Dr Hannah Chapman is a respected senior GP who has been a doctor in Bristol for 17 years. She is Medical Director at KinDRed Skin Aesthetics and wore a Mews dress on her own wedding day 10 years ago!
In this blog, Dr Hannah gives her expert insights into obtaining that perfect wedding glow.
Should you consider aesthetic treatments before your big day?
First and foremost, the most important thing to say is that no Bride should feel pressure to seek aesthetic treatments for their wedding day. There is a lot of expectation on women to look “perfect” on their big day. You are beautiful exactly as you are and you do not need to do any treatments!
That being said, it is also completely normal to want to look your best on your special day and subtle aesthetic tweakments can give you a glow and confidence. Most people do not want to look “different” on their wedding day, just the best version of themselves and doctor-delivered aesthetic treatments and medical-grade skincare can help you achieve just that.
What are the most popular pre-wedding treatments?
This summer, I have been privileged to see lots of Brides (and Grooms and Bridesmaids and parents of the Bride/Groom) in clinic. My ethos is always to achieve a natural and subtle result, but especially so before a wedding, so our focus is often on great skin, and we have some amazing treatments to achieve this.
I offer complimentary skincare consultations (in person and remotely) in which we can demystify skincare and develop a bespoke treatment plan. I work with the skincare brand Obagi, a medical-grade brand including some prescription-strength products, so we can achieve real results for skin conditions such as pigmentation, acne, dullness, etc.
In clinic, popular skin-focused treatments include skin peels, SkinPen microneedling and skin boosters. These all aim to give you glowing skin with no change to your facial structure or muscle movement so they are the ultimate in “natural” aesthetics.
My favourite pre-wedding skin treatment is Profhilo. It is the Rolls Royce of skin boosters. It contains one the highest concentrations of hyaluronic acid on the market (a natural hydrator found in our skin) and is injected in 10 specific points on the face. It is often thought of as an “injectable moisturiser”, but it goes beyond that and stimulates additional collagen and elastin synthesis to produce skin remodelling. After a few weeks, your skin will look incredibly plump, hydrated and dewy.
Other popular pre-wedding tweakments are anti-wrinkle treatments and very subtle dermal fillers. We have a very flexible dermal filler called RHA1 which can be used for lip hydration (no trout pout in sight!).
How about treatments for pregnant or breast feeding brides-to-be?
As a mum of two boys, I know how wonderful it is to be a mother but also how tired it can make us look (and feel!). Unfortunately, many aesthetic treatments are a no-go area during pregnancy and breast feeding (usually not because they are “unsafe” but because they have not been studied in this population). However, there are some amazing Obagi skincare products available and my Dermalux LED light therapy device is a safe way to get glowing skin throughout pregnancy and lactation.
What should you consider when choosing an aesthetic clinic?
The UK aesthetics industry is woefully unregulated at present. There are many “aesthetic practitioners” who have no medical knowledge or experience, using “black market” and fake products and not able to deal with their own complications. It is so important to look after your precious face by choosing someone who is medically qualified, experienced, fully insured and regulated by a governing body (such as the GMC). This should always be the case but is obviously especially important ahead of your wedding day. I would also advise you to follow your clinic on social media and read their reviews. It’s important that your chosen clinician is not only a medical expert but has a style that aligns with your own aesthetic. Would you trust them to both manage a medical emergency and choose your wedding dress?!
You’d like to find out more. What should you do next?
Just like everything else to do with weddings, it’s best to start well in advance. Ideally 6-12 months before your wedding would be the perfect time to book an initial consultation. However, if you have left it last minute, there are still options!
If you have a group that would like a treatment, for example a SkinPen microneedling treatment for you and your bridesmaids, I can host a little event for you and offer a group discount. Having a SkinPen event is the new hen party!
I offer complimentary consultations so you can simply book in for a full facial and skin analysis and to find out more about aesthetic treatments, with no obligation.
I’m looking forward to meeting you!
To find out more about Dr Hannah, you can visit:
Website: www.kindredskin.co.uk
Facebook and Instagram @kindredskinaesthetics