Celebrating and making memories with friends and family over the holidays means tons of selfies and group photos. Getting started on your skin care routine before the holidays can help you look your best.
The holidays can also be somewhat stressful on your sleep, stomach and skin. Here are some suggestions for some relaxing, no downtime services you can treat yourself to all season long. Some treatments you can even do the same day as a holiday party! In addition, I’ll offer advice on more aggressive, result driven treatments and timeframes for getting started so you can be picture perfect right on time.
Facials should be a year round service you give yourself and your skin…mentally relaxing, physically detoxifying and beautifully beneficial. Using a great home skin care routine will give you the consistent ingredients your skin needs, best customized by a licensed skin care specialist. Every 4-6 weeks is recommended.
Chemical peels are a classic way to to address multiple concerns in one treatment. Most need several peels spaced 2-4 weeks apart for best results. The new metabolic peels don’t start showing the flaking stages of exfoliation until day 3. So giving yourself 7-10 days to recoup while waiting 4 weeks between sessions.
Dermaplaning is a wonderful skin exfoliating and hair removal treatment. Using a surgical blade, your extremely trained professional holds the skin tight and little by little takes off the layers of dead skin, removing all the sun and environmental damage and peach fuzz. This is an amazing service to do the day of a big event. Extra Tip: have this done before makeup application for a flawless complexion. Dermaplaning can’t be performed on active acne but will prevent clogged pores and pimples from forming.
Adding a drop of serum to your foundation vs directly on your skin will give you a soft glowing complexion. My favorites are lightweight, hydrating serums from CosMedix® – Affirm or Cell ID. These can help fill the gaps in your skin due to dehydration that cause the crepey like texture mid-day that some of us experience. This extra little step will create a smooth, bright and resilient canvas for an effortless makeup application.
IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) or Photofacials is the laser treatment to remove sun damage and hyperpigmentation left from blemishes or scars. This treatment can take anywhere from 3-8 sessions one time per month (depending on the depth and severity of the damage). IPL’s also promote collagen production and enhances cell turnover at a faster rate. The fall and into the first few months of the year is the perfect time to start these treatments.
Filler and Botox® injectables are very popular cosmetic treatments prior to the holiday season. Do your research on your injection specialist. Ask questions and look at their personal portfolio of before and afters. There is no such thing as a “bad filler”, just an untrained injectionist. Be sure to stop taking any omega 3’s and blood thinners (if cleared by your primary physician) 1-2 weeks before and no alcohol 24-48 hours before this treatment as it will drastically lesson your downtime. Fillers should be done 2 weeks before an event to allow any swelling or bruising to go away. It also allows time for the product to settle and any tissue trauma to heal so you know exactly what your results will look like for the next 12-24 months. Fun Fact: Filler can give you instant results but can also be reversed by injecting an enzyme that will flush out the filler within 5 minutes. Botox takes 7-10 days to see the smooth results of less lines. However, once Botox is injected it can only be “burned off” by your metabolism, which can take 3-4 months.
My Basic Rule of Thumb is to allow yourself 2 weeks minimal recovery time; possibly 4 weeks depending on the treatment. It’s always better to have more time than not enough to make any corrections to your skin, hair or spray tan. Having a consult with a specialist 2-3 months before any big holiday or event is ideal. Note: If you are wanting to make major changes or improvements (example, for your wedding or milestone birthday), you will want to consult several months prior to the date. This time allows both of you together to determine the BEST plan to address your skin and/or facial/body structure concerns and discuss realistic expectations…ensuring you will be super Happy and Hot for the Holidays!
