Having healthy skin should be a priority. We've chatted to a professional to find out how to get that natural glow.
We all dream of having healthy, glowing skin, but unfortunately that doesn't happen over night. Nourishing your skin, the right way, takes time and patience, but it is without a doubt worth the effort!
We've chatted to Dr Bianca Le Feuvre, a medical doctor with a special interest in aesthetic medicine, about getting your skin wedding ready. Enjoy the tips!
Choosing skin care products can be an overwhelming task. There are so many options on the market, so many different skin types and concerns and of course, varying budgets. To simplify matters, there are three important components of a skin care regimen. These are sunscreen, antioxidants and topical vitamin A.
Sunscreen protects our skin from UVA and UVB sun damage. Antioxidants reduce free radical damage from the sun (infrared rays) and environmental pollution. They also reverse some of the damage already caused and make the skin healthier. Vitamin A comes in many forms with retinol being the strongest; retinaldyhyde and retinoic acid are the milder forms. I usually suggest that people start on the milder forms and move onto retinol if their skin allows. Vitamin A renews and repairs the DNA of cells in the skin. It also increases the rate at which new cells are made which is great because this starts slowing down with age.
It depends. If you have straight forward skin with minimal ageing then 3 - 6 months before is perfect. For those last minute brides, some ‘sprucing’ can be done even 2-4 weeks before the wedding.
If you have more complicated skin for example acne, rosacea, scarring or marked ageing, than 6-9 months would be best to get your complexion clear and glowing.
Definitely! It's back to the basics really. Our skin is our biggest organ and reflects the health of our body. Adequate sleep, healthy balanced diet (include lots of fresh fruit and veg, cut out processed food and reduce sugar), plenty of water, moderate exercise and stress reducing exercises are key.
We often want to add new things to our routines before we master the basic building blocks that make the biggest difference.
The difference is really related to what you want to achieve. There is nothing better than sipping wine with your bridesmaids at home, in your gown and covered in a hydrating face mask. The experience both feeds your soul and your skin. A salon facial by an experienced beauty therapist allows you to be pampered whilst removing blackheads and congestion.
I am a doctor with a special interest in aesthetic medicine so I have a bias opinion towards more active treatments. I think facials have their place if you have congested skin that needs cleaning or if you really enjoy the pamper. Other than that, your skin should not need a facial if you are using the right skin care products at home. Our skins change with age and seasons - I advise my patients to go for light to medium peels if they are wanting to maintain their skin’s glow. These can be done every 4-6 weeks depending on your skin’s needs
These vary depending on the age of the bride. For brides in their 20’s a few light peels is usually popular. Once brides hit their mid to late 30’s and older, there is a big demand for wrinkle injections especially in the frown and crows feet areas. Brides don’t want to look cross in their wedding photos!
Microneedling is such a wonderful treatment for rejuvenating tired looking skin and fine lines. It is a procedure where the skin is numbed by a device, that looks like a pen; it is used to make tiny holes in the skin. Don't worry about these tiny holes - your body heals itself and makes more collagen.
Thankfully it is popular at the moment so more widely available and the prices are becoming more competitive. The bonus is that the benefits of needling persist beyond the wedding day.
Dr Bianca Le Feuvre is a medical doctor with a special interest in aesthetic medicine.
