You have so many decisions to make prior to the big day, including how to best take care of your skin and body to look and feel your best when the big day comes. Read on for expert guidance on the ultimate med spa treatment timeline, from laser treatments and collagen stimulation to body contouring and fillers, to help you walk down the aisle with confidence on your wedding day.
When you’re planning a wedding, from the day of your engagement, you have what feels like a million decisions to make – the venue, the perfect-fitting dress, the wedding party, the cake, the flowers, the food, hairstyles, makeup, and… the list goes on. Another vital consideration is how to get ready to show up in perfect form and with confidence on your wedding day – what skincare and body treatments might you want to help you look and feel your best on your big day?
Unfortunately, with the hustle and bustle, many brides wait too long to look into the treatments they might want or need for the results they desire. Instead, getting bride-ready in terms of skin and body treatments should be one of the first items considered. Why? Because some treatments require time to see results, time for the skin to repair, and enough time for any necessary tweaks or additional treatments to reach the results you desire.
So, what is the ultimate timeline you should consider for med spa treatments to get wedding day ready?
We turn to DermaTouch RN Houston-based Aesthetician Krys Givens and San Antonio-based Nurse Injector and Advanced Practice Nurse Carrie Moschitto for their expert advice to answer this question.
How far in advance should you seek non-surgical aesthetic and cosmetic treatments?
Givens recommends starting your journey with an aesthetic services consultation at least 6 to 12 months ahead of time for younger brides and 12 to 18 months beforehand for more seasoned brides. In terms of injectable treatments only, Moschitto recommends a six-month lead time.
“It’s always better to err on the side of caution and opt for a consultation earlier in the wedding planning process, as the specific timeline for an ideal outcome is dictated by each bride’s individual concerns, condition of the skin, and overall aesthetic goals and expectations,” shares Givens, “A bride can always begin her plan closer to the wedding. However, we do not have the ability to speed up certain rejuvenation processes to fit within a compact timeline!”
Med Spa treatments – the pre-wedding timeline
Moschitto and Givens recommend the following Med Spa treatment timeline to support you in achieving the results you desire by your wedding day.
Med Spa treatments for up to 12 months out
Pre-wedding treatment consultation – 12 to 18 months out
“The recommendations for types of treatments really depend on the bride’s overall goals, as well as the starting point in terms of the bride’s skin, both in regards to the present condition of the skin and her desired outcome,” Givens points out.
In other words, each individual is unique, and the type of treatments and the timeline required for those treatments require an individualized treatment plan based on the bride’s skin condition, concerns, and goals. That’s why, as Givens previously shared, getting a consultation sooner rather than later is essential – preferably 6 to 12 months out for younger brides and 12 to 18 months out for more mature brides.
CoolSculpting for chin contouring prior to facial rejuvenation – 6 to 12 months out
CoolSculpting is discussed in more detail below in the 3 to 6 months out section. For those who are focused on a more contoured jawline without skin tightening services in their treatment plan, then 3 to 6 months out is sufficient for CoolSculpting treatments. However, as Givens later points out, CoolSculpting would ideally be completed before any skin tightening services and, therefore, would be good if concluded between 6 to 12 months before the wedding. This allows plenty of time for all treatments to be completed and results to be in full effect.
Med Spa treatments for 6 to 9 months out
According to Givens, because modalities that target collagen production and skin rejuvenation require physical time for full results to manifest, and some service options entail a series for clinical correction, brides should plan a minimum of 6 to 9 months, generally speaking, to realize the full results of her treatment plan from the first service initiated in a series. These include the treatments to address acne, skin laxity, and uneven skin tone, texture, and tightening, each discussed below.
Treatments to address acne
“For brides who have concerns with acne scarring, it is imperative to ensure that active acne is addressed prior to focusing on remediating scarring, whether scarring is textured, discolored – as in post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation or post-inflammatory erythema – or both,” states Givens, “Clinical services that can help with active acne include DiamondGlow, chemical peels, Glacial RX, Forever Clear BBL for Acne, and a personalized medical grade product regimen.”
- DiamondGlow: DiamondGlow uses pro-medical grade serums that are chosen based on the individual’s skin condition and concerns. It helps with cell proliferation through gentle yet effective exfoliation using a diamond tip, which helps the skin better absorb skincare products once the congestion, debris, and dead skin are removed. The treatment also supports lymphatic drainage for better detoxification.
- Chemical peels: Chemical peels help to improve skin tone, texture, the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and more. There are various levels of peels, with the deeper peels requiring more recovery time.
- Glacial RX: Glacial RX uses a freezing technology called CryoModulation to treat hyperpigmentation and age spots. The treatment temporarily freezes the skin’s melanocytes and results in less production of melanin or pigment as the skin cells restore themselves and heal. It’s the first FDA-cleared dark spot treatment of its kind.
- Forever Clear BBL: Forever Clear BBL is an effective acne treatment for teens and adults. To clear acne, the treatment uses a combination of yellow, blue, and infrared light to reduce inflammation, eliminate bacteria, and promote healing.
- Medical-grade skin care: To support your skin at home, it’s essential to use scientific-based, medical-grade skincare, like SkinMedica. Givens points out that using medical-grade skincare supports day-to-day skin health, addresses specific skin conditions and concerns, and also supports the in-clinic rejuvenation process.
Skin laxity treatments
Some of Givens’s favorite treatment options for brides with concerns of skin laxity include Sofwave, Vivace RF Microneedling, and Halo.
- Sofwave: Sofwave stimulates elastin, collagen, and hyaluronic acid production using parallel ultrasound beams. It also helps to tighten and lift the neck, submental, and eyebrows and reduce fine lines and wrinkles.
- Vivace RF Microneedling: RF microneedling stimulates collagen by using a dual action mechanism of controlled micro injuries through micro-needle punctures, incorporating radio frequency, as well. Tissue regeneration results due to the coagulation of deeper skin tissues that occurs with the treatment.
- Halo: Halo is a hybrid fractional laser used to treat the face, chest, neck, hands, and arms. It works to correct sun damage, scarring, uneven skin tone, discoloration, and enlarged pores and reduce the appearance of fine lines and moderate wrinkles.
Addressing uneven tone, texture, and tightening
Combination treatments can work wonders to support skin rejuvenation.
“To help address uneven tone, texture, and tightening, two popular service combinations include BBL and Halo Hybrid Fractional Laser at our Houston location and the BBL and Moxi Laser combination at our San Antonio location,” Givens shares, “The Vivace RF Microneedling and CoolPeel combination is also an option.”
The Halo and Vivace RF Microneedling treatments are discussed above. Here’s some information regarding CoolPeel, Moxi, and BBL treatments.
- CoolPeel: CoolPeel uses an ablative laser to deliver intense infrared light to the outer layers of your skin on the face, neck, and chest. The treatment targets and treats fine lines and wrinkles, signs of premature aging, and benign skin growths (i.e., moles and skin tags). With CoolPeel, brides can address skin concerns like enlarged pores, rosacea, acne scarring, and other scars (like from falling off your bicycle), as well as improve skin tone and texture.
- Moxi: Moxi is a nonablative laser skin treatment for the face. It treats the superficial epidermis to address and prevent sun damage and skin discolorations.
- BBL (Broadband light): A Broadband Light Photofacial treatment uses light therapy to help improve skin tone and address sun damage, broken capillaries, and redness.
Jaw contouring with Kybella (Deoxycholic Acid) – begin series 6 months prior
If you’re looking to contour your jawline before your big day, Moschitto suggests the injectable treatment Kybella as a consideration.
“An injectable treatment that can have some great effects on jaw contour that would be noticeable in photos would be Kybella. The volume reduction that occurs with Kybella is cumulative, often requiring a series of treatments over the course of 3 to 4 months. Additionally, some patients experience more dramatic swelling following the treatment that can sometimes take time to resolve. The optimal time to initiate treatment would be at least six months prior to the wedding to allow time to complete the series as well as time for swelling to resolve completely.”
To learn about the differences between Kybella and CoolSculpting as fat reduction treatments, refer to “Fat Reduction Options for the New Year.”
Med Spa treatments for 3 to 6 months out
CoolSculpting fat reduction treatment – 4 to 6 months out
If you’re seeking a slimmer physique prior to your wedding, then CoolSculpting might be the perfect option for you. CoolSculpting uses cooling technology to freeze away unwanted diet- and exercise-resistant fat in nine areas of the body, including the buttocks, back, abdomen, arms, flanks, thighs, and chin.
“For brides who may want to focus on smoothing out areas such as the abdomen (tummy), flanks (love handles), bra lines, or arms, I recommend a consultation with one of our CoolSculpting specialists at least 4 to 6 months prior to the wedding day,” suggests Givens, “CoolSculpting also works well for reducing bulk in the chin area to help create a more defined jawline. However, the CoolSculpting series would ideally be completed prior to moving into skin tightening services and, therefore, may be best concluded somewhere between 6 to 12 months before the wedding to allow plenty of time for all treatment plans to be completed and results to be in full effect.”
Biostimulation dermal fillers – 3 to 6 months out
Biostimulatory fillers work by stimulating an increase in collagen production in the tissue.
“There are different brands and types of biostimulatory fillers,” states Moschitto, “While some of them do provide more immediate improvement, the biostimulatory filler effect takes time to develop fully. If you would like to see results by the time of the wedding, the injections should be done 3 to 6 months in advance.”
Med Spa treatments for 1 to 2 months out
HA dermal filler treatments (like Juvederm filler) – 1 to 1.5 months (4 to 6 weeks) out
According to Moschitto, fillers, in general, are wonderful products to enhance our best features and to soften harsh lines that can develop with aging. Biostimulatory fillers were discussed previously, as they require more time to see results than the HA fillers mentioned here.
“With respect to hyaluronic acid fillers, you need to allow time for bruising and swelling to resolve, at a minimum,” shares Moschitto, “However, the fillers continue to settle into the tissue for the first 4 to 6 weeks. So, ideally, you should plan on scheduling hyaluronic acid filler treatments at least four weeks prior to the wedding.”
Juvederm and Restylane are popular HA fillers.
Botox injections and neuromodulator treatments – Up to 1 month (3 to 4 weeks) out
“Botox and other neuromodulators take a little time to completely take effect, so it’s important to time your injections appropriately prior to the wedding,” suggests Moschitto, “Treatment should be completed at least two weeks prior to the wedding, but ideally 3 to 4 weeks prior to allow for a small adjustment if needed.”
Another consideration regarding Bridal Botox injections is bruising, though it’s very rare for it to be significant or last, Moschitto points out. “It’s rare that patients experience significant bruising or swelling with Botox, and the bruises that do occur usually resolve quickly. Botox is a great treatment prior to a wedding given the softening of expression lines characteristic of this treatment.”
Med Spa treatments for the week of the wedding
For glowing skin prior to your wedding, Givens recommends a DiamondGlow facial treatment, mentioned previously, a few days prior to the big day. This will “ensure glowing, hydrated, smooth skin – all desirable conditions for smooth makeup application!”
Book a Med Spa bridal aesthetics consultation
As soon as you say “yes” to the marriage proposal, start the next day to search for a reputable Med Spa to book your aesthetics treatment consultation. The sooner you do, the sooner you’ll be able to begin the necessary treatments with plenty of time to meet your wedding day skin treatment and body contouring goals.
At DermaTouch RN, you can book your consultation online 24/7!
Krys Givens, MA
AESTHETICIAN
Krys is an Aesthetician with a long-standing passion for the beauty and wellness industry. She is a lifelong learner and is driven by the opportunity to help patients achieve their best and most confident self through proven aesthetic applications. She works with each patient, individually, to help them achieve their personal aesthetic needs and goals through attentive communication and patient education.
Carrie Moschitto, MSN, ANP-C
NURSE INJECTOR/ADVANCED PRACTICE NURSE
Carrie has over a decade of clinical experience as a Registered Nurse and, subsequently, as an Adult Nurse Practitioner. She obtained her BSN in Nursing in 2007 and her MSN in 2011, both from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Carrie has a diverse background in healthcare, with prior experience in Trauma Critical Care, Cardiac Electrophysiology, and Aesthetic medicine. She has worked as a Nurse Practitioner for the last nine years and takes pride in providing comprehensive, compassionate, patient-centered care.
Carrie has a passion for delivering high-quality wellness and aesthetic services to our clients, including injectable therapies, hormone replacement, and Laser treatments. She played an instrumental role in establishing our Houston location 15 years ago and looks forward to helping DermaTouch RN expand its footprint into San Antonio.
DermaTouch RN offers minimally invasive and non-invasive treatments for men and women in Houston, San Antonio, Spring and Cypress, as well as the surrounding areas of Texas. We are the largest aesthetic practice in the Houston area, and all of our medical spa treatments are performed by a team of nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and aestheticians who receive continuing education to remain abreast of emerging treatments that benefit our patients. We invite you to learn more about our office before your consultation.
