Wedding Ideas

Bridal Beauty: Noninvasive Treatments

Posted on June 14, 2017 by Francesca Sgambati

If you’re considering plastic surgery before your wedding, remember, you don’t need to go under the knife to help improve your appearance and feel picture-perfect. Plastic surgery has evolved in the last decade, and there are now many noninvasive treatments that create a natural-looking appearance with little or no recovery time, says Beverly Friedlander, M.D., a plastic surgeon in Short Hills who has practiced for more than 25 years. Small enhancements can have a big impact, she says, and are great for brides, bridesmaids and mothers of the bride. “Looking and feeling your best on your big day doesn’t have to be a dream,” Friedlander says. “It is achievable with safe, affordable, noninvasive plastic surgery enhancements that require no downtime and leave you looking natural and your best.” The most popular treatments sought from Friedlander by brides and members of the bridal party are all noninvasive. “You can achieve a noticeable result, and no one really has to know you’ve done anything because you don’t skip a beat,” she says. Friedlander recommends a test run three to four months before the wedding and having a touch-up treatment two to four weeks beforehand. Remember to factor these cosmetic procedures into your wedding budget because they are not covered by insurance, she notes. Here are some popular treatments: 1.) Lashes: Latisse is a prescription treatment for eyelashes. It is applied at home to the upper eyelid, and Friedlander says you see darker, thicker lashes after about a month, with the maximum impact visible by three months. “It makes the eyes look fuller, it increases the depth and the texture of the eyelashes,” she says. 2.) Skin: Microdermabrasion is performed with a handheld device that uses gentle blasts of microfine crystals to exfoliate the skin and remove surface imperfections from the entire face. It leaves the skin velvety soft and smooth. “Afterward, the skin feels as smooth as a baby’s bottom,” Friedlander says. This can be done one or two weeks before the wedding, but Friedlander says the best results come from a series of three to six treatments that are done one month apart. An option for brightening the skin is microneedling, which involves the topical infusion of nutrients into the skin to stimulate collagen production. “It brings the skin back to a more youthful look,” Friedlander says. There’s also a chemical peel, which does a deeper exfoliation that helps remove surface imperfections. 3.) Lips: Injections of Juvederm and Restylane can enhance the size and shape of the lips, adding fullness where you need it. “The goal is to make the lips look fuller without making them look excessively large,” Friedlander says. “It creates a plumper pout.” Have this done two to four weeks before the wedding. 4.) Fat freezing: This treatment helps reduce unwanted bulges by freezing the fat off your body. It’s most commonly done on the abdomen and hips but can also be done on the thighs and neck. This alternative to liposuction often leads to a smoother, yet curvier look. To undergo this treatment, the fat is drawn into an applicator and frozen for 35 minutes. Twenty to 25 percent of the treated fat ultimately dies and is flushed from the body naturally. Most people see results in three to four weeks, though the full process with multiple treatments takes three months, Friedlander says. “The beauty of this is once the fat is gone, it’s gone as long as the bride is eating healthy and working out to some degree before the wedding,” she says. “This is able to address the unwanted bulges that are present and helps to make the dress fit like a glove.” 5.)  Wrinkles: Though we love to hate them, you can help improve them by relaxing or filling them. Botox injections around the eyes can help reduce frown lines and crow’s feet. Fillers like Juvederm and Restylane can help fill in the wrinkles around the mouth, and help enhance the jawline and cheeks by filling wrinkles and plumping the tissue Friedlander says.