The Doctor Is In
Cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Lisa Airan first landed on our radar when she touted the benefits of store-brand skincare in Vogue. Then we saw her front row at Fashion Week and knew she was the real deal. We tracked down the most stylish MD in NYC for tips on prepping your skin for your big day.
—By Laura Flanagan
What kind of “skin routine” should brides do leading up to their wedding to make sure their skin is gorgeous?
Three months before your wedding:
• Consider injections of botox, and injectable fillers like sculptra or restylane. Botox can lift the brow 1 to 2 mm for a very open eye and a beautiful, natural look. Even in a young woman small areas of volume loss can be corrected with tiny amounts of fillers, which can make you look your very best on your wedding day.
• Consider laser treatments for photo rejuvenation or to remove brown spots and visible facial veins (broken capillaries).
• If you don’t already use the Clarisonic skin care brush start now. You will notice improved texture and decreased pore size.
• Begin a series of chemical peels such as Revitalize. This peel improves texture, decreases breakouts, and removes sunspots, and requires no downtime (so it can be done even one week before the wedding).
• GentleWaves is a great LED treatment, which is a series of eight treatments once a week that evens skin tone and makes the face look great.
• If you experience breakouts, see a dermatologist to begin an acne regime.
• Address areas of your body, not just your face. If you have dry, bumpy arms, see a dermatologist to get a prescription to help improve this condition known as keratosis pilaris (KP).
Four to six weeks before your wedding:
• Unwanted mole removal
• Laser Hair removal
• Treatment for excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis)
One to two weeks before your wedding:
• Eat well, stay hydrated and try to rest up before the big day.
• Consider one last peel one week before with a GentleWaves treatment to follow.
• One day before, you can do a GentleWaves treatment to look extra radiant without any downtime.
For brides that are scrambling at the last minute, is there anything they can do for their skin the day before their wedding?
The day before the wedding, it is more about what NOT to do….
• Avoid doing last minute treatments that can go wrong such as using a depilatory or bleaching cream. If using for the first time or if left on too long, the creams can cause a burn.
• Avoid trying at home peels for the first time.
• Avoid getting sun exposure or a sunburn.
What should you do if you wake up the morning of your wedding day with a pimple?
Go to your dermatologist and get a cortisone injection to help calm the cyst.
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| Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser, $7.99. |
Are there any foods or product ingredients that brides should avoid before their wedding because they adversely affect the skin?
Definitely avoid alcohol and soy sauce! Both cause swelling in the skin, which is difficult to cover with makeup. If a bride tends to have redness in their skin (rosacea) avoiding foods that cause flushing such as spicy food and red wine will help minimize redness.
Do you have a favorite skincare product that you love or always use?
I love the Clarisonic Skin Care Brush, SkinMedica TNS Recovery Complex and Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser.