YOUR BIG DAY Beauty Countdown

Whether you’re celebrating a wedding, a milestone birthday or anniversary, or just a very special event in your life, you deserve to look and feel your confident, utmost, glowing best. 

I’m always a little cautious when discussing pre-wedding beauty. I never want to imply that a bride (or groom) needs to drastically change the way they look in order to get married! But at the same time, everyone deserves to feel gorgeous and confident on their special day. Start with identifying your goals, whether that’s reducing acne, increasing collagen or improving skin hydration or correcting something about your smile that bothers you - these will allow you to create a timeline for yourself so that you achieve your goals well ahead of your big day.

Keeping track of your timeline leading up to your Big Day is also crucial; you want to reap all the benefits of your products and treatments, while making sure none of the possible negative side effects pop up on the day! In this blog, I will recommend products and treatments, as well as the best times to start and stop using certain skin care products.

12 months before…..

If your smile is not quite where you want it to be, now is the time to sort it out. For any major smile concerns, its best to plan as early as possible. For simple straightening out of teeth, Invisalign might be a good option to correct mild to moderate tooth misalignment, as it is relatively non-invasive, but it does require time and planning. Missing teeth? It’s also a good time to start planning any dental implants that may be required, as these will need time to plan and integrate before restoration. When it comes to major dental work, the rule of thumb is, the earlier the better.

9 months before….

If you have serious skincare concerns, like acne, rosacea, scarring or pigmentation, now is a good time to speak to an expert, and introduce medical grade treatments and skincare into your routine. Chronic skin conditions such as pigmentation and acne/acne scarring require a considerable amount of time to treat and resolve, so best to start early. At Dental and Facial Aesthetics, we offer advanced pigmentation treatments such as Cosmelan and Dermamelan, as well as intensive acne treatments such as Acnelan, to assist in treating the root cause of these conditions. Maintenance after these procedures with appropriate homecare is essential to obtaining satisfactory long term results.

6 months before….

If you are interested in having injectable treatments, such as Botox and fillers, now is the time to approach your aesthetic expert. Planning tweakments such as lip filler, non surgical nose jobs, and facial (cheek and chin) contouring requires time to trial these treatments, in order to ensure that you are happy with the changes to your appearance. I also recommend injectable hyaluronic acid treatments such as Profilho, which requires a few sessions and at least 4-6 months to see optimal results. If you are happy with the initial result, you can always add more later – topping up several weeks ahead of the Big Day is advisable instead of starting from scratch. In an ideal world, I would have people come in as early as possible before their wedding, so that we can create a plan, and discuss what you’d like to achieve and work together to ensure that you will have the best results on the day. Giving yourself more time also allows for more careful allocation of funds, and opens up the possibilities to more types of treatments. Results of injectable filler treatments usually settle weeks to months after injection, so it’s advisable not to leave it to the last minute, so that you can obtain the best outcome of the procedure on your Big Day.

When it comes to skincare, 6 months is a decent amount of time for your skincare expert to get a grasp on your expectations and also see how your skin is responding to treatments and products. It is also a good time to start using medical grade retinoids. Jumping into expensive treatments such as lasers to reduce acne scarring and pigmentation without fixing the root cause of the problem, is asking for trouble. My favourites for achieving a clear bright complexion are 0.5% Retinol Skin Brightener and Wrinkle and Texture Repair by ZO Skin Health. Retinoids (read more about retinoids here) aren’t just for oily, acne prone skin-they have the ability to increase the production of collagen which also helps to smooth out wrinkles and fine lines, and improve hydration. They do however come with their own side effects, which is why you will require your skincare expert’s help to adjust with dosage and application as your skin gets used to the treatment, in order to minimize negative side effects and ensure that you’re getting the benefits of the retinoid on your Big Day.

If you have been considering a smile makeover with porcelain veneers, now is a good time to get a consultation and formulate a treatment plan with your aesthetic dentist. Porcelain veneers involve a considerable cost, so it’s best to start early in order to allocate funds appropriately, as other expenses will start to build up closer to the Big Day itself. 

2-3 months before….

Those still toying with the idea of injectable tweakments will need to commit now, if they want to give themselves enough time for things to settle ahead of their Big Day.

If you’re considering tooth whitening, now is a good time to come in for a consultation, so that we can schedule a few sessions of in-office whitening sessions coupled with home maintenance. 

It’s also a good time to invest in a skin rejuvenating program which involves a course of mild chemical or herbal peels, with microneedlng treatments, to improve skin texture, hydration and brightness, all working towards that glow on your Big Day. 

1 month before….

Now is the time to commit to your skincare routine, and ensure that you are ontop of your regime to ensure a well exfoliated, bright looking and calm skin. You might want to increase or decrease the frequency of some of your advanced skincare products to enhance the hydration and brightness of your skin. Focus on hydration and brightness by adding a hyaluronic acid and a Vitamin C serum to your routine at this stage, which will help to boost that glow – I recommend HA Densimatrix and AOX Ferulic by Mesoestetic, or Self activating Vitamin C 10% by ZO Skin Health - all serums are an invaluable addition to boost any existing skin care regime.

Moderate your use of AHAs and BHAs and retinols at this stage to avoid any possible skin irritation, and make sure you are not trying out any new products with active ingredients, or new facials at this point.

1 week before….

You’re probably running around frantically with last minute preps at this stage, but make time to come in for a tooth cleaning and polish, to ensure your smile is gleaming on the Big Day. 

Its also a good time to increase the exfoliation of your skin, to get rid of those dead surface cells and ensure a smooth, bright canvas for your make up. Try our ultimate favourite Exfoliating Skin Polish, or Dual Action Scrub by ZO Skin Health, or Scrub and Detox by Filorga.

The day before….

Its time to breathe, relax and bask in the glow of your skin (and smile!). Drink plenty of water to keep your skin hydrated (avoid too much alcohol as this will dehydrate your skin) and get some good quality sleep. Your skincare focus should be on delivering layers of hydration and soothing ingredients to your complexion, so that your make up artist can focus more on enhancing your natural glow rather than concealing and correcting. I recommend upping your hyaluronic acid serum application, and proteoglycans ampoules by Mesoestetic to moisturize, nourish, firm and repair your skin, making it a perfect canvas for make up and photos.

We'd love to help you get the most out of your skin and smile goals , in preparation for your special day. Feel free to pop in and have a chat with us at Dental & Facial Aesthetics, to see what we can do for you, to help you look and feel your best!