Botox is the most popular non-invasive treatment with future brides. It makes up nearly 15% of all reviews on RealSelf that mention “wedding” or “getting married.”
“Botox is always popular, but even more popular for the bride and mother-of-the-brides about a month or so before the wedding,” Detroit plastic surgeon Dr. Anthony Youn said. “They all want a flawless, wrinkle-free face.”
If you’ve never had Botox before, it’s advisable to do a trial run a few months before the wedding. Manhattan dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner doesn’t recommend getting Botox for the first time shortly before your wedding.
“I’d like to treat the patient, make sure that she is happy how she looks, and then re-treat a few weeks before the wedding,” Dr. Zeichner said. “While Botox is an outstanding treatment, it does slightly change your appearance, especially when you smile, so I always want to make sure that the bride knows exactly how she will look on her big day.”
CoolSculpting, a non-surgical fat reduction treatment, checks in at No. 2 on the list.
“Every bride wants to look amazing in their dress and on their honeymoon,” Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Shelia Nazarian said. “Coolsculpting is so safe and easy. It leaves no scars. And it works.”
Dr. Nazarian said brides interested in CoolSculpting need to plan six months to a year ahead of the big date to have “wow” results in time for their wedding.
Advanced planning is also necessary for brides looking to change their pearly whites. Invisalign, No.3 on the list, is the only smile-enhancing treatment that made the top five treatments, and that can take four to 18 months to complete the treatment.
“Brides who have been thinking about Invisalign for some time tend to come in and start treatment once they get engaged,” New York dentist Dr. Victoria Veytsman said. “Invisalign attracts a lot of brides, because it’s a fairly easy and conservative treatment but yields maximum results.”
Hyaluronic acid fillers Juvederm and Restylane, commonly used for everything from plumping lips to filling fine lines around the mouth, hold the No. 4 and 5 spots. Dr. Youn said a lot of brides come into his office a month or two before the wedding for lip enhancement.
“Fillers are also very popular to restore lost volume to the face,” Dr. Zeichner said. He also commonly uses fillers to enhance cheeks, address under-eye hollows, and plump lips, but warns that because of the risk of bruising and swelling, brides should give themselves at least a few weeks before the wedding day.
Although it didn’t make the top five, miraDry, a non-invasive treatment that uses microwave energy to destroy sweat glands and prevent dreaded underarm sweating, was reported by multiple doctors as being a top pick among brides to be.
“We see a lot of soon-to-be brides undergoing miraDry for underarm sweating,” Dr. Youn said. “They don’t want to be dripping sweat into their wedding dresses.”
Dr. Nazarian also noted this trend and said she sees not just brides, but also bridesmaids for miraDry. “These women would never wear silk due to underarm sweating … but when their dress is picked out for them, they panic.”
Future brides and bridesmaids aren’t the only ones scheduling appointments with cosmetic surgeons. Many grooms-to-be are also getting non-invasive treatments. Botox is popular among men looking to reduce wrinkles. Invisalign, teeth whiting, and smile makeovers are also popular.
“Brides want everyone in their party to look perfect, especially the groom,” Dr. Veytsman said. “His smile has to match her dress!”
No matter what pre-wedding procedure you’re interested in, it’s important you plan ahead. You wouldn’t wait until a week before your wedding to order flowers, so don’t wait that long to schedule your Botox.
“Unfortunately if you wait too long, your options are limited,” Dr. Zeichner said. “In those cases, perhaps a good makeup artist is the best bet!”