December is the wedding season in Singapore, according to a recent survey published by the Department of Statistics. For some, December woud seem like an odd month to get married; it is the rainy season (so outdoor ceremonies may have to be scrapped unless you want to say your vows in the pouring rain), most people you would probably want to invite would be making plans for family holidays. But it is true that most couples choose the festive season for their nuptials, when work slows down in general and they are able to take time off work more easily.
If you have plans to tie the knot with your man at the end of the year, you should have most of the big decisions made by now, such as announcing your engagement and setting the date (yes hello? You want people you are going to invite to save the date and actually attend your wedding, yes?), booked the venue, your wedding stylist, your photographer and videographer (these get booked 12 to 24 months in advance, I am not kidding!). Some people book professional wedding planners, while others prefer to see the wedding prep through themselves.
For brides-to-be, don’t forget to start on your beauty prep early. We speak to Dr Michelle Lim, Medical Consultant at the SW1 Clinic, who sees many of her patients through the months leading up to their big day, and assembled the essential beauty checklist for every ravishing bride-to-be!
9 MONTHS TO GO – Aim To Slim And Sculpt
The Dress is probably the single factor that both excites and bothers a bride-to-be the most. Most brides have a white wedding gown, and an evening dress for the wedding banquet. For the Chinese in Singapore, a “tea dress” such as a figure hugging traditional cheongsam is also common. Dr Michelle suggests that this is a good time to start toning the body with clever dieting and exercising. Start building your fitness joining the gym, for example. Some gyms offer free group exercise classes which are very popular with females and males alike, such as Lesmills.
Those with a stubborn tummy or bra bulge or love (or should we say “hate”) handles which are difficult to resolve with just diet and exercise can relax, because your doctor might have a solution. In SW1 Clinic, Coolshape is a body sculpting, fat freezing treatment that can be performed for patients where more invasive slimming treatments such liposuction is not an option. FDA-approved and complete non-invasive, one can expect up to 25% of the area treated to be reduced in the following 2 to 3 months. SW1 Clinic’s Coolshape incorporates Dream Bodytone, a special massage that encourages more efficient lymphatic drainage, and Exilis Body, a radiofrequency skin tightening treatment, which enhances the slimming results. Treatments can be repeated after 8 to 12 weeks on the same areas until you get the perfect cheongsam or mermaid gown fit.
6 MONTHS TO GO – Unleash The Anti-Aging Arsenal
For those who have droppy skin concerns, Dr Michelle suggests starting your anti-aging treatments early. Non-invasive skin lifting and skin tightening treatments are extremely popular with brides, but don’t forget that these are collagen stimulating treatments and your body needs time to kickstart the natural rejuvenation process which takes approximately 3 to 6 months to achieve visible effect.
Those who have textural and pigmentation problems should also get these looked into early, because problems like these require multiple gentle treatments spaced over time. Dr Michelle recommends Fraxel Light, micro-sublative laser treatment well-loved by patients for its gentle all-rounder skin texturizing and brightening effect.
Those with acne scar concerns can start skin resurfacing lasers such as SmartX Light, a fractional CO2 laser treatment designed to plump up and level atrophic scars.
4 MONTHS TO GO – Create a luminous canvas
This is roughly the time when wedding photoshoots take place. All brides dream of romantic, dewy complexion, that’s why it is important to book a good makeup artist! But first, create a luminous canvas. Skin hydrating treatments such as hyaluronic acid babydrop skinboosters draw water to the skin, giving a longer lasting dewy effect. For those who also have acne scars or fine lines, Rejuran DNA Resurgence revitalizes the skin by delivering DNA extracts into your skin, helping you repair and rejuvenate skin cells, from within. Expect more elastic and lifted skin within 2 or 3 weeks.
Smooth, supple and lifted skin is youthful and cheerful-looking. Those who have sunken cheeks or temple hollows can rejuvenate with Dream Sculpture, a technique of using Sculptra, a natural collagen stimulator (not a filler or Botox).
These treatments are best repeated 2 to 3 times, once a month, so Dr Michelle recommends getting started!
2 MONTHS TO GO – Facial Sculpt
If you were wondering when I was ever going to write about filler augmentation, this is it. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you crave a little projection perhaps because of a flat nose bridge, or have some serious undereye hollows to address, the best time would be to do it at this time. Dr Michelle warns that most doctors are actually more comfortable injecting fillers when they have time to build it up over weeks, rather than having one chance to get it perfect. So to avoid disappointment, try not to leave this too close to the big day.
Dr Michelle says some brides consciously choose not to filler augment for the shoot, because of concerns of regret later on, especially if they have not augmented those facial areas before. Hyaluronic acid fillers are temporarily and can be easily dissolved if one does not like it, but a wedding photoshoot is permanently locked in time. Actual day photos are usually taken in context and with background, so logically, brides actually like to have fillers done for the actual big day.
1 MONTH TO GO – Relax a little
1 month to go! Those who need to soften any wrinkles with Botox should do so now, and Dr Michelle recommends that less is more at this stage, and a bride can “botox” but always maintain the ability to keep the expression, with a little less lines. In fact, some lines convey a certain character and warmness, so don’t panick if you can still see some lines after Botox. And try not to experiment with anything new, unless your trusted doctor strongly recommends it.
2 WEEKS TO GO – Last Brightening Burst
You should be getting busy and wondering why everyone wants a piece of you by now. “Most brides start to lose weight around 2 to 4 weeks to the wedding, even though they have completely lost the dieting discipline and have started to succumb to some food cravings”, says Dr Michelle, who recalls eating roti prata and fast food on many nights, and then nothing at all on other nights 2 weeks to her wedding day, when she simply had no time. “The skin suffers as a result, so it is important to have the last brightening step done”.
SW1 Clinic’s most coveted glow treatment is their BB Aquatouch laser treatment, which gives tired skin a photoshop, makeover effect. Utilizing a Thulium laser, this treatment is the holygrail of anyone looking to brighten skin and tighten pores. Expect a recovery of anything between 4 to 7 days, depending on the settings chosen.
Read more: BB AquaTouch Laser: Airbrush “Photoshop” Skin in Real Life
1 WEEK TO GO – Ready For It
In the final week, have one last burst with SW1 Clinic’s premium facial, 24K Uplift, a relaxing spa facial treatment which incorporates SygmaLift, a painless, no-redness fractionated HIFU treatment to noticeably tighten the jawline. The skin is bathed in ingredients for that last hydrating boost before the doctors at SW1 Clinic hand you over to your big day!