I Tried 5 Pre-Wedding Skin Treatments for the Ultimate Glow—See What Worked

Usually, I'm pretty happy with my skin—breakouts are few and far between for me, and my complexion stays radiant and balanced with a simple routine that includes eye creams, rich moisturizers, serums, and lots of sunscreen. However, once I got engaged, my concerns of dullness, fine lines, and perpetually congested pores began to bother me more. To achieve a wedding-worthy glow, I decided to level up my skincare game, which meant entering into the world of medical facials, lasers, and peels. My friend Lucille Javier, who's gotten amazing results from treatments like the Clear + Brilliant laser and Jet Peel facials at Flash Lab, connected me with medical aesthetician Gabrielle Hope Bradley to plan my own journey. Ahead, learn about my experience with five different pre-wedding skin treatments, so you can decide for yourself what to try in order to look and feel your best on your big day.

Skincare Prep

From the start, Bradley made it clear that a good skincare routine is key to optimizing the results of professional treatment. If you have enough lead time, it's ideal to try new products and combine them with a customized treatment plan with the help of a professional. "People should try and get on a healthy regime to set a standard in correcting acne, sun damage, hormonal melasma," Bradley tells us. "Work on improving that like you would try to eat a well-balanced meal or have good hygiene." In addition to daily SPF 50, Bradley recommended I start retinol and add vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and a pH-balancing toner to my routine to help with brightness and hydration.

• SPF 50: Daily sunscreen use is essential to protecting your skin from UV damage—even if it's cloudy or you're mostly staying inside. A few of my favorites are from Supergoop!, Image Skincare, and EltaMD.
• Toner: "Toner is one of the most overlooked skincare steps," Bradley explains. "If you have breakouts or severely dry or oily skin, consider incorporating a toner or astringent into your routine after you cleanse." According to Bradley, a good toner can calm inflammation, balance skin's pH levels, and even prevent some breakouts before they happen. My go-to has become Dr. Barbara Sturm's Balancing Toner ($75)—it's super gentle and feels so soothing on clean skin.
• Hyaluronic acid: This popular, well-tolerated ingredient is a great way to keep skin hydrated, which can ultimately improve your complexion in several ways, from plumping to improved healing capacity. Barbara Sturm's Hyaluronic Serum ($320) is a favorite, but La Roche-Posay's Hyalu B5 Pure Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum ($40) has become an affordable alternative.
• Retinol: Of all the steps in my new routine, I was the most scared of retinol, but Bradley assured me that easing into it was safe. "Depending on the strength, retinol and tretinoin products can effectively brighten and begin to control acne-prone skin," she tells me. "Retinol can also help reverse fine lines and soften skin cells while stimulating your cell renewal factor to build newer, healthier, and brighter skin over time." I started using a small amount of PCA's Intensive Age Refining Treatment ($117) twice weekly, then built it up to five nights per week over a few months and started applying it to my neck area, too.
• Vitamin C: This was another big game-changer for the dullness I experienced. The SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic ($182) has become my go-to serum, and the brand's new Silymarin CF ($182) formula has come in clutch when the occasional breakout appears. "Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps to prevent free radical damage and pollution from eating away at your skin," Bradley says. "I love to use this in the morning to give your face an extra boost of luminosity before starting your day."
• Moisturizer: Since my skin errs on the dry side, Bradley encouraged a richer moisturizer. "You don't need a fancy moisturizer to have celebrity-looking skin," she says. "It all comes down to finding the right amount of hydration for your skin type." For me, she advised formulas with ceramides and hyaluronic acid. I've found Dr. Barbara Sturm's Super Anti-Aging Face Cream ($360) and SkinCeuticals' Emollience ($76) to be serious thirst-quenchers, and I have Drunk Elephant's Lala Retro Whipped Cream ($62) queued up next.

The Best Timeline

You should consult with your provider well ahead of time to create a pre-wedding skin treatment plan, as your ideal schedule will vary depending on your concerns and priorities. It varies from person to person, but here are a few genuine guidelines to expect:

• Several months ahead: You'll want to plan ahead when it comes to laser treatments, as these can take several sessions to achieve the best results. If you get a particularly deep chemical peel or other intense treatment, it's ideal to book these significantly ahead as well.
• A few months ahead: Rejuvenating treatments that require downtime—such as medium-depth chemical peels and microneedling with PRP—are best booked with enough buffer time to ensure you have time to address any negative reactions or receive multiple sessions.
• Weeks ahead: Closer to the wedding, focus on well-tolerated hydrating treatments, as well as any other concerns you and your provider want to address in the short term. For me, this meant the Jet Peel facial, which I had customized to fit my needs.
• Days ahead: Less invasive treatments like dermaplaning are ideal to get a few days before the wedding, as this ensures your skin has time to calm down from any irritation but the results are still fresh.

My Treatment Plan

I came to Bradley with three main concerns: dullness, fine lines, and pesky blackheads. At my consultation, she pointed out two other areas we could work to improve: Brownish-red pigmentation causing unevenness around my eye and cheek areas, and prominent blood vessels mostly near my nose (you've got to love skincare pros for pointing out new anxieties). While many treatments address these issues, Bradley and I agreed on a series of Clear + Brilliant and Laser Genesis facials and medium-depth VI chemical peels to start. "I love the idea of aggressively wiping away the dead, dull skin with a chemical peel to set the stage for rebuilding healthy tissue for that bridal glow," Bradley says of the approach.

My plan also included vessel removal treatments, dermaplaning, and JetPeel facials for deeper hydration and smoothing. The goal result? "An airbrushed, glowy natural look," as Bradley described it—which sounded like my exact bridal skin dreams. 

Clear + Brilliant Laser

Left: My skin's starting point / Right: My skin after my first Clear + Brilliant treatment

The first pre-wedding skin treatment I tried was Clear + Brilliant, a non-ablative fractional laser that targets age spots and texture. "Clear + Brilliant helps defeat early signs of aging by focusing on the skin's texture, elasticity, pore size, and clarity," Bradley explains. "What I love most about Clear + Brilliant is that it's a mini version of Fraxel laser at a lower setting. The wavelength of this laser is gentler, making it much more accessible and a client favorite." 

I had four Clear + Brilliant treatments over seven months, but I started to see the difference after my second. The pigmentation around my eye and cheek area was noticeably faded, my pores were less clogged, and the fine lines I obsessed over became less noticeable.

The only downside for me was the discomfort. After a while, the little zaps started to sting. In short measures, it's not bad at all, but when you're going over your entire face and neck sans numbing cream like I did (numbing cream is an option if you want it), prepare to grip on to something or take deep breaths. My cheek and lip areas were the most sensitive, but Bradley gave me breaks in between, and once the treatment was over, I felt back to normal. I was slightly red following the service, but by the time I got home, the redness had turned pink. By the following day, it was barely noticeable.

My face felt sandpapery for a few days, which Bradley warned me about. She advised doubling down on hydration using hyaluronic acid, and I also turned to hydrating face masks to nourish my post-treatment skin. My face felt back to normal by day four, but I kept up the increased hydration for an entire week. 

Price: $450

VI Chemical Peels 

I was nervous about chemical peels (mainly because I remember Samantha Jones's fiery face on Sex And The City), but that couldn't have been farther from my experience with the two medium-depth peels I did. I started with the VI Peel Purify With Precision Plus six months before my wedding, followed by the Peel Precision Plus treatment a month prior to the big day. "The VI Peel is a mixture of TCA, retinoic acid, salicylic acid, phenol, and Vitamin C acid," Bradley explains. "It's great for all skin types." 

These skin-shedding treatments kill unwanted bacteria and tighten the skin, which helped with my clogged pores. They can also fade scarring, reduce age spots, even tone, and smooth out skin texture. Bradley prepped my face with acetone before applying the peel formula. "For the best results of doing a professional medical-grade peel, either alcohol or acetone is typically used to remove sebaceous oils from the skin," she explains. "This ensures that the chemical peel will be applied more evenly and penetrate even better to ensure the maximum results."

As Bradley brushed on the peel with gentle strokes, the process felt relaxing. The formula didn't irritate in the slightest: Instead, it delivered a slight tingle. Once applied, the peel gave my face a faint orange tint that reminded me of a bad faux tan. Post-treatment maintenance includes a series of products that encourage optimal peeling—by day three, the peeling begins, and by day seven, most people are flake-free. 

Two days after my first peel was applied.

Bradley told me I would peel like a snake, so my expectations were high. I certainly did shed, but not as much as I thought. After my second treatment, I had much more turnover: My new skin felt baby-soft, and the pigmentation around my cheeks noticeably faded. One critical point Bradley urged was to not give in to temptation and peel or pick at your skin. It may seem satisfying to yank away chunks of dead skin, but you could end up doing more harm than good. 

Price: $450

Laser Genesis and Vessel Removal

In addition to my Clear + Brilliant laser and chemical peels, Bradley started incorporating Laser Genesis, which she says is ideal for treating hyperpigmentation from acne scars, rosacea, and visible blood vessels. "Laser Genesis is a YAG 1064 wavelength used to heat the dermal tissue," she explains. "In the process of stimulating more circulation, by dilating the blood vessels underneath, we can essentially dilute most of the red undertone pigmentation of the skin."

Bradley combined this treatment with vessel removal around my nose a few months before my wedding, and once more with a JetPeel facial just a couple of weeks before. Depending on your level of redness or pigmentation, she says the best results from Laser Genesis often appear after six to eight consecutive treatments, spaced out every two to three weeks. 

I barely felt any discomfort during the Laser Genesis process. I was more sensitive to vessel removal, however: The procedure around my nose and on my cheeks wasn't bad, but inside, my nostrils stung—a lot. Luckily, it was over quickly. If you're considering vessel removal, Bradley suggests avoiding alcohol for three days post-treatment to optimize results.

Price: $250 for full face Laser Genesis, and $200 for nose vessel removal

Jet Peel Facial 

With less uneven pigmentation, clearer pores, and diminished vessels, the time had come to focus on hydration as I got closer to my wedding date, and that's where Jet Peel facials came to the rescue. My skin was a lot more radiant than it was starting out, but hydration was important to maximize the glow. Bradley began treating me with Jet Peel about two months before the big day. I started with one, then came back each of the three weeks before my wedding.

A Jet Peel isn't your average facial: The celebrity-loved treatment is noninvasive and fully customizable (more on this later), penetrating 1.5 mm into the skin to plump fine lines. "A Jet Peel uses a jet stream of air delivering serums deep into the tissue," Bradey explains. "I love it because it delivers ingredients deep underneath the skin, creating microdroplets that absorb directly into the dermal tissue." 

The Jet Peel also incorporates lymphatic drainage, which helps with dark circles, puffiness, and sculpting the jawline, as well as exfoliation to clear out the pores and brighten the skin. This is where you can customize your treatment to your needs. "We can use different peels for different people, either using a glycolic acid 5% up to 16%," Bradley says. "A Mandelic and BHA mix is also suitable for acne-prone skin." 

Infusion is another customization, which I did with hyaluronic acid, stem cells, and ATX NAT, a peptide made of six amino acids with similar effects to Botox. "The infusion of ATX NAT is much safer on the skin and is great for reducing the appearance of deep wrinkles," Bradley explains. "It's a great thing to do before an event like a wedding." While I did consider Botox (and TBH, still am), I was hesitant to try it so close to my wedding, having never done it before. "The ATX NAT is such a great way to provide softening of the wrinkles without the commitment of injectable Botox," Bradley tells me. 

After each treatment, I felt like I had bathed in a pool of hyaluronic acid. To maximize the benefits, I waited until the next day to rinse my face, letting the serums work their hardest overnight. While I can't say if the effects are quite the same as Botox, I'd like to guess they're close. I plan to keep the Jet Peel as part of my regimen whenever I'm experiencing dryness or before significant events.  

Price: $275

Dermaplaning

A smaller, though not insignificant, piece of my wedding skin puzzle was dermaplaning—a smoothing treatment using a scalpel-like razor to remove dead skin, hair, and other impurities. "Dermaplaning before the wedding will help your makeup go on smoother and exfoliate the skin to make it brighter," Bradley says. 

While you can safely dermaplane at home with the proper tools, I left it to Bradley and had it done on three different occasions. Similar to my chemical peel, I found it satisfying to see the dead skin sloughed off and relished the baby-smooth feel that followed. Now that I'm more comfortable with the treatment, I'm open to trying it myself at home.

Price: $100

Final Thoughts 

I couldn't be happier with my wedding skin, and I now understand the benefits of curating a customized skincare plan with a professional. My biggest takeaway is that a single treatment won't work magic, be it a laser treatment, chemical peel, or facial. Sure, there are benefits, but it takes several sessions—if not a combination of treatments—over time to see significant change. Patience and dedication are by far the most important requirements. And while routine visits become pricey, I believe that every treatment I tried was worth it, especially before a momentous occasion like a wedding. There's no better investment than feeling your absolute best.