The Ultimate Glow-Up Calendar For The Bride And Her Mother

Looking and feeling your best on your big day begins with the right foundation—long before you choose your outfit and glam team. Appropriate beauty treatments, when planned and scheduled well in advance, will ensure a gorgeous glow when the time comes.

And this applies to the mother of the bride as well. Now’s the time to make an appointment with your dermatologist to understand your skin’s needs and create a customised glow-up calendar. Here are our recommendations of treatments and procedures worth signing up for.

Beauty Treatment Guide For the Bride And Her Mother

A year before the wedding

For the bride

The goal: Target deep-seated concerns like acne, pigmentation, hair loss or thinning, and body hair reduction Laser Hair Reduction:

 “Full body laser hair reduction requires multiple sessions spaced several weeks apart for optimal results, which is why getting started as quickly as you can is ideal,” explains Mumbai-based dermatologist Dr. Madhuri Agarwal. She recommends the Triton laser, which is a quick and painless device used in-clinic to effectively reduce hair growth and ingrown hair over time. It’s the easiest way to smooth, hair-free skin that doesn’t require constant upkeep.

Growth Factor Concentrate (GFC) and Exosome Therapies:

Sporting thick, voluminous hair on your wedding day requires long-term commitment. While PRP (platelet-rich plasma) was all the rage, newer options like GFC, a regenerative treatment that uses concentrated growth factors to promote tissue repair, and exosome therapies, which use cell secretions to stimulate regeneration, promise healthier hair that lasts through every bit of celebration and beyond.

In fact, this is ideal for the mothers who are dealing with hair loss as well. Results can typically be seen after two to three sessions, though it may vary based on individual response. 

ClearLift 4D:

If pigmentation is your primary concern, this non-invasive, fractional facial laser treatment is for you. It is Delhi-based integrative aesthetics specialist and dermatologist Dr. Kiran Sethi’s top recommendation to reduce dark spots and discolouration, starting with two to four sessions. 

For the mother: 

The goal: Addressing prominent signs of ageing like fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging skin

Thread Lifts:

Collagen loss and reduced firmness, along with prominent facial lines, need consistent in-clinic treatments for lasting changes, so starting as soon as possible should be your priority. Dr. Agarwal recommends thread lifts for improved skin elasticity, firmness, reduced wrinkles, and for a more youthful appearance. Start with a one-off session and repeat the process every one to two years.

MIFU:

Microfocused Ultrasound (MIFU), also known as Ultherapy, significantly helps firm and lift skin over time, especially around the neck, jawline, and décolletage area. Noticeable results start appearing after only one to two sessions; however, it takes a few months for collagen to build.

6 months to the big day

For the bride:

The goal:  Consistent brightening and hydration from the inside out IV Drips:

The global love for IV drips isn’t going away anytime soon—in fact, they’re only becoming more efficient. Skin boosters with a mix of hydrating ingredients, antioxidants, Vitamin C, collagen boosters, and glutathione can all be customised to your specific needs. NAD+ drips are all the rage today to deeply hydrate, detoxify, and promote cell regeneration. Find these at clinics such as Dr. Kiran Sethi’s Isyaderm in New Delhi and at The Wellness Co. outlets around the country. 

Body Peels and Lightening Lasers:

Pigmentation patches on the body require multiple sessions of peels and lasers over a few months for results to shine through. “We recommend starting with body pigmentation treatments, especially for areas like the back and underarms, at least four to six months prior to the wedding to be able to treat deep-seated unevenness effectively and ensure that these concerns don’t get in the way of a bride wearing the outfit she desires,” says Dr. Agarwal.

Carbon Peels and Micro needling Radiofrequency:

It’s best to sign up for treatments that require downtime and healing when you have a few months in hand. Both these treatments work on improving your skin tone and texture, reducing acne scars and dark spots. In carbon peels, a carbon solution is applied to the skin, which is then heated with a laser to exfoliate and rejuvenate the skin. 

Microneedling radiofrequency combines microneedling with radiofrequency energy to stimulate collagen production and improve skin texture. For both treatments, three to six sessions are typically recommended to see noticeable results, with sessions spaced about four to six weeks apart. 

For the mother

 The goal: Skin contouring and tightening, FaceStim Facial and Fractional Plasma:

 Dr. Agarwal suggests facial contouring treatments like FaceStim and Fractional Plasma, both of which use radiofrequency to deliver a non-surgical, face-lift-like effect and tighten skin on the whole. If you’re considering fillers or Botox instead, now would be the time to pencil those into your schedule, as they take a couple of weeks to settle into your skin. 

3 months to saying 'I do'

For the bride

The goal: Semi-permanent makeup, skin health maintenance, and much-needed moments for self-care Korean Hair Spa:

The 15-step treatment is customised to your specific hair and scalp concerns, balancing scalp-specific needs like exfoliation or sensitivity with optimal . Sign up for it at KorinMi Skin Clinic in Gurugram and New Delhi or the Florian Hurel Hair Couture & Spa in Mumbai. The extensive treatment also allows you to relax and pamper yourself in the lead up to your big day—no need to look through WhatsApp groups that may or may not be blowing up. 

Glass Skin Treatments:

Jenovia Daun Jung, a Gurugram-based cosmetologist, K-Beauty expert, and chief operating officer and co-founder of KorinMi, recommends a combination of two skin treatments for the Korean glass-skin glow.

“Three months prior, brides should sign up for the Glass Skin Resurfacing Treatment with a herbal peel to deeply exfoliate and nourish, along with monthly Diamond Glass Skin sessions to refine texture and enhance luminosity, ensuring a flawless, radiant finish with zero downtime.” 

HIFU:

High Definition Focused Ultrasound treatments are non-invasive procedures that use focused ultrasound energy to lift and tighten the skin by stimulating deeper layers to produce collagen. “They help contour the face for a defined jawline and also improve under-eye bags,” says Dr. Agarwal. If sharper features are your goal, don’t sleep on this. 

Microblading, Lash Extensions & Lift:

Microblading ensures your face is perfectly framed from the minute you wake up to when you go to bed, with no need to tweeze or fill any pre-existing gaps. One less thing to worry about, in our opinion. Dr. Deepali Bhardwaj, partner dermatologist at KorinMi and founder, Elska Clinic, suggests lash extensions or a lift 45 days prior to your wedding and then a touch-up about 20 days before. 

For the mother

The goal: Prioritise more than just your face Hand & Décolletage Rejuvenation: Skin boosters with plumping and hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid help reduce lax, aged skin around the often ignored hands and décolletage area—now’s the time to sign up, suggests Dr. Sethi. Price on request. 

Hair Mesotherapy:

Mesotherapy for the scalp involves injecting essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids into your scalp to promote healthier hair growth ahead of the wedding. Blowouts and updos aside, this will ensure your hair naturally looks healthier and put-together. 

2 weeks to go:

The last stretch

For the bride:

The goal: Radiant, hydrated skin maintenance with no extreme changes

Hydra-facial: 

Right before the wedding, it’s best to keep it simple with a focus on brightening and hydration, nothing too abrasive or intense. “A hydrafacial deeply cleanses, decongests, exfoliates, and hydrates, so that your skin looks dewy and refreshed on your big day,” advises Dr. Sethi. This is also the time to ensure that your body laser has done its job, brows and lashes are shaped and lifted, nails are primped, and hair colour and cut is exactly how you would like it. Prioritise sleeping and eating well with minimal treatments in the last leg. 

For the mother

The goal: Lifted, taut skin.

Contouring Medifacial: 

As you prepare for your child’s big day, let the final weeks focus on toning and lifting your skin with a contour-focused medifacial, recommends Dr. Agarwal. It combines various techniques like microcurrent, radiofrequency, and LED therapy to lift, tighten, and sculpt the face.

This story appears in Manifest India’s Issue 02. Subscribe here for more stories like this.