Wedding season is in full swing! We’ve been to weddings large and small, hot and cold, some in a hometown and some in far away destinations — they’re all fantastic. We love seeing patients in clinic who are getting ready for their big day and we always feel great when we know our patients are looking and feeling their best.

Whether you’re a bride, groom, mother, father or wedding guest its important to begin thinking about your skin at least six months before the occasion. Many products and treatments take months to yield their optimal results, and you always want to have a little wiggle room in case of a skin ’emergency’.

We’ve been through it all and are here to guide you through this planning process, just as we help our brides and grooms with planning every day in our dermatology practice.

Six to Twelve Months Prior:

Meet with your dermatology provider to discuss any medical issues that need to be taken care of; this could include things such as acne, eczema, keratosis pilaris – aka ‘chicken skin’, or hair loss.  These issues may take months to get under control and you don’t want to be addressing them at the last minute.  During this meeting, you can also lay out a plan for any treatments you may be interested in as the wedding gets closer.  Treatments like Kybella (for treatment of double chin, and also can be used off-label to get rid of the dreaded ‘bra bulge!’), CoolSculpting (which freezes fat cells to eliminate pockets of stubborn fat) and laser treatments for leg veins (for the bride who chooses a short wedding dress) work great when performed six months prior to the wedding.  This is also a great time to begin using prescription Latisse,  a topical medication which makes your eyelashes grow longer and fuller.

Three to Six Months Prior:

Between six and three months before the big day we recommend focusing on your skincare routine.  Three months is a great amount of time to see a difference from a new routine, and also gives time to adjust as needed.  We love antioxidant serums for improving skin tone and texture, and retinol (or the prescription version, retinoid) for stimulating collagen and smoothing fine lines. A thick night moisturizer and eye cream will keep your skin happy and hydrated. If it seems overwhelming to use several different products, take a peek through our easy layering tutorial!

This is also a great time to start a series of chemical peels.  Many of our brides and grooms love glycolic acid chemical peels (or more specialized peels based on the specific needs of their skin) to get rid of dead skin cells, clear clogged pores and improve pigment issues.  We recommend a series of three peels, performed at one month intervals, before the wedding. One thing we encourage our brides to consider at this time, it the style of their dress. If your dress shows off your décolletage or your back, we recommend using your new skin care routine to this area as well. As a general rule, if you are using it on your face you can also be using it on the chest and back!

Two Months Prior:

This is the perfect time to explore minimally invasive procedures, like Botox or fillers.  We encourage these treatments in small amounts on our 20-30 year old patients (sometimes called ‘Baby Botox’) in order to prevent the development of permanent lines and deliver a very natural looking result. Our goal is never to change how you look, but to help you to look like the very best version of your natural self!

Botox (or similar treatments like Dysport and Xeomin) works by blocking muscle contraction in areas that lead to deep lines at rest.  For example, it is commonly used to treat areas like the ’11’s’ between your eyebrows (furrow your brow and you’ll see what we mean), the crows feet (the lines outside your eyes when you smile big or squint), or the horizontal lines on the forehead.  This treatment takes 1-2 weeks to fully set in, and lasts for 3-4 months.

Fillers, like Restylane, are used to actually fill in deep lines (they don’t affect muscle movement) and provide volume where volume loss has occurred over time – in areas like the ‘smile lines’, under the eyes, in the cheeks, and in the lips.  The length of time that fillers last depends on the type of filler used and the area treated with the filler; many fillers last 6-9 months.

Two months out is also a great time to schedule a trial run of a spray tan (we found that our goGLOW lasted for 2 weeks, so we recommend doing your trial at least a month prior to the wedding.)

The Month Before: 

One month prior to the wedding is not the time to explore new treatments or skincare products.  We recommend having your third and final chemical peel one at this time. Other than that, now it the time to continue the skincare regimen you are now accustomed to, get your beauty rest and stay hydrated. And don’t forget, a glass of bubbly at a shower or bachelorette might actually help your skin look fabulous!

As always, feel free to DM us @theskinsisters or EmailTheSkinSisters@gmail.com if you are considering treatments or have questions about pre-wedding or pre-event skincare!

Xx Brooke and Lauren