By: Halcyon Med Spa Photos by: Heather Crump Photography, Courtesy of Brittany Hunter Winn
As distracting and absorbing as the internet has become, it has made planning big events, like weddings, much easier. We can view venues in less time than it takes to brew a cup of tea. We can “audition” DJs and bands while we sip that tea. Finding the perfect florist to suit your style is as easy as scrolling Instagram.
Ladies in the 80s would have had so much extra time if they’d only had social media! But we still need to get out and do some things IRL: catering and cake sampling comes to mind. Brides today are getting out for something else too, med spa services. “We are seeing brides as much as a year before their event date to create a treatment plan leading up to the big day,” says Heather Lenhart, a board-certified nurse practitioner at Halcyon Med Spa.
Just as ceremonies have become more complex, so has the beauty plan, and for more than just the bride. “Botox parties for the bride and her bachelorette are common, but we’re also creating treatment plans for the entire bridal party, including the groom and wedding guests. “Weddings today include meticulously artistic photography that people want to share online. This means that clients want to look their absolute best for their day and their photos” Heather explains. “The most common concerns my patients mention are shadows and fine lines, which are easily addressed with injectables.”
One local bride who had a very specific expectation for her wedding look is Brittany Hunter Winn, the patient coordinator at Halcyon Med Spa.
Having a working understanding of all the spa services helped her narrow down her bridal beauty priorities. “I already had an injectables routine, so I began my additional prep 3 months out from the wedding. I knew I wanted to do Ultherapy since the lifting effect would take time. The days go by fast before a wedding. About 30 days out I started doing a face mask every week at home, using the ZO Complexion Clearing mask if I felt a breakout was looming, or MASK Spotless, my favorite biocellulose sheet mask. It hydrates and calms inflammation, reducing redness. My at-home regimen already includes ZO Skin Health products like Wrinkle and Texture Repair, which has done a lot to mitigate pigmentation. I paused that about 10 days prior to the ceremony to be sure I wouldn’t have any dry patches, since it is a powerful retinol product.” Asked if she could pick just one treatment, she didn’t pause before answering “Botox! I started in my late 20s and it has been an amazing preventative against wrinkles.”
Botox, the most well-known neuromodulator, and dermal fillers, are the most in-demand injectable treatments. But now that injectables have been around a while, people are wary of jumping for services that might make them look different. After all, Instagram is full of unnatural results that modern brides generally want to avoid. For those patients, Heather advises beginning with baby steps, well in advance. Baby Botox, for example, is merely smaller doses of your choice of neuromodulator. Skilled injectors will be able to relax your wrinkles, gently plump lips and crisp a jawline without causing a frozen or unnatural appearance. Getting an early start allows you to evaluate the results of your initial treatment, and decide whether that level is enough for your bridal expectations.
Neuromodulators like Botox, Dysport, Jeuveau, and Xeomin will all last about 4 months. You’d want to begin 10-8 months before your big day so you are in control of your look and have plenty of time to evaluate your results. And it’s not just about injectables; lots of skin issues can be resolved with chemical peels and laser treatments like Laser Genesis. Those will have varying amounts of downtime too. So it’s wise to schedule your initial consultation as soon as possible, also giving you the option to include treatment expenses into your wedding budget.
Wedding dress: Julian Gold
Hair: Ivana Trinidad of Grounded Beauty Studio, @groundedcc
Makeup: @hairnmakeupbylulu
