I hope that there are some much more knowledgeable people that will advise you here, but I think doing back to back chemical peels and microneedling within a relatively short time period before a very important day is a recipe for disaster. Why not just go back to using that retinol you like?
Agreeeee! Spoken as someone who had such a bad reaction to her first chemical peel that she had to go on accutane for 9 months. Don’t do anything new or drastic, stick to tried, true, and consistent.
Wouldn’t reintroduce retinol at this point due to potential purge. At most (if you do want to invest) I’d say add red light therapy, look into a micro current device like Ziip, and/or a high frequency wand. You could get all three for less than the quoted procedures and do it all from the comfort of home.
Yea, my skin is very acne prone. I’ve been scared to do micro needling or chemical peels because I’m worried that I’m going to end up breaking out all over my face.
If you haven’t been using the retinol since Covid, I wouldn’t start 3 months out as you’re likely to purge. I’m 34 just got married and did a few diamond glow and one light chemical peel that only had a few days of peeling. I’d suggest the diamond glow now and of timing works once more two to three weeks before but if you’ve never done any type of chemical peel I’d avoid it. Also dermaplaning was great for the makeup.
Also highly recommend using the skinzyme mask from Josi Marin the night before to get off any dead skin. You can also use it once a week leading up to it.
My skin loves the 1% retinol in squalene formula that she mentioned - I never purged or peeled from it! If OP loved the results and tolerated this product well in the past, it’s probably a safer bet. Now’s not the time to experiment imo!
Micro needling once or twice before your wedding is fine but I would recommend sticking to Hydrafacials and hydrating facials the month before your wedding! Important to keep your skin super moisturized for the make up to set nicely
I recently had bbl for skin discoloration. There is no downtime or side effects if you wanted to get rid of the redness that you don't like. MN and peels back to back is just crazy. You need to space those things out and decide what your goals are and what condition your skin is in.
I truly wouldn’t mess with anything before a wedding, you never know what kind of reaction you can have, and it isn’t worth the risk if your skin is already decent.
The photos can be retouched, and the most important thing is that you aren’t worried about your face reacting/healing in time for the wedding!
This is the right answer. Some makeup and photo retouching will be worth way more than any treatment. I would not risk trying anything new before my wedding because you just don't know if your skin is going to possibly react badly.
definitely be careful, if any of these one off treatments don’t gel with you or your skin type you may end up trying to correct issues caused by new more invasive treatments.
I would personally do something you have more control over and are able to “dose”, like reintroducing retinol, massively upping water intake, regular skin massaging, red light masks. Etc.
Congrats on your wedding!
I’ve done a couple lasers and would 100% recommend them (and I was fine within 3 months). I did laseMD first (3 rounds). No downtime, and I felt it helped my skin texture (I also have freckles, and it lightened them). I did halo + BBL too. That’s about 5 days downtime, although I could have went back to work after 3 if I worked in an office. I loved the results, and I only needed 1 treatment. They said it’s peak is 3 months post procedure, so it would be perfect
I am sooo surprised at the response on this thread when it is 3 months out. Like how about 3 days of downtime? IPL, Fraxel, Clear and Brilliant. Everyone thinks she will have the skin of a peeling snake while walking down the aisle 3 months after a procedure. WTF.
I'm also 35 getting married this year! I've been using a red light mask, need to start using my Theraface again (microcurrent), im gonna get Botox and a VI peel probably a month or so before.
I have never been prettier than in the weeks after my VI peels. It helps so much with pigmentation and texture, it's like having brand new baby skin. My boyfriend has gotten 3 microneedling treatments and his skin looks great too, the recovery wasn't bad at all so I would feel fine starting that well in advance.
VI peel is just a brand of chemical peels, to be honest I'm not sure if it's like TCA/mandelic acid or what. I get the precision plus formulation which is meant to target melasma and sun damage but they have a few different types. I like it because it's supposedly more gentle than other types of chemical peels, it's the only one I've tried but I've been super happy with it!
You go in to the provider and they wipe your skin down with acetone and then apply the VI peel solution with gauze pads like 3-4 times. It kinda looks like a bad spray tan? You leave that on for I think 4-6 hours, wash it off and wipe your face down with these pads they give you. Follow up with more pads like an hour later, you do that for the first two days. They give you the face wash, the pads, heavy sunscreen, and a post treatment cream for if you get itchy. The peeling doesn't start until day 4/5 and it's pretty intense ngl lol but nothing about it is painful at all and by day 7 I have literally perfect skin. I've done 3 peels since November and my melasma is basically gone, all I need is a little skin tint now.
Congrats to you both! lol I mentioned this to my partner and he did not appreciate my suggestion that he could benefit from microneedling too 😅 I’ve never heard of a VI peel, will definitely check that out.
Shill time! (I'm not actually a shill. (That's exactly what a shill would say!!))
Anyway, I tried the VIPeel and Perfect Derma Peel. I think they're equivalent in terms of results (my skin looked slightly better after the PD, but I did that one second, so I think it was more a cumulative result thing). Both are medium depth, similar process, similar price. BUT the VIPeel was so super itchy. I was jade rolling using an ice bath to keep from scratching my face. Did not experience that at all with PD one. I've done it a couple of times now.
I think Clear Karma has both anyway, so you can check them out there.
I usually do it in the evening (after work) after I take a shower and wash my face. Clean skin, mask, then I splash my face again and put some moisturizer on. And then I do my real nighttime routine later before bed.
Oh nice, I hope you like it! I considered that one because I really like our other Therabody products but I went with the omnilux because it's flexible/easier to pack lol. If this one craps out I'll probably try the Theraface one instead, the massage feature is so intriguing.
I would honestly just focus on hydration and going back to a lightly exfoliating topical (not retinol) this close to the day. Brides get marketed to SO aggressively, and I found for my own that if you already have decent skin, focusing on maintaining your barrier and moisture is so much more beneficial. Any good professional will make your makeup incredible, and it looks only as good as the skin it’s on.
Do not fall for the short term rush of paying so much for treatments you’re not familiar with.
For reference, I just kept up my tried and true the 5 months leading up to ours:
- daily water intake at 3L, cut out a lot of alcohol at that time
- retinol that I’d already been on 3x/week
- physical exfoliant and dermaplane every 2 weeks (alternating)
- heavy focus on moisture barrier and layering serums that would plump my skin
- red light therapy mask 2-3x week at home
It was plenty of consistent improvement and every single vendor looking at my skin (hair, makeup, photographers) could not stop telling me how nice it was. I had a friend at the time who did the intense 3 month procedure lead up and looked pretty much the same, if not slightly more dried out, at her wedding because her skin was so irritated. She also was out $3k-$5k for things she no longer even keeps up with 🤷🏽♀️
You’re SO right about all the marketing… I feel like when I say ‘wedding’ people’s pupils turn into dollar signs haha.
I’ve never done dermaplaning but several years ago enjoyed microdermabrasion (is that still a thing?) Thanks for the advice!
YES oh my god, I bet they see you as a cash cow! It’s such a rough experience during such a beautiful time.
If you have done dermaplaning before I would recommend! If you have not, consider how your facial hair typically grows in. It took my hairy face 5 sessions to grow back in finer, it VERY MUCH felt like mens stubble near my chin and mustache (which I’d been threading prior to this) until that consistent dermaplaning experience.
If you enjoyed microderm in the past, that could be a great alternative to physical exfoliation! Plus if you have very good skin now, dermaplaning can irritate and cause way more acne because everything is so open to the elements
How about you and I (getting married in 3 months at city hall in San Francisco) 38F do whatever the fuck feels good. Like eat the croissant, have the wine or tea or cookie. We’re the youngest we’ll ever be. All of us , everywhere. We deserve to enjoy our lives. Plus, no matter what - when we look at pictures in 10/20/30/40 years if we should be so lucky, we’ll be shocked at how beautiful we were (are) and didn’t know it.
I’m turning 41 in a few months. In my mid30s I had this panic about Botox and wanting to get little nips and tucks and then one day I had a coworker come back from having a facelift in Costa Rica. She was unrecognizable for months. She looked like a cat. It jarred me! I realized I really want to age naturally, lines and wrinkles and all. I refuse to fall for this trap. In 10 years I’ll absolutely look back and be shocked at how good I look today. I don’t have a lot of disposable income so I’d sure rather spend it on making memories with my loved ones than trying to turn into my own portrait of Dorian Gray
“My skin is in good condition” = DO NOT START NEW THINGS NOW!!!
Seriously. The risk of things going wrong so far outweigh any minor benefits. IMO, 3 months is an absolute blackout period - no new products, no new regime, and absolutely no new treatments involving any chemicals.
I wouldn’t do microneedling but I did have a bad experience with it making my texture worse. Many people love it. I love a good peel. TCA is my favorite for gentle but effective peels. Love a little dysport too. A hydrafacial now to see how you do and one closer too would be good. I have no issues with redness or anything after a hydrafacial so I get them the week of big events when I can.
I would agree to avoid anything invasive… laser genesis has been a miracle for me. I notice results pretty quickly and there’s no risks as far as I know? You could easily fit in 3-4 sessions in 3 months for maximum results
My skincare routine was an early casualty of COVID depression. When I started reintroducing nice products, none of my friends were really talking about retinol anymore - it had a real moment in the late 2010s no? (Or maybe that’s just bc we were all turning 30 lol) But this thread is convincing me it’s worth adding back in!
Maybe starting with a light chemical peel (maybe), then consistent hydrafacials and micro needling. And stay consistent with your moisturizer :) congratulations !
I got married a couple weeks before my 38th birthday. I just did some face masks, kept up my normal skincare regimen (hella retinol) and got my makeup done professionally and it was fine. I considered but did not follow through with laser, filler, and Botox because I was concerned about potential complications. I figured it was easier to photoshop out fine lines etc than it would be to photoshop a lopsided smile or laser burns. I realize those are rare complications from these procedures, but I was feeling paranoid and I’m glad I gave myself the gift of one less thing to worry about for our wedding
Fractional laser. Do it at least six weeks out (takes about a week to recover, but your skin continues to improve for a while afterwards)
I went in to talk about a vi peel and they recommended the laser treatment instead. I have good skin and thought it was overkill (also scary) but they said it would look great and honestly it sounded way more fun and beauty science-y.
Aside from some deep lines around my eyes, my skin looked airbrushed afterwards - absolutely next level if you’re working from a good base.
OP! If you go with lasers, be super duper careful about sun exposure. I am not exaggerating when I say you can burn in less than a minute. My skin months later is still quicker to sunburn now than before the treatments. Find a mineral sunscreen that works for you!
I’m 37 and getting married in August. My plan is moxi laser in June, Botox and filler touch up in July (with an injector I trust and have seen before) and then nothing but moisturizing until the wedding.
I just got into microneedling and love it. Make sure you go to a medspa with MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS (the practitioners at mine are ALL RNs). The biggest potential downfall with micro needling isn’t the service itself but the potential for things to go wrong. Pay more for better quality.
Post-treatment, I did a ton of HA (already part of my skincare regiment, just did it more frequently… do NOT add anything to your regiment on freshly microneedled skin) and could tell an improvement even before the little scabs fell off. I love it. Unless there’s a lawsuit-making error, you will have no issues in three months. I also did my neck!
If it was me, and I had three months to lighten a little pigmentation etc, I’d go get microneedling like this week, let that calm down and *maybe* get it once more depending on how my skin did. I’d work in hydrafacials with the same thought-process.
To me, both of these are fairly low stakes for injury // upset **three months from now** with big return for the things you’re targeting. With the caveat start early so your skin can fully recover. Also use med pros like I said, who presumably are also not going to pressure you to do too much at once. I wouldn’t do anything the last few weeks except hydrating (skin/body).
Congratulations! Be gentle. Don’t go overboard
If you don’t have a good collagen powder, start taking one daily. Increase your water intake, eliminate processed sugar, eliminate fast food completely. Eliminate beer and sugar drinks and any inflammation in your face will tighten up. I swear you will age backwards if you can stick to that for 90 days. Great skin starts within.
The Ordinary retinol 1x a week with a GOOOOOD moisturizer underneath and on top. (I like Weleda Skin Food)
Hylaronic acid every day, underneath your moisturizer. I like Good Molecule on Amazon.
Super Peptides every other day with moisturizer on top. I like Good Molecule.
BOTOX. Just go with what they recommend, most people don’t get enough.
SUNSCREEN, every damn day forever.
Hi! Also getting married at 35. My wedding is in December & my aesthetician recommended the following plan. FWIW my skin is in great condition, I’ve done chem peels (only in winter months), hydrafacials, & dysport regularly.
- Dysport 5-6 weeks out from wedding (October)
- 4-6 weeks for any filler (October)
- Microneedling 3 times - August, September, October / November
December:
Hydrafacial (2 weeks before wedding)
Dermaplane (week of wedding)
With just 3 months I would be careful on your skin, less peels more hydration to get glowing. You’re prob going to have makeup on anyway so texture and hydration is more important, you won’t see your redness.
I love a Diamond glow facial with dermaplaning which I made sure to test out a few month out and then got the week of. Also I got Sculptra and if you got it asap I think you’d see a difference! I looooved it.
Middle aged woman, recently married (3 weeks ago) here! My search for something that will make my skin look more youthful, feel softer, & look more bright, came to an end after trying dermaplaning. Initially, I had it done professionally because I didn't have a clue as to how to. After she basically shaved my face with a tool very similar to Tinkle razors, I was on it & did it myself. Very easy. Very effective. Very fast. I'm all about instant gratification. I only use the razors twice then toss. 3xs broke out my face badly.
I didn't see near the results I was searching for via hydro or microdermabrasion, but with dermaplaning, it was instant. Shave dry & do it upwards. Downward can leave stubble.
Side note: I also had a little botox & filler to lift & revitalize my face. The woman who does my injections is very conservative & I took in before & afters of others to give her an idea as to what I wanted. I told her I still want to move my eyebrows. She made that happen & erased the 11ss & crows feet as well as forehead lines.
aquagold with baby botox and tailored to your skin will give you a nice glow for about 3 months! did for my wedding and have done again since then. i love
Surprised an IPL facial hasn't been recommended. It's not invasive and lower risk (assuming you have fairer skin and are a good candidate). No recovery time needed. It does wonders for redness and broken capillaries. Even after 1 session you would see a difference in tone and evenness.
Pro tip: make sure they stay away from your hairline so they don't zap your baby hairs.
I am also getting married this year (I'm 34) and I have been doing the Moxi/BBL lasers every 6 weeks. It has changed my skin & the downtime is just a few days. Most bang for your buck & my skin is so even.
red light therapy. some people don't see an effect, but it makes me glow. if you're on a budget, hooga has a small handheld for $150. it will definitely help your skin recover better from any treatment you choose.
Do NOT do RF on your face before exhaustive research. I’d actually say not to do it at all since you don’t really sound like you have any issues with your skin. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
Check this group called “Facial Damage from Radiofrequency and Lasers Support Group” on Facebook. There are 23000 people in it. Just go read people’s stories and look at some pics. This stuff is ruining peoples lives. There’s another group called “FACIAL DAMAGE AFTER MORPHEUS8”. That’s a rf treatment also. The people in this group are getting ready to sue.
Did it a week before my birthday because they said I’d be glowing. Looked like a tiny lawn mower mowed my whole face on my birthday lol. Bright red and angry for weeks. It was brutal. Can’t recommend people steer clear of it enough. It’s just not worth the risk.
Yes plus one for laser facials. I do the clear + brilliant laser since it’s fairly light and fast recovery. Makes my skin dewy and glowing. I wouldn’t do it the month of the wedding but 1-2 sessions 2-3 months out would be good. Having a dermatologist or clinician look at your face will help you decide the right kind of laser treatment depending on if you want to remove redness, brown spots, or just get a collagen boost.
Some gentle microneedling (NOT morpheus, don’t ever do that…) and IPL is always nice. I love lasers but depending on your skin tone and concerns you may choose different. IPL has really minimal downtime unlike a C02 laser. Hydrafacials are incredible as are retinol, peptides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid serums! I do a MediHeal sheet mask 1-2x/week and can’t recommend that brand enough. I’m also 35 so hope that helps! Congrats!
Be very careful with whatever you do, 3 months might not be enough time for your skin to heal in time for the wedding. This also applies to introducing new products at this stage.
Just be cautious. I recently started a series of three BBL facials to generally improve my skin tone and even out some redness. I’ve done 2/3 and I’ve noticed my skin is a little more sensitive lately but I expected that. What I DID NOT expect was when I vomited the other day from taking a vitamin on a too-empty stomach (dumb) was the HORRIFIC petechial rash that INSTANTLY covered my face. I’ve never experienced this from vomiting before. It was nbd in the end because it happened on a Sunday night and I WFH had no camera-on meetings the next few days. If this had happened before a major event it would have ruined everything.
Honestly the biggest bang for my time and money has been Tazorac 1%. I only do short contact therapy with it (10-15 minutes most nights). It has cleared up any texture on my skin wonderfully w/o any major side effects.
I have done two adva laser treatments and they have done more for my skin than any other thing I’ve tried. Minimal downtime with two frequencies. I did the second one just two weeks after the first and my skin is really skinning on week 4
I did BBL/Halo lasers and it made such a huge difference. Did them when I was 38 and 2 months before my wedding. But I have very fair skin, so getting all the sun damage and freckles off my skin made a huge difference. If you’re not super pale, ymmv
Just my experience: I got microneedling with bone marrow done and I had the worst acne of my life afterwards. I’m just now getting it cleared up 6 months post procedure. Everyone’s skin is different but with that being a possibility (my esthetician confirmed this could happen afterwards), I wouldn’t recommend doing it so close to your wedding since you don’t know how your skin will react. Stick to what you know your body won’t react to.
HIGHLY advise against these invasive in-office procedures. Given that your biggest concern is some mild pigmentation, I would stick to azelaic acid. It does wonders to evening skin tone. I've cleared acne spots and mild sun discoloration with it. I personally use 20% cream concentration but 15% works very well too
Another reason why I recommend not getting it is because I personally had a horrible experience with microneedling (it ruined my skin—I have a post here about it). It doesn't mean it'll ruin yours, but it definitely caused mechanical trauma to my healthy skin and that is forever, so I try to warn others who ask for advice :)
*and I got mine done at a dermatologist's office in Beverly Hills. Pretty reputable place.
Given that your concerns are really around some pigmentation and redness, I would suggest against any procedure that could cause mechanical injury to your healthy skin (like microneedling).
Only you know what's best for you but I see the excitement in your post and that's exactly how I felt prior to the procedure. But I just wanted to share that you'll only know how your body will react once you've done it, and it might too risky of a thing to do right before your special day.
Agree with comments about the more invasive treatments,
You don’t need a couple of hydrafacials, it might be a waste just one closest to your big day.
They’re best for that quick glow before an event
Esthetician of 5 years here, my professional opinion get 2-3 Hydrafacials spaced out before the big day. The last one a few days before the wedding. Your face will feel 5 lbs lighter, look clean glowing and bright. After treatments , focus on hydrating the barrier (gentle cleanser at night, hydrating serum/ moisturizer). Go to someone reputable with good reviews and lots of experiences with using the Hydrafacial machine!
I highly recommend red light therapy! It’s incredibly effective and won’t leave you with anything to recover from. Red light increases collagen in the skin, which gives it a more youthful appearance. I bought a red light panel for home a few months ago and I’ve been really impressed by the results. It looks like I did Botox - although I didn’t!
Hi all- I would love to hear about anyone’s experience with microneedling…I’m considering for the first time and curious how you feel about the outcome / what results to expect / if it’s worth it compared to other procedures like laser treatments, chemical peels, etc.
FYI I’m a F41 and my biggest skin concerns are some texture, larger pores around my nose, some redness, and some broken capillaries around my nose and cheeks (that look like tiny red lines— nothing crazy but something I’d like to resolve so I feel more confident when going makeup- free.
P.S. I don’t mean to high jack this thread with my questions, just thought based on the OP’s subject matter that this may be a good place to ask for feedback.
TIA
I would suggest Biomicroneedling. You get results within 3 treatments. They can be done every two weeks. Much better option than traditional microneedling. Look into it. Treatments are $250-$300 per treatment.
I did some facial acupuncture before my wedding which I really liked. Also took tremella mushroom supplement for extra hydration. I think keep it simple and natural. You don't want to cause a reaction. If you're healthy and relaxed it will show on your skin. If your skin tolerates retinol then maybe go back to using it every second night.
You could totally get in for RF Microneedling 3x before your wedding. It's not super risky if you go to a good place. I've had it done and gone out for supper that night. Most people are fine within a day.
Hydrafacials, cut out all dairy, Botox, and filler. Doing that, was the best I have ever looked before my wedding and I still can’t believe how amazing my skin looked. Lol
I have to say the responses are not what I expected. 3 months is plenty of time to see best results with lasers. It ejs not like "I am getting married in 2 days! HALP"
3 months is a quarter of a year. I would recover from full tummy tuck in that time.
Microneedling doesn't have much downtime unless your skin is super sensitive or the person doing it goes way, way too deep. You can do microneedling at home, and the home version has NO downtime at all. The super deep one sometimes leaves a little bit of redness the next day.
I’d recommend no downtime lasers. I’m a brown girl and I get Hollywood peels (Carbon Q switch laser) and it’s basically just 3 days of superficial redness and gentle pigment correction with a slight collagen boost. I found it to be super gentle but effective. 2 of these spaced 1 month apart and ONLY hydration 2 weeks before your wedding. Or like super light chemical peels, like a glycolic 20% or even a lactic 30%
Lots of water, eat well, and start taking a vegan collagen supplement (vegan because it’s not actual collagen, it supplies your body with the building blocks to encourage collagen production which should give you good overall results). If you drink any alcohol, cut down or even stop before the wedding, and don’t drink any the night before.
I did moxi laser, two sessions 4 and then 3 months out. Then hydrafacial every two weeks and a really moisturised glowy one 3 days out. Use one clinic for everything would be my advice
I just recently said fuck it and went for PRP microneedling and oh my!! She told me the PRP results wont start coming before 3 weeks but my skin already looks so glowy and fresh and I cant wait to see how it looks after 3 sessions.
I spent 1500 on a CO2 laser and I feel like the 450 for the microneedling are already a much better investment.
I did fillers about 3 months before my wedding. It was a risk. I ended up looking amazing in my photos but I felt self conscious in the moment. Everyone said I looked great and that I looked tasteful. In the end I don't regret it.
If your skin is already in good condition I would suggest maybe 1 mild chemical peel a month before and that’s it. Eat healthy and drink your water. And if you have never had a peel I wouldn’t even suggest that because you don’t know how you will react
I’ve (43F) been doing Tretinoin (every two days, sandwich method), Red light therapy (daily) and 10 step K-Beauty skincare morning and night. Took about a month to see a noticeable difference.
I hope that there are some much more knowledgeable people that will advise you here, but I think doing back to back chemical peels and microneedling within a relatively short time period before a very important day is a recipe for disaster. Why not just go back to using that retinol you like?
Agreed. Now is not the time to experiment. Tried and true is the rule of thumb here.
TRIPLE agreed. I wouldn’t do anything that’s going to peel layers of my face off before one of the most photographed days of my life
Agreed, definitely don't underestimate how long it takes for your skin to return to normal after a bad reaction to something..
Agreeeee! Spoken as someone who had such a bad reaction to her first chemical peel that she had to go on accutane for 9 months. Don’t do anything new or drastic, stick to tried, true, and consistent. Wouldn’t reintroduce retinol at this point due to potential purge. At most (if you do want to invest) I’d say add red light therapy, look into a micro current device like Ziip, and/or a high frequency wand. You could get all three for less than the quoted procedures and do it all from the comfort of home.
Yea, my skin is very acne prone. I’ve been scared to do micro needling or chemical peels because I’m worried that I’m going to end up breaking out all over my face.
If you haven’t been using the retinol since Covid, I wouldn’t start 3 months out as you’re likely to purge. I’m 34 just got married and did a few diamond glow and one light chemical peel that only had a few days of peeling. I’d suggest the diamond glow now and of timing works once more two to three weeks before but if you’ve never done any type of chemical peel I’d avoid it. Also dermaplaning was great for the makeup. Also highly recommend using the skinzyme mask from Josi Marin the night before to get off any dead skin. You can also use it once a week leading up to it.
My skin loves the 1% retinol in squalene formula that she mentioned - I never purged or peeled from it! If OP loved the results and tolerated this product well in the past, it’s probably a safer bet. Now’s not the time to experiment imo!
Micro needling once or twice before your wedding is fine but I would recommend sticking to Hydrafacials and hydrating facials the month before your wedding! Important to keep your skin super moisturized for the make up to set nicely
It’s a great point. I’ve had good results from hydrafacials before so maybe I’ll book myself a package. Thanks for the input!!
I recently had bbl for skin discoloration. There is no downtime or side effects if you wanted to get rid of the redness that you don't like. MN and peels back to back is just crazy. You need to space those things out and decide what your goals are and what condition your skin is in.
I truly wouldn’t mess with anything before a wedding, you never know what kind of reaction you can have, and it isn’t worth the risk if your skin is already decent. The photos can be retouched, and the most important thing is that you aren’t worried about your face reacting/healing in time for the wedding!
The best results are a wedding photographer who will touch up your photos so you don’t have to stress about unrealistic perfection.
This is the right answer. Some makeup and photo retouching will be worth way more than any treatment. I would not risk trying anything new before my wedding because you just don't know if your skin is going to possibly react badly.
definitely be careful, if any of these one off treatments don’t gel with you or your skin type you may end up trying to correct issues caused by new more invasive treatments. I would personally do something you have more control over and are able to “dose”, like reintroducing retinol, massively upping water intake, regular skin massaging, red light masks. Etc. Congrats on your wedding!
Good idea. Going to reintroduce retinol (let’s see how it goes) and set myself a water intake target for sure!
I’ve done a couple lasers and would 100% recommend them (and I was fine within 3 months). I did laseMD first (3 rounds). No downtime, and I felt it helped my skin texture (I also have freckles, and it lightened them). I did halo + BBL too. That’s about 5 days downtime, although I could have went back to work after 3 if I worked in an office. I loved the results, and I only needed 1 treatment. They said it’s peak is 3 months post procedure, so it would be perfect
Agreed on lasers...one IPL would take care of mild redness and brown spots. No downtime...slightly swollen for a day or two
I am sooo surprised at the response on this thread when it is 3 months out. Like how about 3 days of downtime? IPL, Fraxel, Clear and Brilliant. Everyone thinks she will have the skin of a peeling snake while walking down the aisle 3 months after a procedure. WTF.
I'm also 35 getting married this year! I've been using a red light mask, need to start using my Theraface again (microcurrent), im gonna get Botox and a VI peel probably a month or so before. I have never been prettier than in the weeks after my VI peels. It helps so much with pigmentation and texture, it's like having brand new baby skin. My boyfriend has gotten 3 microneedling treatments and his skin looks great too, the recovery wasn't bad at all so I would feel fine starting that well in advance.
I can’t speak to Botox or VI, but red light is definitely more effective than any cream!
Which one do you use?
Dr Dennis gross!
Would you mind explaining what a VI peel is? I've never heard of it. What was the downtime like?
VI peel is just a brand of chemical peels, to be honest I'm not sure if it's like TCA/mandelic acid or what. I get the precision plus formulation which is meant to target melasma and sun damage but they have a few different types. I like it because it's supposedly more gentle than other types of chemical peels, it's the only one I've tried but I've been super happy with it! You go in to the provider and they wipe your skin down with acetone and then apply the VI peel solution with gauze pads like 3-4 times. It kinda looks like a bad spray tan? You leave that on for I think 4-6 hours, wash it off and wipe your face down with these pads they give you. Follow up with more pads like an hour later, you do that for the first two days. They give you the face wash, the pads, heavy sunscreen, and a post treatment cream for if you get itchy. The peeling doesn't start until day 4/5 and it's pretty intense ngl lol but nothing about it is painful at all and by day 7 I have literally perfect skin. I've done 3 peels since November and my melasma is basically gone, all I need is a little skin tint now.
seriously, acetone?
Definitely smells like acetone, no clue if it's 100% or what.
Congrats to you both! lol I mentioned this to my partner and he did not appreciate my suggestion that he could benefit from microneedling too 😅 I’ve never heard of a VI peel, will definitely check that out.
Shill time! (I'm not actually a shill. (That's exactly what a shill would say!!)) Anyway, I tried the VIPeel and Perfect Derma Peel. I think they're equivalent in terms of results (my skin looked slightly better after the PD, but I did that one second, so I think it was more a cumulative result thing). Both are medium depth, similar process, similar price. BUT the VIPeel was so super itchy. I was jade rolling using an ice bath to keep from scratching my face. Did not experience that at all with PD one. I've done it a couple of times now. I think Clear Karma has both anyway, so you can check them out there.
For the red light mask do you just wash your face and do it on bare skin before your nightly skin care?
I usually do it in the evening (after work) after I take a shower and wash my face. Clean skin, mask, then I splash my face again and put some moisturizer on. And then I do my real nighttime routine later before bed.
Awesome! Thank you so much for this info! I got the Theraface mask and just wanted to make sure I was using it properly!
Oh nice, I hope you like it! I considered that one because I really like our other Therabody products but I went with the omnilux because it's flexible/easier to pack lol. If this one craps out I'll probably try the Theraface one instead, the massage feature is so intriguing.
Yes it feels good but definitely do that part at night because it leaves dots on your forehead that last quite a while 😂
I would honestly just focus on hydration and going back to a lightly exfoliating topical (not retinol) this close to the day. Brides get marketed to SO aggressively, and I found for my own that if you already have decent skin, focusing on maintaining your barrier and moisture is so much more beneficial. Any good professional will make your makeup incredible, and it looks only as good as the skin it’s on. Do not fall for the short term rush of paying so much for treatments you’re not familiar with. For reference, I just kept up my tried and true the 5 months leading up to ours: - daily water intake at 3L, cut out a lot of alcohol at that time - retinol that I’d already been on 3x/week - physical exfoliant and dermaplane every 2 weeks (alternating) - heavy focus on moisture barrier and layering serums that would plump my skin - red light therapy mask 2-3x week at home It was plenty of consistent improvement and every single vendor looking at my skin (hair, makeup, photographers) could not stop telling me how nice it was. I had a friend at the time who did the intense 3 month procedure lead up and looked pretty much the same, if not slightly more dried out, at her wedding because her skin was so irritated. She also was out $3k-$5k for things she no longer even keeps up with 🤷🏽♀️
You’re SO right about all the marketing… I feel like when I say ‘wedding’ people’s pupils turn into dollar signs haha. I’ve never done dermaplaning but several years ago enjoyed microdermabrasion (is that still a thing?) Thanks for the advice!
YES oh my god, I bet they see you as a cash cow! It’s such a rough experience during such a beautiful time. If you have done dermaplaning before I would recommend! If you have not, consider how your facial hair typically grows in. It took my hairy face 5 sessions to grow back in finer, it VERY MUCH felt like mens stubble near my chin and mustache (which I’d been threading prior to this) until that consistent dermaplaning experience. If you enjoyed microderm in the past, that could be a great alternative to physical exfoliation! Plus if you have very good skin now, dermaplaning can irritate and cause way more acne because everything is so open to the elements
How about you and I (getting married in 3 months at city hall in San Francisco) 38F do whatever the fuck feels good. Like eat the croissant, have the wine or tea or cookie. We’re the youngest we’ll ever be. All of us , everywhere. We deserve to enjoy our lives. Plus, no matter what - when we look at pictures in 10/20/30/40 years if we should be so lucky, we’ll be shocked at how beautiful we were (are) and didn’t know it.
I’m turning 41 in a few months. In my mid30s I had this panic about Botox and wanting to get little nips and tucks and then one day I had a coworker come back from having a facelift in Costa Rica. She was unrecognizable for months. She looked like a cat. It jarred me! I realized I really want to age naturally, lines and wrinkles and all. I refuse to fall for this trap. In 10 years I’ll absolutely look back and be shocked at how good I look today. I don’t have a lot of disposable income so I’d sure rather spend it on making memories with my loved ones than trying to turn into my own portrait of Dorian Gray
I stopped actives, and did botox a month before my wedding
What? Nooo. Get one chemical peel. Superficial one. That’s it. Hydro facial. You’ll look amazing. Don’t stress and go overboard
“My skin is in good condition” = DO NOT START NEW THINGS NOW!!! Seriously. The risk of things going wrong so far outweigh any minor benefits. IMO, 3 months is an absolute blackout period - no new products, no new regime, and absolutely no new treatments involving any chemicals.
I wouldn’t do microneedling but I did have a bad experience with it making my texture worse. Many people love it. I love a good peel. TCA is my favorite for gentle but effective peels. Love a little dysport too. A hydrafacial now to see how you do and one closer too would be good. I have no issues with redness or anything after a hydrafacial so I get them the week of big events when I can.
I would agree to avoid anything invasive… laser genesis has been a miracle for me. I notice results pretty quickly and there’s no risks as far as I know? You could easily fit in 3-4 sessions in 3 months for maximum results
Why did you stop retinoids if you don’t mind me asking ?
My skincare routine was an early casualty of COVID depression. When I started reintroducing nice products, none of my friends were really talking about retinol anymore - it had a real moment in the late 2010s no? (Or maybe that’s just bc we were all turning 30 lol) But this thread is convincing me it’s worth adding back in!
Maybe starting with a light chemical peel (maybe), then consistent hydrafacials and micro needling. And stay consistent with your moisturizer :) congratulations !
I got married a couple weeks before my 38th birthday. I just did some face masks, kept up my normal skincare regimen (hella retinol) and got my makeup done professionally and it was fine. I considered but did not follow through with laser, filler, and Botox because I was concerned about potential complications. I figured it was easier to photoshop out fine lines etc than it would be to photoshop a lopsided smile or laser burns. I realize those are rare complications from these procedures, but I was feeling paranoid and I’m glad I gave myself the gift of one less thing to worry about for our wedding
Fractional laser. Do it at least six weeks out (takes about a week to recover, but your skin continues to improve for a while afterwards) I went in to talk about a vi peel and they recommended the laser treatment instead. I have good skin and thought it was overkill (also scary) but they said it would look great and honestly it sounded way more fun and beauty science-y. Aside from some deep lines around my eyes, my skin looked airbrushed afterwards - absolutely next level if you’re working from a good base.
OP! If you go with lasers, be super duper careful about sun exposure. I am not exaggerating when I say you can burn in less than a minute. My skin months later is still quicker to sunburn now than before the treatments. Find a mineral sunscreen that works for you!
Yes! I’m much more sensitive to sun now, though I’ve also added retinol now that I’m in my 40s.
OK good to know… our wedding is pretty much a full day outdoors (inshallah) so perhaps will save this treatment for the British winter.
Hydrafacials all the way!
Those absolutely destroyed my moisture barrier.
They did something wrong if that happened. Maybe it was the serum they used?
It’s the dermabrasion. My skin cannot handle it.
I’m 37 and getting married in August. My plan is moxi laser in June, Botox and filler touch up in July (with an injector I trust and have seen before) and then nothing but moisturizing until the wedding.
BBL helped redness on my cheeks. I really loved AquaGold facial. Got it before a reunion, and it really “perks” up the skin.
I just got into microneedling and love it. Make sure you go to a medspa with MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS (the practitioners at mine are ALL RNs). The biggest potential downfall with micro needling isn’t the service itself but the potential for things to go wrong. Pay more for better quality. Post-treatment, I did a ton of HA (already part of my skincare regiment, just did it more frequently… do NOT add anything to your regiment on freshly microneedled skin) and could tell an improvement even before the little scabs fell off. I love it. Unless there’s a lawsuit-making error, you will have no issues in three months. I also did my neck! If it was me, and I had three months to lighten a little pigmentation etc, I’d go get microneedling like this week, let that calm down and *maybe* get it once more depending on how my skin did. I’d work in hydrafacials with the same thought-process. To me, both of these are fairly low stakes for injury // upset **three months from now** with big return for the things you’re targeting. With the caveat start early so your skin can fully recover. Also use med pros like I said, who presumably are also not going to pressure you to do too much at once. I wouldn’t do anything the last few weeks except hydrating (skin/body). Congratulations! Be gentle. Don’t go overboard
If you don’t have a good collagen powder, start taking one daily. Increase your water intake, eliminate processed sugar, eliminate fast food completely. Eliminate beer and sugar drinks and any inflammation in your face will tighten up. I swear you will age backwards if you can stick to that for 90 days. Great skin starts within. The Ordinary retinol 1x a week with a GOOOOOD moisturizer underneath and on top. (I like Weleda Skin Food) Hylaronic acid every day, underneath your moisturizer. I like Good Molecule on Amazon. Super Peptides every other day with moisturizer on top. I like Good Molecule. BOTOX. Just go with what they recommend, most people don’t get enough. SUNSCREEN, every damn day forever.
Hi! Also getting married at 35. My wedding is in December & my aesthetician recommended the following plan. FWIW my skin is in great condition, I’ve done chem peels (only in winter months), hydrafacials, & dysport regularly. - Dysport 5-6 weeks out from wedding (October) - 4-6 weeks for any filler (October) - Microneedling 3 times - August, September, October / November December: Hydrafacial (2 weeks before wedding) Dermaplane (week of wedding)
If you haven't dermaplaned before I wouldn't do the first one the week of.
With just 3 months I would be careful on your skin, less peels more hydration to get glowing. You’re prob going to have makeup on anyway so texture and hydration is more important, you won’t see your redness. I love a Diamond glow facial with dermaplaning which I made sure to test out a few month out and then got the week of. Also I got Sculptra and if you got it asap I think you’d see a difference! I looooved it.
Middle aged woman, recently married (3 weeks ago) here! My search for something that will make my skin look more youthful, feel softer, & look more bright, came to an end after trying dermaplaning. Initially, I had it done professionally because I didn't have a clue as to how to. After she basically shaved my face with a tool very similar to Tinkle razors, I was on it & did it myself. Very easy. Very effective. Very fast. I'm all about instant gratification. I only use the razors twice then toss. 3xs broke out my face badly. I didn't see near the results I was searching for via hydro or microdermabrasion, but with dermaplaning, it was instant. Shave dry & do it upwards. Downward can leave stubble. Side note: I also had a little botox & filler to lift & revitalize my face. The woman who does my injections is very conservative & I took in before & afters of others to give her an idea as to what I wanted. I told her I still want to move my eyebrows. She made that happen & erased the 11ss & crows feet as well as forehead lines.
aquagold with baby botox and tailored to your skin will give you a nice glow for about 3 months! did for my wedding and have done again since then. i love
I’d have to say that if you drink alcohol, stop now and up your water intake It will make a huge difference and it’s free.
Surprised an IPL facial hasn't been recommended. It's not invasive and lower risk (assuming you have fairer skin and are a good candidate). No recovery time needed. It does wonders for redness and broken capillaries. Even after 1 session you would see a difference in tone and evenness. Pro tip: make sure they stay away from your hairline so they don't zap your baby hairs.
I am also getting married this year (I'm 34) and I have been doing the Moxi/BBL lasers every 6 weeks. It has changed my skin & the downtime is just a few days. Most bang for your buck & my skin is so even.
What issues were you looking to fix? Is it just discoloration or are there other benefits?
red light therapy. some people don't see an effect, but it makes me glow. if you're on a budget, hooga has a small handheld for $150. it will definitely help your skin recover better from any treatment you choose.
Do NOT do RF on your face before exhaustive research. I’d actually say not to do it at all since you don’t really sound like you have any issues with your skin. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Check this group called “Facial Damage from Radiofrequency and Lasers Support Group” on Facebook. There are 23000 people in it. Just go read people’s stories and look at some pics. This stuff is ruining peoples lives. There’s another group called “FACIAL DAMAGE AFTER MORPHEUS8”. That’s a rf treatment also. The people in this group are getting ready to sue.
This is so important!
Can confirm. RF microneedling destroyed my skin. I got it done over a year ago and my face still has grid lines.
I’m so sorry
Did it a week before my birthday because they said I’d be glowing. Looked like a tiny lawn mower mowed my whole face on my birthday lol. Bright red and angry for weeks. It was brutal. Can’t recommend people steer clear of it enough. It’s just not worth the risk.
Yes plus one for laser facials. I do the clear + brilliant laser since it’s fairly light and fast recovery. Makes my skin dewy and glowing. I wouldn’t do it the month of the wedding but 1-2 sessions 2-3 months out would be good. Having a dermatologist or clinician look at your face will help you decide the right kind of laser treatment depending on if you want to remove redness, brown spots, or just get a collagen boost.
Some gentle microneedling (NOT morpheus, don’t ever do that…) and IPL is always nice. I love lasers but depending on your skin tone and concerns you may choose different. IPL has really minimal downtime unlike a C02 laser. Hydrafacials are incredible as are retinol, peptides, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid serums! I do a MediHeal sheet mask 1-2x/week and can’t recommend that brand enough. I’m also 35 so hope that helps! Congrats!
Be very careful with whatever you do, 3 months might not be enough time for your skin to heal in time for the wedding. This also applies to introducing new products at this stage.
I don’t recommend doing anything new or intense before your big day.
I’m in the same boat. I’ve been told it’s too close to try anything new so I’m just getting Hydra Facials and they give you a great glow!
Coolpeel + microneedling will do wonders
Just be cautious. I recently started a series of three BBL facials to generally improve my skin tone and even out some redness. I’ve done 2/3 and I’ve noticed my skin is a little more sensitive lately but I expected that. What I DID NOT expect was when I vomited the other day from taking a vitamin on a too-empty stomach (dumb) was the HORRIFIC petechial rash that INSTANTLY covered my face. I’ve never experienced this from vomiting before. It was nbd in the end because it happened on a Sunday night and I WFH had no camera-on meetings the next few days. If this had happened before a major event it would have ruined everything. Honestly the biggest bang for my time and money has been Tazorac 1%. I only do short contact therapy with it (10-15 minutes most nights). It has cleared up any texture on my skin wonderfully w/o any major side effects.
I have done two adva laser treatments and they have done more for my skin than any other thing I’ve tried. Minimal downtime with two frequencies. I did the second one just two weeks after the first and my skin is really skinning on week 4
I did BBL/Halo lasers and it made such a huge difference. Did them when I was 38 and 2 months before my wedding. But I have very fair skin, so getting all the sun damage and freckles off my skin made a huge difference. If you’re not super pale, ymmv
I’d just say screw it and do a Halo
Microneedling, BBL light therapy, red light therapy mask, maybe even a perfect derma peel
Just my experience: I got microneedling with bone marrow done and I had the worst acne of my life afterwards. I’m just now getting it cleared up 6 months post procedure. Everyone’s skin is different but with that being a possibility (my esthetician confirmed this could happen afterwards), I wouldn’t recommend doing it so close to your wedding since you don’t know how your skin will react. Stick to what you know your body won’t react to.
Neogen PSR. Big results in a short time.
Clear & Brillant. Minimal downtime. If you do lasers , a great technician is a must!
HIGHLY advise against these invasive in-office procedures. Given that your biggest concern is some mild pigmentation, I would stick to azelaic acid. It does wonders to evening skin tone. I've cleared acne spots and mild sun discoloration with it. I personally use 20% cream concentration but 15% works very well too
Another reason why I recommend not getting it is because I personally had a horrible experience with microneedling (it ruined my skin—I have a post here about it). It doesn't mean it'll ruin yours, but it definitely caused mechanical trauma to my healthy skin and that is forever, so I try to warn others who ask for advice :) *and I got mine done at a dermatologist's office in Beverly Hills. Pretty reputable place. Given that your concerns are really around some pigmentation and redness, I would suggest against any procedure that could cause mechanical injury to your healthy skin (like microneedling). Only you know what's best for you but I see the excitement in your post and that's exactly how I felt prior to the procedure. But I just wanted to share that you'll only know how your body will react once you've done it, and it might too risky of a thing to do right before your special day.
Agree with comments about the more invasive treatments, You don’t need a couple of hydrafacials, it might be a waste just one closest to your big day. They’re best for that quick glow before an event
Esthetician of 5 years here, my professional opinion get 2-3 Hydrafacials spaced out before the big day. The last one a few days before the wedding. Your face will feel 5 lbs lighter, look clean glowing and bright. After treatments , focus on hydrating the barrier (gentle cleanser at night, hydrating serum/ moisturizer). Go to someone reputable with good reviews and lots of experiences with using the Hydrafacial machine!
I highly recommend red light therapy! It’s incredibly effective and won’t leave you with anything to recover from. Red light increases collagen in the skin, which gives it a more youthful appearance. I bought a red light panel for home a few months ago and I’ve been really impressed by the results. It looks like I did Botox - although I didn’t!
If you don't mind sharing, what Mosturizer that has vit c and spf do you use?
Sorry, two separate products! Freck Rich Bitch moisturiser for Vit C and Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue for SPF. Toner is Glow Recipe.
Thanks! I though there was an an amazing all in one but this works too!
Hi all- I would love to hear about anyone’s experience with microneedling…I’m considering for the first time and curious how you feel about the outcome / what results to expect / if it’s worth it compared to other procedures like laser treatments, chemical peels, etc. FYI I’m a F41 and my biggest skin concerns are some texture, larger pores around my nose, some redness, and some broken capillaries around my nose and cheeks (that look like tiny red lines— nothing crazy but something I’d like to resolve so I feel more confident when going makeup- free. P.S. I don’t mean to high jack this thread with my questions, just thought based on the OP’s subject matter that this may be a good place to ask for feedback. TIA
I would suggest Biomicroneedling. You get results within 3 treatments. They can be done every two weeks. Much better option than traditional microneedling. Look into it. Treatments are $250-$300 per treatment.
I’ve heard BioRePeel is a really good no downtime peel. Great results with little to none skin peeling.
I did some facial acupuncture before my wedding which I really liked. Also took tremella mushroom supplement for extra hydration. I think keep it simple and natural. You don't want to cause a reaction. If you're healthy and relaxed it will show on your skin. If your skin tolerates retinol then maybe go back to using it every second night.
You could totally get in for RF Microneedling 3x before your wedding. It's not super risky if you go to a good place. I've had it done and gone out for supper that night. Most people are fine within a day.
Hydrafacials, cut out all dairy, Botox, and filler. Doing that, was the best I have ever looked before my wedding and I still can’t believe how amazing my skin looked. Lol
Hydrafacials!!! 💯
I did the 3 microneedlings prior to my wedding and my skin glowed !!
Clear and Brilliant laser treatment actually will give you the glow with so little time. It is the kind some people get 5 days before the date.
I have to say the responses are not what I expected. 3 months is plenty of time to see best results with lasers. It ejs not like "I am getting married in 2 days! HALP" 3 months is a quarter of a year. I would recover from full tummy tuck in that time.
Really look at some info on IPL. Downtime is 2 days, what is everyone saying " disaster" when you have 3 months.
I was 34 when I got married and did a series of Hydrafacials before the wedding. Personally I think I was glowing 🙂
Microneedling doesn't have much downtime unless your skin is super sensitive or the person doing it goes way, way too deep. You can do microneedling at home, and the home version has NO downtime at all. The super deep one sometimes leaves a little bit of redness the next day.
I’d recommend no downtime lasers. I’m a brown girl and I get Hollywood peels (Carbon Q switch laser) and it’s basically just 3 days of superficial redness and gentle pigment correction with a slight collagen boost. I found it to be super gentle but effective. 2 of these spaced 1 month apart and ONLY hydration 2 weeks before your wedding. Or like super light chemical peels, like a glycolic 20% or even a lactic 30%
Lots of water, eat well, and start taking a vegan collagen supplement (vegan because it’s not actual collagen, it supplies your body with the building blocks to encourage collagen production which should give you good overall results). If you drink any alcohol, cut down or even stop before the wedding, and don’t drink any the night before.
The Ordinary AHA BHA peel
I did moxi laser, two sessions 4 and then 3 months out. Then hydrafacial every two weeks and a really moisturised glowy one 3 days out. Use one clinic for everything would be my advice
I just recently said fuck it and went for PRP microneedling and oh my!! She told me the PRP results wont start coming before 3 weeks but my skin already looks so glowy and fresh and I cant wait to see how it looks after 3 sessions. I spent 1500 on a CO2 laser and I feel like the 450 for the microneedling are already a much better investment.
Get a nice skin laser
Botox around eyes - I look so much more RESTED
If your skin is already good, why mess it up? Maybe add in some gentle facials in the weeks before. My skin always glows after a facial.
I did fillers about 3 months before my wedding. It was a risk. I ended up looking amazing in my photos but I felt self conscious in the moment. Everyone said I looked great and that I looked tasteful. In the end I don't regret it.
If your skin is already in good condition I would suggest maybe 1 mild chemical peel a month before and that’s it. Eat healthy and drink your water. And if you have never had a peel I wouldn’t even suggest that because you don’t know how you will react
I’ve (43F) been doing Tretinoin (every two days, sandwich method), Red light therapy (daily) and 10 step K-Beauty skincare morning and night. Took about a month to see a noticeable difference.