A Dermatologist’s Guide to Picture Perfect Skin for Your Wedding Day
Wedding season will be here soon which means it’s time to start getting your skin in the best shape. By starting early we can ensure that your skin will be naturally healthy and glowing.
Skin care regimen
For starters, it is important that you start with a basic skin care regimen that includes a gentle to mild cleanser twice daily followed by moisturizer (with SPF in the morning). I also suggest a gentle exfoliation once weekly and like to add in a hydrating serum in the morning to help accomplish a dewy well moisturized complexion.
Diet & exercise
It’s a common theme that brides go into ‘diet’ mode to get in the best shape for their big day. By restricting your diet you will starve your body of nutrients and could leave your skin looking dull and damaged. Focus on healthy food choices with lots of variety and don’t starve yourself.
Sweating is actually really good for the skin and can help to flush out toxins and impurities. If you’re planning to step up your gym activities, make sure wash with a gentle cleanser post sweat-session.
Visit the dermatologist
A few months before your big event, schedule a consultation with your dermatologist to discuss any areas that you would like to treat before the wedding. Some brides contact me six to twelve months before the wedding! You can never start too early here. Your dermatologist will suggest a plan for you that is tailored to your specific needs and skin type. A few things that brides are often interested in:
Chemical Peels – This is my preferred way to get rid of dead skin cells. By eliminating the dead cells you will reveal healthier, glowing skin. If you’re worried about looking like Samantha from Sex and the City, fear not! Check out my post on Chemical Peels (link) for more information. Remember to schedule your last peel at least two weeks before the wedding.
Laser Treatments – If there is enough time before the wedding, a laser can help to reduce brown spots, acne scars and facial redness from veins. It may take multiple appointments for a laser to be effective.
Acne Treatment – Acne can be troubling for anybody, but for a bride ready to walk down the aisle, a pimple can be devastating. A good makeup artist can cover anything, but the healthier your skin, the more likely you won’t have to worry about a last minute spot! Check out my series on acne to get started with a plan of action to clear your skin once and for all, and if you think you need additional help to clear your skin, schedule an appointment with a dermatologist.
Eye brows
Consult with a brow specialist a few months before your wedding date so that you can start building the perfect look that you want for your wedding. It can take time for sculpt a brow or to grow back sparse spots so starting early is important. If you want to thicken your eyebrows (or eyelashes), LASH is a great option for this.
Also, if you plan to use waxing to shape your brows, make sure that you aren’t overlapping treatments with your wax appointments and that you consider the effects of any medications you are taking. Take it from somebody who has had her eyebrows burned off, planning for wax appointments is critical! Check out these ten things you should know before getting your face waxed that I shared with Good Housekeeping .
Tanning
Whatever you do, please please please do not try to ‘build up’ a base tan in a tanning bed. These are cancer machines and it just is not worth the risk. If you really think your skin is too pale and needs a boost, find a professional air bronzer who can tailor a shade to suit your skin color. You will end up with a safe, natural result.
Last minute treatments
Don’t wait until the last minute to schedule any treatments – especially facials, eyebrow shaping, and spray tan. It’s important that the skin have some time to settle after a treatment and you may end up with some irritation or redness that you wouldn’t want present on your wedding day.
Are you getting married this summer? Do you have a treatment plan for your skin? Questions about where to start? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
African American Dermatologist
