With all the energy that goes into planning a wedding, it’s easy to lose sight of what it’s all about - you’re making it official with the love of your life. It’s understandable that when dealing with pressing concerns like dress fittings, selecting the perfect shoes, and finalising floral arrangements, there’s a chance you may overlook the smaller, yet not insignificant, particulars like your skincare!
BDNZ and The Face Place NZ have put together a 12 month recommended 'wedding ready' beauty timeline for brides-to-be. This is the ultimate guide to ensure all brides can look and feel their very best on their big day.
6-12 months before:
Start your skin care and injectable treatments as early as possible. Ideally you'll want to get your tailored plan in place 12 months prior, as you'll have better results the longer you've been having your treatments. Don't leave this to the last month, as most good clinics would be unlikely to treat you due to the risks of bruising or reactions.
If you don't have 12 months up your sleeve, you can also trial your injectable treatments 6-7 months before the big day to work out what looks best for you. Remember that everyone is different, so what's right for your bridesmaid or your mum might not be right for you. Ensure you plan is tailored and personalised to you, and is flexible to change as your needs change. You want to look amazing on this very special day, so it's not the time the take shortcuts! Below we have suggested timings to help you think about your plan - the most common mistake is waiting until the final month to have treatments, when starting earlier will get you much better results!
As a new client to The Face Place, you will experience a personalised initial consultation before you proceed with your first treatment. This includes a full education and evaluation so we can review your previous experiences, make sure you’re sufficiently educated to make informed decisions, and create your own personal ‘menu’ of treatment options to work with your concerns and desired outcomes. We recommend you have a full assessment of your skin with a highly trained Face Place Medical Skin Therapist. Using the latest technology, a full set of photographs from different angles and incorporating different lighting techniques will be taken of your skin, allowing your therapist to thoroughly access all variables and which treatments and products are going to achieve the right outcome for you to ensure your skin looks its very best.
Start your Botox plan
When administered by an experienced and artful clinician, Botox® can be used subtly to make natural and beautiful changes to the face. Millions of men and women have used Botox® for many years to relax frown lines, forehead lines, crow’s feet and bunny lines, but it can be expertly used for so much more with an experienced injector. Botox can be administered to lift and shape the brow area, widen eyes, slim the face, reduce tension headaches and migraines, reduce the damage done to teeth as a result of jaw grinding, minimise ‘gummy’ smiles, relax chin puckering, and improve an uneven or 'gummy' smile. Botox® can also help you look and feel less stressed on a day that can be anything but (who wants to be photographed frowning or squinting in their precious photos!). When used expertly, Botox®is a safe and effective appearance enhancing tool.
Dermal Fillers are used to restore or enhance volume in the face and enhance facial harmony. Hydrating dermal fillers when administered expertly are used to create an instant, beautiful, naturally lifted result with minimal discomfort or downtime. The most popular uses of dermal filler sought out by brides before their big day are to enhance cheek bones and facial structure, reduce the appearance of tired
hollows under the eyes and to add volume and balance to the lips. Dermal fillers can be used to sculpt and reshape the face, so there are many options which can be tailored to your needs. ThermiTight® is a non-surgical, minimally invasive skin tightening treatment that uses a tiny wand to deliver radio frequency energy just beneath the surface of the skin. ThermiTight® tightens sagging skin on the face and neck area, firming the jaw line and reducing the appearance of jowls, but it can also be used on other parts of the body such as stubborn excess skin under the arms and loose skin on the neck, or tummy. Most people describe feeling 'warm to hot' but the treatment itself is not painful. After the treatment you may have 1-5 days of downtime due to swelling. It takes 6-12 months to see full effect from this treatment, so it's best to plan this early in your treatment plan.
3-6 months before:
A great option for brides who prefer not to use injectables or who want to tighten and brighten around the eyes and mouth is ThermiSmooth®- a Facial Smoothing treatment without Needles. ThermiSmooth® stimulates new collagen and is effective at reducing bags under the eyes, reducing wrinkle appearance such as fine lines, and smokers lines and the overall smoothing of skin through tightening and increasing collagen production over a period of time. It uses a unique wand to deliver targeted heating to the surface of the skin. The non-invasive treatment has been described as feeling like a warm massage. The number of treatments required will be determined by the individual condition of the skin. Generally you will need 3-4 treatments over 2-3 months, with full results developing over 3-6 months.
Improve brown spots and redness with Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) IPL is very effective for treating brown spots and redness in the face and décolletage area. You must prep the skin with recommended skincare for at least a month prior to your IPL treatments, so plan to work with the skin team on this. Treatments must be planned and performed over autumn/winter, when it's easier to avoid sun exposure. With IPL treatments you need to keep the treated area out of the sun for a month before and after each treatment, to reduce the chance of developing side effects such as increased pigmentation. If the timing doesn't work, or IPL isn't right for you, you might consider a course of light to medium peels to help improve the texture and even out the colour of your décolletage area.
Latisse®: Get longer, fuller, darker lashes! Latisse® solution is a once-a-day treatment used to grow eyelashes, making them longer, thicker and darker. It works to make the lash growth phase last longer while it also stimulates the amount of eyelashes that grow. It is applied along the upper eyelids like eyeliner every evening. Most people will notice a significant change to length, width and strength of their eyelashes in as little as eight weeks with maximum results appearing at 16 weeks.
3 months before:
You’ve been using great skincare now for 3-6 months, so your skin will be optimally fit and healthy and ready for some next level, tailored skin treatments to really get your skin glowing. Your skin therapist will discuss this with you in detail at your initial consultation and work these into your treatment plan.
Natural Peels are based on the principles of introducing high levels of nutrients to the skin with an element of exfoliation. Principally they will increase the health of the skin through improved cellular activity. Over time skin thickness is increased, hydration, colour and texture improved. The procedure is sometimes used on other parts of the body, including the back, chest, décolletage and hands. Our range of peels work at various levels, targeting different concerns, and are always tailored for the individual.
4-6 weeks before:
You will have your final Botox and Dermal Filler a minimum of four weeks prior to your big day. This gives time for the treatment to settle in - results always look their best about a month after treatment - and also gives time for any bruising to settle. Very occasionally we might want to 'tweak' your treatment, so 4 weeks gives time for the Botox to work (up to two weeks) and then the tweaks to work so you look your absolute best!
Consider having a Vampire O-Shot for more 'intimate' fun on your wedding night! Platelet rich plasma (PRP) helps the cells begin to rejuvenate the vaginal tissue. The result is increased sensitivity, improved orgasms and better sex!
Omnilux Revive™ uses gentle, UV-free light to feed the skin with energy, improving healing, and the skin’s regenerative processes. Hydration levels are boosted, which gives the skin a youthful glow. It is often combined with our professional facial treatments to get your skin luminous and glowing. A course of 10 treatments over 2-4 weeks is best, but even one treatment can make a lovely difference.
1 week before:
Microdermaplaning: improves the skin’s appearance by removing the top layers of dead skin through a fine planing procedure. This is a safe and painless way of exfoliating the skin’s dead cells in addition to removing the fine ‘peach-fuzz’ hair we have on our faces. Microdermaplaning softens, smooths, and improves irregularities, giving the skin a silky texture. It’s also the perfect treatment to ensure your makeup sits flawlessly on your face all day long.
Final Peel, if you’ve been having a course, and combine this with an omnilux to really boost your glow. Congratulations! You should be looking and feeling your absolute best... Have a wonderful day and remember to enjoy the moment!
Congratulations! You should be looking and feeling your absolute best... Have a wonderful day and remember to enjoy the moment!
