HOLIDAY hustle

LOOK REFRESHED WITH LAST-MINUTE AESTHETIC SERVICES

BY ANNETTE BROOKS

You want to look your best for family gatherings, events, parties, and pictures, but who has time to recover from aesthetic procedures during the holiday hustle and bustle? Even services touted as having no downtime doesn’t necessarily mean you can get something done in the morning and be party-ready that evening.

The key is to be completely open with your aesthetician about the time between your cosmetic procedure and attending social activities, so they can recommend the right services.

NO RECOVERY TIME

A customized facial is your best bet if you don’t have time for recovery before a party or event.

Combining services like hydrodermabrasion (HydraFacial) with oxygen infusion can leave your face incredibly smooth and radiant. Hydrodermabrasion addresses signs of aging, uneven skin tone, and dull, dehydrated, or oily skin.

It also can minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines. An oxygen skin infusion following hydro dermabrasion is the icing on the cake, accelerating skin hydration, soothing and brightening your skin, and reducing irritation or redness for a radiant finish.

Don’t worry if your aesthetician doesn’t offer these services. There are plenty of others that provide incredible results. Tell your aesthetician what you want to address and your goals so they can suggest treatments that meet your needs. Consider combining a luxury facial with LED light therapy, which sends light waves into your skin to trigger intracellular reactions. The wavelength associated with each color of light — red, blue, amber (yellow), and green, addresses different issues. LEDs are usually safe for all skin colors and types.

MINIMAL RECOVERY TIME

Sometimes beauty takes more than a single day to appear. Injectables are popular for a good reason — they work — but you may experience some bruising and redness afterward. Plan for this, just in case. Get injections at least one week and preferably two before a holiday gathering.

Wrinkle smoothing Botox or Dysport injections take only around 20 minutes, so you can zip in and out of your appointment and be on your way. You’ll likely see improvement in about two to four days but be aware the full effect might not appear for a week or two.

Dermal fillers add volume, fill in lines and wrinkles, and plump up your lips. You’ll see immediate results, but recovery time varies for each individual and type of filler. Be prepared to experience slight redness and swelling in the treatment area for up to a few days after the injection. This is normal.

With or without injections, a light peel that includes the face, neck, and décolletage is a fabulous way to smooth and brighten your skin, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, and improve overall skin texture. Consider a fruit enzyme peel that exfoliates with natural chemicals found in fruits. A light glycolic peel shortly before a social activity is another option. Expect your skin to be red after treatment and to peel for a few days.

Dermaplaning is a comfortable, low-risk procedure with little to no side effects and no downtime. Simply put, it’s an ultra-close facial shave that sounds like no big deal. Oh, but it is, which is why dermaplaning is a favorite among Hollywood stars before they walk the red carpet.

Dermaplaning is different than shaving your face with a regular razor. Using light strokes with a safe yet sharp exfoliating tool, your aesthetician will gently scrape your cheeks, chin, forehead, and temples to remove dead skin cells and vellus hairs. Vellus hairs make up the ultrafine, short, wispy “peach fuzz” that covers the face and body. Exfoliation and vellus hair removal smooths your skin and prepares it to absorb applied products and treatments more readily.

Professional dermaplaning is usually integrated with customized facial treatments to give the skin a fresh, luminous appearance. For me, dermaplaning, HydraFacial, and LED light therapy, in this order, produce amazing results. Be sure to find a provider who is experienced in dermaplaning and can create a treatment plan designed to deliver the best results for your skin type.