month before the wedding. Many brides choose one beauty treatment for their entire bridal party but it is better to ask your dermatologist to decide on individual treatments for each person depending on their skin type and requirements. Follow the beauty plan that suits you the best and you’ll be picture-perfect on your special day.
