Wedding Day Countdown: Don’t Forget Your Skin
Wedding planning comes with a lot of joy, excitement and a seemingly never ending to-do list. I recommend that you add caring for yourself and your skin toward the top of that list.
In the months leading up to your big day, it can be easy to get distracted with all the essential tasks and back burner your skin’s health. But enjoying your best possible skin is one of the best things you can do for yourself on your wedding day.
Some of the steps toward your best skin can require some lead time. So, check out the options below and chat with your skincare provider to create your own timeline toward radiant, beautiful skin!
Immediately: Prioritize Your Body’s Wellness
Now this may seem obvious, but your body’s wellness impacts your skin’s health. (Our skin is, after all, our largest organ!) Start building habits today to care for your entire body—including your skin.
Do exercise, get enough sleep, and eat a balanced diet. While exercise and sleep are essential pillars for overall health, they will also help you crush your body goals and win the battle against the inevitable wedding planning stress. And a balanced diet including plenty of water, whole grains, unprocessed meats, fresh fruit and veggies will help provide your skin with the nutrients it needs. (I personally love juicing spinach, kale, parsley, cucumber and celery with some apple and lemon in the mornings. It’s a tasty way to jumpstart my nutritional goals for the day.)
Don’t eat high-sugar and processed foods. Both will increase the risk of your skin looking and feeling bad. And both could lead to breakouts. Keep your diet fresh and clean, and your skin will reap the rewards.
9-12 Months Out: Schedule Laser Hair Removal
Your wedding (and honeymoon) is the perfect excuse to treat yourself to laser hair removal. This splurge will leave you feeling smooth and confident—not just on your wedding day, but for years to come. It typically takes 6-10 treatments spaced 4-6 weeks apart to see permanent results—so you’ll want to allow as much time as possible to get the best results.
9-12 Months Out: Begin Skin Treatments
Skin treatments like chemical peels or laser treatments (e.g. IPL photofacial or fractional resurfacing) promote cell turnover to give your skin that healthy skin glow. These treatments can also help you ditch everything from rosacea and acne scars to hyperpigmentation and wrinkles. Talk with your provider about pairing these treatments with antioxidant serums and retinols to improve your results and speed your recovery. You will usually need 3-4 treatments for best results. Be sure to schedule your last treatment at least one month prior to your wedding to ensure your best skin on that day.
4 Months Out: Finalize Your Skincare Regimen (and Stick to It!)
It takes 90 to 120 days for you to see the results from an updated skin care regimen, so you’ll want to start early and stick with it. If you’re not sure what works for your skin, you may need to do some experimentation. But you don’t want to be testing a new regimen in the final months leading up to your wedding—so figure out what works now and build it into your daily routine!
I recommend including the following elements in your daily skincare regimen:
If you have specific concerns, you may need to add an extra product or two. Have dark circles or puffiness around your eyes? Try some peptides with your eye cream.
Want to address your fine lines and get back that youthful glow? Check out products with retinol. (But take it slow, only using it a few times a week initially to see how your skin acclimates. And skip it if you’ll be spending lots of time in direct sunlight as retinol makes your skin more sensitive to UV.) If you acclimate to non-prescription retinol quickly, talk to your provider about prescription retinoid options for deeper cell turnover, resulting in an even better glow. These products can also work wonders on your décolletage, that delicate skin on your neck and chest.
Dealing with dull skin? Pair regular exfoliation with a brightening serum to remove dead cells and enhance your skin’s natural glow. I recommend exfoliating once per week initially, and advancing to twice per week after a month if you can tolerate it.
1 Month Out: Book That Botox
Neuromodulators like Botox and Dysport are possibly the most popular way to reduce facial wrinkles. This quick, simple procedure can smooth your wrinkles—like crow’s feet and frown lines—to restore your youthful appearance. The injections take a few days to kick in and usually last a few months. So, if you’re considering it for your big day, schedule it far enough out so you can correct any potential Issues, and be sure to schedule a two-week follow-up to review results with your provider.
Good Luck!
Some of the skin care options above can require a bit of lead time. So, do your research now to decide how you want to approach your skin and health for your wedding day. Congratulations, and I wish you the best on your special day!
Emily Giddings, RN