Congratulations! You’re engaged! I’m betting the first things on your mind are securing a date, a venue, a photographer, a caterer, a makeup artist, a hair stylist…the list goes on and on. Forgive me for adding one more “to do” to that newly, never ending, wedding planning To Do list. But trust me girls, this is important! As soon as he puts a ring on it, set up your skin consultation with Dr. Nicole Norris. The dress, the makeup, and the pictures that you will have forever, will look so much better with glowing, radiant skin. At NNMD we listen to your wants and needs, and we work with your budget and your skin. So, before you run to the altar, book your consultation with Dr. Nicole Norris and her team of experienced licensed Estheticians and laser technicians.
1 year before
- Waiting a week before you say “I Do” isn’t the best plan of action to get glowing, photo ready skin. We recommend having your NNMD Confidence Consultation and setting up a treatment plan immediately. Dr. Norris does an in-depth consultation with 3D pictures, where she will discuss your skin and what treatments/products are best for you. Dr. Norris loves getting brides on a few choice medical grade products to compliment any treatments needed to achieve their goals.
- Introduce new skin care. Active ingredients like Vitamin C for brightening, Hyaluronic acid for hydrating, peptides to smooth fine lines and other correctives based on your skin care needs will have your skin wedding ready before you know it. Also, if you haven’t already, start using SPF 30-45 daily. Yes, sunscreen should be applied even in the winter!
- Address specific concerns. If you have acne or rosacea, it may take six months or more to see improvement. Remember, consistency is key. Stick to your skin care routine and monthly visits to your Esthetician. Great skin doesn’t happen overnight. Ideally, you’ll want to start working on your skincare regimen at least a year before your wedding.
9 months before
By this time a Brides skincare should be consistent. With skincare it is better to be consistent than always changing products. Staying consistent will reduce any potential irritation and/or purging. Once you have your skin care routine, you can consider other aesthetic treatment options.
- Botox/Dysport – This is an injectable medicine to treat expression lines such as frown lines, forehead lines and crow’s feet. Botox/Dysport takes up to 2 weeks to kick in and often 3 months for lines to soften. It lasts 3-4 months.
- Filler – This is an injectable gel to fill lines and wrinkles, improve your lips or lift your cheeks. It takes 2 weeks to look its best and any bruising from the procedure can last 2 weeks. Most filler lasts 1 year. Dr. Norris likes to do filler for a big event 2-9 months prior to have time to tweak things and get your best result.
- Anti-aging treatments – If injectables like Botox/Dysport/Filler/Sculptra aren’t your thing this is the time to consider skin focused treatments such as laser resurfacing, chemical peels, HydraFacials or micro-needling. This will give you enough time to do a series of treatments and see the results from them. Multiple sessions are required to address acne scarring, brown spots, pigmentation, and fine lines. Keep that in mind when scheduling these treatments. Not only does nine months give you enough time to schedule several treatments, but it gives your Esthetician a chance to see how your skin reacts.
- Laser hair reduction. Another common aesthetic procedure that brides undergo is laser hair reduction. Common areas treated include the face, underarms, bikini, and legs. Laser hair reduction often takes 6-8 treatments spaced 4-6 weeks for facial hair and 6-8 weeks for body hair. Starting 6-9 months prior to the wedding gives you the time you need to finish your treatments.
6 months before
- This is your last call to try any of the above treatments for the first time. In addition, starting on a hair supplement such as Nutrafol will help you achieve thick, glowing healthy hair. Continue with your treatment plan and remember to stay consistent.
3 months before
- Facials and dermaplaning. This time period requires you to be gentle with your skin. A series of HydraFacials or Biorevitilization are extremely beneficial treatments for your skin this close to your big day.
A HydraFacial is a combination of a facial and anti-aging procedure. A HydraFacial includes hydra-dermabrasion, a chemical peel, vacuum extraction, hyaluronic acid infusion and red-light therapy.
Biorevitalization is a procedure where your esthetician firmly massages a TCA peel into your skin. It is a no-peel peel that promotes the regeneration of skin without compromising the epidermis. It can significantly improve acne, texture, pore size, and tighten skin. This treatment can be applied to the neck and decollete as well if those are areas of concern.
- Teeth whitening. We offer in-office teeth whitening which utilizes carbamide peroxide and LED light for a quick 30-minute refresh of your natural enamel. We recommend doing this 3 months prior so you have time to do another session if you don’t achieve your desired teeth whitening goal the first time.
1 month before
- Botox/Dysport. If you’ve started on Botox/Dysport and can’t imagine life without it, now is when you’ll want to do your final touch ups. It takes a full two weeks to kick in, so this gives you time for it to work and make little adjustments if needed. You should also try to avoid alcohol consumption and sun exposure at this time. Drinking will make your skin look tired and puffy. Tanning or extreme sun exposure could undo all the corrective products and procedures you’ve been committed to.
2 weeks before
- Now is the time for your final facial before the big day! If you’ve had a HydraFacial previously and had no adverse reaction, then we highly recommend a HydraFacial with dermaplaning. The HydraFacial will clean your pores and fill your skin with antioxidants and peptides, leaving you glowing and radiant.
- One of our most popular pre-wedding treatments is dermaplaning. The benefits of dermaplaning for your skin are off the charts! Not only does it remove the vellus hair or peach fuzz (your hair will not grow back thicker and darker), it removes the first layer of dead skin cells, and it is also a micro injury to the skin stimulating cell turnover and collagen induction. Having dermaplaning done throughout your wedding prep skin care routine has allowed products to penetrate deeper and cellular rejuvenation to happen quicker and more frequently. As a professional makeup artist, I can tell you that dermaplaning is the star of the show when it comes to applying wedding makeup! Without that vellus hair and dead, dry skin on your epidermis, your makeup will glide on much smoother and last longer. Please do not wax your face before your wedding! Makeup cannot adhere to freshly waxed skin, and it is too harsh.
And let’s not forget Moms and Bridesmaids! Instead of spending all your dough on monogrammed, cutesy gifts from Etsy, why not get them a gift card to NNMD?!
Wedding planning can be stressful and here at NNMD we are here to help make wedding skin prep planning as easy and as stress free as possible. We look forward to helping you achieve your most beautiful, radiant, and healthy skin for your big day! Plan ahead and call us to create your own customized treatment plan!
Kendra Pagoria, LE/LT/Makeup Artist
