Preparing your skin for your wedding day needs to start as early as possible. Read more...
Topics
What are the skincare biggest challenges faced before the wedding day?
If I need to seek treatments for discoloration, how long in advance should I see my Dermatologist?
Are there any other skin conditions to consider treating in advance?
Is there any way to make my hands look better for the big day?
Are there any stress-related rashes to be on the lookout for?
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Preparing your skin for your wedding day needs to start as early as possible. I cannot stress this enough! I see a number of couples just weeks or days before their wedding day leaving us with very little time to treat common skin concerns. When we really boil down all of the skin, hair, and nail concerns out there- the vast majority can be either treated or at the very least under better control within 3 months but ideally 6 months. If you try to treat any of these conditions in just a few days or weeks, there’s a good chance you will be disappointed.
What are the skincare biggest challenges faced before the wedding day?
The number one concern leading up to the big day that I see is acne. Acne can occur on the face, chest, and back. It can be effectively treated or at least controlled if you give yourself a minimum of 3 months before your wedding day. The general timeline for most is that it will take one month to stop getting new breakouts on the right regimen, and another month or two to fade the areas inflamed before. If you have breakouts on your chest and back, at least 6 months may need to clear completely. Ideally, it is best to give yourself a full year pre-wedding, if possible, just in case we need to resort to Accutane or a hormonal method to control the breakouts!
If I need to seek treatments for discoloration, how long in advance should I see my Dermatologist?
Discoloration of the skin from old acne scars and sun damage may need a bleaching cream or laser treatments. These also usually take about 3-4 months to improve.
Are there any other skin conditions to consider treating in advance?
After choosing the perfect wedding style, sometimes I have couples to be worried that their eczema or psoriasis will flare as their wedding day draws near! After all, stress can play a big role in flaring these conditions. Working with your dermatologist on a game plan to either treat these patches as they come up or even consider phototherapy to treat and control flares may be helpful.
Is there any way to make my hands look better for the big day?
I see a lot of patients with a condition called chronic paronychia or inflammation around the nail folds. This can make the skin around the nails look red, scabby, swollen, and inflamed. It’s common for people to pick or peel this skin when stressed as a habit. It can also distort the appearance of the nails as they grow out. In planning the wedding photography, couples will realize that there are going to be some close-up photos of their wedding bands. A manicure cannot always hide the look of the skin around the cuticles. This a simple thing to control and manage with the right treatment plan, but, you guessed it, takes about 2-3 months to heal!
Are there any stress-related rashes to be on the lookout for?
If you tend to get fever blisters or cold sores, then the stress of the wedding may bring one of these out when you least expect it! Tell your dermatologist well in advance. The medications prescribed can help lessen or hasten a flare to resolve. There are also treatment regimens that can suppress or prevent a flare from happening at all.
What are some tips for how to get your skin prepped for a spring wedding (so, in the fall-to-winter months leading up to your big day)?
Tip #1
Do not try lots of new products without the guidance of your dermatologist!
I see this all the time. Sometimes we decide to pamper ourselves and try expensive new products. Sometimes we are "treated" to special packages that include facials and peels. It is the worst feeling to react to a new product or trigger an acne flare.
If your skin is normally low maintenance, there is no need to go out and start a whole new routine!
Keep it simple: cleanse, treat, and protect. Mild cleanser to get rid of excess oil and makeup. Treat anything that is of concern- acne, discoloration, etc- with the regimen, you discuss with your dermatologist. And, lastly, protect with a moisturizer and sunblock.
Tip#2
If you are considering a minimally invasive procedure such as botox or fillers before your wedding day, try these out a full year in advance to get a sense of how they look or work.
Botox wears off in about 3-4 months. If you have never tried it before, it’s not a great idea to try it for the first time a month before your wedding. If you are not happy with the look of botox, this is much harder to cover up than a pimple.
Fillers last for about 6 months to a year if not longer. If you are thinking about augmenting your lips or cheekbones prior to your big day, start this a year in advance. If you are not happy with the look then at least it will wear off in time. If you love the look, then touch it up in the months leading up to the wedding!
If you do decide to get Botox or fillers, be your own advocate and point out only the lines or wrinkles that bother you. I am constantly reminding patients that there is no need to use dozens of units of botox to treat their whole face when it's just one line on their forehead that annoys them. If you focus on what actually bothers you it will save you a ton of money and you will be much happier with the results. Softening the lines will look more natural!
Tip#3
Please don’t go tanning.
I completely understand that a spring wedding is preceded by a lot of sunless days. Ideally, if you are seeking out a wedding day glow, get this color from spray tans or tanning lotions. It is so much safer. Not to be a downer, but the majority of melanomas and skin cancers I see in women in their 20s and 30s have the potential to be associated with their tanning bed use. We know that tanning beds are associated with significant jumps in the risk of skin cancer. Spray tans and tanning lotions are safe ways to get a glow. That being said, it will take a little time trying out a few options well in advance so that there are no surprises. The average spray tan lasts for about 5-10 days. A few months before the wedding try out a few places or products to make sure you find the right one before your big day!
Tip#4
Once you establish a skin routine with your dermatologist a few months before your wedding, stick with it!
This isn’t the time to be too tired to remove your makeup at night or to get lazy about using moisturizers. The worst feeling is to wake up to a surprise pimple in the days leading up to – or worse the day of – your wedding day!
Tip#5
Keep your dermatologist’s number on speed dial.
I tell my patients as they plan their weddings to keep us in the loop and make sure we know when the big day is. There are a number of ‘rescues’ we have up our sleeves to make sure you look great for your big day.
Tip#6
Eat a healthy balanced diet and stay hydrated.
What you eat can affect your skin. Foods with a high glycemic index can trigger inflammation resulting in acne and rosacea.
Avoid crash dieting as it can affect our skin and hair. Skin can look sunken and lose its glow when we restrict our diets. If you lose weight too quickly, there can be a 3 to a 4-month gap before you see a substantial shedding of your hair. Talk about stress! I get calls from women in tears panicking that their hair is ‘coming out in clumps’ before their wedding day. This is, by definition, stress-induced hair loss. Yes, the stress of planning a wedding can trigger this. More so, a sudden significant weight loss can make this much much worse.
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