Wedding blues: Fix your skin woes before you say I do!- By Dr. Indu Ballani

From designing the most important dress of your life to buying the right jewellery, to fine tuning the guest list, and getting your to-be home ready to move in; there is too much on the minds of brides and groom to be. In the hectic life schedules of the day when brides and grooms are working late nights while also planning their honeymoons and wedding details, there is never enough time to engage in elaborate beauty rituals. In such a rush, skin woes and diet is often on top of the couples’ minds.
While brides want to have a flawless and glowing skin, the grooms work to get a clean and clear complexion with fit and trimmed body. But to achieve these goals, you must start a few weeks before your wedding date.
To deal with skin issues, the first step should be to identify the skin type, is it too oily? Is it too dry? Or is it too rough? With men and women today giving greater priorities to their careers and choosing to marry late, sometimes in their late 30s, some even have signs of ageing to deal with.
At least two months ahead of the wedding, do visit a dermatologist to help you figure out the skin problems and their solutions. If you have acne, the treatment has to start early, if the skin is dull and lacks glow, remedies have to be put in place. You cannot have dark circles and under eye hollows as you prepare for the most important day of your lives. Most treatments like hair removal and acne scar resurfacing need more than a few sittings at monthly intervals. So do not wait till the last minute, and never undergo a new procedure close to the wedding day. If something goes wrong, you need time to correct it.
Here is what you should do:
Start with basics: Ever heard of “Beauty lies deep within”? You appear on the outside what you are inside, meaning what you eat, how you live, how healthy your lifestyle is – all this determines the appearance of your skin and body. So, adopt a healthy lifestyle and basic skin hygiene from the day your wedding date is fixed. Use a good soap-free face wash that has deep moisturizing elements and one which will not leave residue. Follow the daily skin care regime that will consist of cleansing and toning every evening. Scrub at least once every week to remove dead cells and make your skin more receptive to topical applications and religiously use moisturizer and sunscreen daily. Use an astringent or toner that contains glycolic acid or alpha hydroxyl acid which will help in reducing the size of your pores, and will also help you avoid ingrown hair. Start oiling your body every day. This doesn’t mean an elaborate massage ritual. You can just apply a light coconut oil on face and body everyday as you wake up, leave it for half an hour, bathe normally and get ready for work. This will keep your skin healthy and nourished.
New age cosmetic procedures: You should visit a dermatologist two months in advance to get a status report of your skin. New age quick fix beauty procedures today are extremely popular with the young generation as they take little time and have long-lasting results. If frown lines on your forehead and crow’s feet around your eyes make you appear tired and aged, a quick procedure with Botox can dramatically change this. If your skin is dull, dry and sagging, a few jabs of hyaluronic acid based fillers like Juvederm can revive your skin, give it more volume and even redefine your facial features like the lips. You may need a laser hair removal procedure to get rid of body hair permanently. Or you may do well with medifacials or vitamin infusion treatments to rejuvenate the skin. Procedures like chemicals peels and microdermabrasion can exfoliate the dead skin and improve overall texture and glow; laser ski rejuvenation can effectively reduce scars and blemishes.
One can also use facial fillers like Juvederm for lip and cheek augmentation, removing nasolabial folds or “smile lines” and filling up the facial scars. If you have a problem of excessive sweating, Botox can be really helpful for you. After all, you will not want excessive sweat to spoil your wedding gown and make a mess on the all important day of your life. When administered under the arms, Botox controls perspiration and keeps you sweat free. What more, the impact of a single procedure lasts for a few months.
Here are a few treatment options you may need:
Chemical Peels to reduce pigmentation and improve skin texture: Salicylic peels and TCA peels are popular methods to treat pigmentation on skin and remove the dead skin layer to promote skin smoothness and vitality.
Microdermabrasion for Acne Scars: Acne is a problem that we have to deal with at some point of time in life. While the breakouts may phase out, they leave marks and scars on the skin. Microdermabrasion is used for the treatment of acne scars in which the superficial skin is abraded so as to stimulate the growth of new youthful skin especially in the areas of scarring.
Botox for Frown Lines & Crow’s Feet: Stress lines on the forehead and crow’s feet or the bunch of wrinkles that form around your eyes when you smile can be effectively rid of with Botox. It gives a fresher, younger and stress-free appearance.
Juvederm Refine for Glow: A jab of hyaluronic acid based filler Juvederm Refine can take away the fine lines and wrinkles from your face and neck and give it a beautiful radiant look.
Mesotherapy for hair thinning: Today, a lot of young men and women experience the problem of hair loss and thinning. In men, this issue is particularly pronounced and some may need a hair treatment to generate hair growth before wedding. Techniques used in mesotherapy treatment for hair loss are derived from mesotherapy. Using a specialized cocktail, your scalp is essentially given a vitamin boost which can improve the blood circulation in this area. Better circulation allows your hair follicles to be better nourished -- all of which can improve hair re-growth.
Exercise and De-Stress: No matter how busy you are, make sure you exercise vigorously for at least 20 minutes daily. Exercise not only keeps your body fit and healthy, but also helps blood circulation that improves skin texture. Exercise also helps de-stress the mind. Stress is a major bane of modern lifestyles and it has bad implications on the body and skin as well. Add to your daily life the hectic preparations of the wedding and stress levels will be sky high. Engage in long brisk walks at nights when whether is pleasant or perform yoga to keep stress at bay.
Right food and proper sleep:  Load your daily plate with fruits, salads, vegetables and fibre rich food. Include multivitamin supplements to improve overall nutrition. Strictly avoid oily snacks and junk food, this is as harmful for the body as for the skin. Eat whole grain, yoghurt and nuts. Importantly, drink a lot of water to keep your skin and body hydrated and nourished. This will also help you keep flushing out toxins. Make lemon water a part of your daily life. Avoid drinking and smoking – both habits have a poor effect on skin. Also ensure you get plenty of sleep to look rested and healthy and do away with dark circles.
(The Author is Dermatologist at Delhi.)