Preparing For Your Wedding
October 23rd, 2008Brides to be- it’s not too early to start planning for your 2009 spring or summer wedding. Just as you plan your ceremony and reception down to the last detail, and just as you ensure the perfect fit of your gown and appropriateness of your hairstyle, don’t forget one of the most important elements of your day - your skin! Whether you are 24 or 44, you want your skin to be smooth, blemish-free and radiant both in person and in your photos. And, as everyone knows, this is not a feat that can be accomplished overnight!
About a year before the big day, it is a good idea for you to have a consultation with a skin care specialist, particularly someone with a medical background who has access to chemical peels, lasers, Botox, and fillers, so that you can get started on your beauty routine well in advance. Almost anyone, even those with good skin, can benefit from a series of superficial chemical peels to brighten and gently exfoliate; anyone with sun damage may want to eliminate sunspots on the face or body with laser treatments (often more than one treatment necessary). Those with acne can significantly improve their skin with the right daily skin care routine, chemical peels and laser treatments. How about those pesky little “broken capillaries”on the nose and cheeks? They can be banished with lasers as well. Forehead wrinkles, frown lines, crow’s feet??? Botox, of course! And even young brides sometimes have smile lines (professionals call them nasolabial lines or folds). They can be erased with fillers like Restylane, Radiesse or Juvederm. And lips, cheekbones, and jaw lines can be enhanced with those same fillers.
If you are wearing a dress that exposes your back or decolletage, it is important to optimize the appearance of these areas as well. Chemical peels and laser treatments are just as useful for treating acne and pigmentation here as they are for the face. And, if a more surgical correction is what you have in mind (larger breasts or a more sleek silhouette), then it’s definitely time to see a plastic surgeon ASAP so that you have plenty of time to recover.
Don’t be selfish! Treat your mother and mother-in-law-to-be, as well as your bridal party to some good skin care. Many brides even like to send their reluctant fiances in for a little chemical exfoliation in preparation for the big day. Remember, the important thing is to get started early. If you’re thinking of Botox, do a trial about 4 months before your wedding to see how it will look. (Botox takes up to 10 days to take effect and 3 months to “wear off.”) And if you like the effect, do it again about a month before the wedding. This will ensure that there will be time to make minor adjustments prior to the start of pre-wedding events, and that it will last through the wedding and honeymoon. And if plumpers for the lips or fillers for lines and contours are desired, they should also be done well in advance (at least 4 weeks) because of the risk of bruising.
We at Tribeca Plastic Surgery and Tribeca Skin Care can develop a customized plan for you and your bridal party. You want to look your best for your special day, so start planning now and beautiful skin will be yours!