We are so excited to have Dr. Angela back just in time for holiday parties to kick into high gear! Today she’s filling us in on how to get ready for the holidays, so keep on reading…
This is the time of year that we break out our boots and scarves, our social calendars start to ramp up and we are thinking about holiday parties of all sorts. This is also a time to plan your beauty routine for these events. More often than I would like to admit, I find myself pressed for time to look my best for these events. Here are some ideas to keep you looking great no matter what your deadline is.
- The event is in a few days – hydrate and consult a makeup guru. If you have an event in less than a couple of days, you should hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Yes, it makes a difference in your skin and how it looks in person and photographs. Drink lots of water and use products with hyaluronic acid to help plump your skin, like SkinMedica Hydrating Complex. Don’t start a new skin care regimen that includes retin A or retinols. Save that for when you have more time because you can have some redness and flaking as your skin gets used to it. Also, give your favorite makeup artist a call. I usually do my own makeup to save on time and money, but they can do amazing things to bring out your best features. My favorites are Edward Sanchez Cosmetics who does an amazing job, and if I am really pressed for time, I like to book makeup and a blowout on the Beauty Now app. It’s really easy and you can book anywhere or any time.
- You have 1-2 weeks. – Filler and maybe Botox. Soft tissue filler, like Juvederm or Restylane, give you results right away. These are great for filling nasolabial folds, cheeks and overall rejuvenating by replacing volume. Botox is a “maybe” because it takes 3-7 days to take full effect. You want to do this at least 10-14 days in advance. Also, take in to consideration the possibility of bruising. Even the best injectors can have bruising and in accordance with Murphy’s law, it happens before an event. So, I like to give at least 1 week between injections and big events, just in case.
- You’ve planned ahead and you have a month or more. – Moderate lasers or peels and possibly surgery. “Moderate” lasers, like a Fraxel Dual or fractionated CO2 laser take about 1-2 weeks for recovery and about 3-4 weeks to look really great. A good way to judge the intensity of the treatment is the length of recovery. The shorter the recovery (IPL, 0-2 days) will have more subtle results and a treatment with longer recovery (CO2 or YAG laser, 2 weeks) have dramatic results with the moderate treatments (Fraxel 5-7 days) being somewhere in between. This gives you some wiggle room in case you peel a little bit longer than expected. We always say allow 4 weeks between surgery, like eyelid surgery or a facelift, between surgery and a big event. Although this time of year is very popular for cosmetic surgery, usually people will opt for either surgery or attending the events, but I have had people do both!
- What about noninvasive lifting? – You need at least 3 months. Any noninvasive treatment that is stimulating collagen will need at least 3-6 months to see a result. So, it can be a great present for you to look great in the new year!
Whether you have been so busy that an event snuck up on you and its tomorrow or you are planning for the end of the year, there are options to stay looking your best. As always, make sure your plan is tailored to you, your anatomy and your lifestyle.
Image borrowed from pretty52.com