Our Month by Month Guide to Putting Your Best Face Forward
After helping many of our clients prepare for their weddings this last season, we've had the pleasure of seeing their beautiful final results in the photos taken on their big day.
This is a part of our job that brings us a lot of happiness. Our relationship with you, our patients, is first & foremost professional, but friendship grows as we get to know you. Knowing that we played a part in your looking and feeling your best on one of the most important days in your life is so gratifying to us that we want you to know that we appreciate your letting us be a part of it.
"One of my favorite things as an aesthetician is when a patient comes in flashing that beautiful engagement ring & tells me she's getting married. I love helping my brides prepare for their big day, & having been the mother of the bride 3 times in the past 9 years, I also understand that it's not just the bride who wants to look & feel her best." - Gale Pingleton.
Since holiday festivities are on the horizon, we've outlined a general guide that would benefit anyone preparing for any big event. Whether it's a wedding, a reunion, the trip of a lifetime, a big New Year's celebration, or your turn to compete in Dancing With the Stars, the sooner you can get organized & get started, the more enjoyable & successful the process will be.
6 months before:
Consult with an aesthetic specialist to determine your goals for your appearance & don't be afraid to discuss budget. It's our job to help you maximize what you've got to work with & being realistic will help to ease your stress instead of adding to it. If desired, have an assessment for
CoolSculpting to reduce & smooth any areas of stubborn fat.
Tip - Eat as healthy as possible leading up to the event & be sure that you are drinking enough water. Remember that what is happening internally often shows up externally on your skin.
5 months before:
Start on a customized professional skin care regimen of at-home products that target your skin's needs & begin your corrective in-office skin care treatments. A series of 3 microneedling treatments or chemical peels can help to address skin texture, pore size &/or hyperpigmentation.
Tip - Visit your dentist to discuss whitening your teeth. We've also heard wonderful things about Crest 3D white strips, and using blue-based lip color, whether you go for a lipstick, stain, or gloss, to help make your teeth look whiter.
4 months before:
If you have wrinkles or lines, a Botox or dermal filler treatment can smooth them. We recommend starting your lashes on bimatoprost prescription drops to make them come in longer, fuller & darker by the big day.
Tip - if you've ever had cold sores, we recommend talking to your physician about starting an antiviral medication prophylactically. The extra stress you are under during this time could trigger an outbreak, & starting on suppressive therapy during crunch time will ensure that you don't end up with a blister, photo bombing your special event.
3 months before:
Finish up any corrective skin treatments this month and try out your makeup looks.
Tip - Start doing weekly deep conditioning treatments for your hair. Hydrated hair will allow the cuticle to lay down smoother which will reflect light better & make hair appear glossier. You can visit a salon or DIY. Apply deep conditioner, pile hair on top of your head & put a cheap plastic shower cap on to lock in heat and provide better product absorption. Wait about 30 minutes and then wash your hair as usual.
2 months before:
Get either a Hydrafacial or a Dermaplaning treatment. Both make excellent pre-event facials & leave skin luminous in the days following the treatment. Together you & your aesthetician will decide which is best for you and you can try it out this month to be sure that your skin responds well to it.
Tip - Your face begins at your hairline & ends at your nipples. Be sure that all of your visible skin looks its best. If your dress is backless you may want to discuss some treatments to help keep it smooth & blemish-free (ever had a Hydrafacial on your back? Yes, it's really a thing and it's AMAZING). A body wash or lotion containing light chemical exfoliants applied a few times a week can also help to smooth the skin & make it look more even. Try the VI Derm body wash and the ViDerm lotion or SkinMedica Glypro exfoliating lotion.
1 month before:
Have another Botox treatment and any filler touch-up to top off your last treatment. Do not try anything new! This includes skin care products, laundry detergent, everything.
The week of:
Have your pre-event facial. Your work is done, you gave it your all and now it's time to try to relax, be present in the moment, and enjoy yourself.
Tip - Take comfort in knowing that pretty much anything can be fixed with photoshop.
Remember that if there's something about the appearance of your skin that you want to improve, even just before your event, there may be something we can offer to help. We've got a lot of tricks up our sleeve & can put together a beauty checklist to meet your needs in the time you've got!