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Buffing Up for Your Wedding Day
(BNN) Wedding day is the first day of
a bride's new life. Perhaps inspired by the
popularity of physical-makeover TV shows, more and
more engaged women are choosing cosmetic-enhancement
procedures to begin that new life at their most
beautiful. Fairchild Bridal Group, a New York
publisher, reports that American brides spend more
money on beauty (approximately $606 million per
year) than on any other wedding-related outlay.
According to three of the nation's
top plastic surgeons, there are indeed a wide range
of current techniques for about-to-be-married
females to rejuvenate, restore, or otherwise enhance
their appearance. Among the most popular:
Perfecting the Skin
Skin rejuvenation is one of the
easiest to have done, says Jason Pozner, M.D., a
board-certified plastic surgeon in Boca Raton, Fla.
"Often, the stress of a busy lifestyle, with the
added pressure of planning a wedding, can leave the
skin dull or bring on acne," explains Pozner (www.asimd.com).
"However, acne outbreaks, scars, or pigmentation
flaws--even tattoos--can often be alleviated with
laser or intense pulsed-light treatments."
Skin-improvement techniques also
include injectable "fillers" such as Restylane® and
the wonder drug Botox Cosmetic®. Restylane is
designed to create more sensuous lips or fill out
facial creases, scars, or other surface
imperfections. Botox is aimed at relaxing wrinkles,
especially those on the forehead, between the brows,
and around the eyes and lips. Plastic surgeon Dr.
Steve Laverson of Carlsbad, Calif., (www.feelbeautiful.com)
declares: "Botox Cosmetic and Restylane or other
fillers can smooth and plump everything nicely, and
is a cost-effective non-surgical option."
Dr. Adam Tattelbaum, another
board-certified plastic surgeon, of McLean, Va., (www.atcosmetics.com)
agrees. "There's little downside to these
treatments," he asserts. "You can look great without
spending a lot of money and since it produces rapid
results, the treatments can be done within a month
of the big day.” Tattelbaum’s popular medi-spa,
Papillon, “provides a variety of medical spa
treatments to help you look and feel your very
best.”
Beautifying the Body
Fiancees with more time and
wherewithal can opt for liposuction and/or breast
implants, enhancements that can help a woman look
divine in her wedding gown. "I often see brides who,
even with diet and exercise, have exercise-resistant
fat that won't go away," says Tattelbaum. "For
saddlebags or other areas, such as the tummy,
liposuction--the surgical removal of excess fat from
under the skin by suction--is extremely effective at
restoring the figure, and once done, those fat cells
are gone forever."
As for breast implants, they "are a
wonderful way to help enhance a bride's figure,"
notes Pozner. "Especially in a strapless gown, that
extra fullness can make a big difference in the way
the gown fits." There are a variety of implant
techniques, and the cost averages around $5,000.
Brides are advised to consider breast
implants at least three to six months before the
wedding, and liposuction at least three months
before exchanging vows. For implants, "it takes time
for the bust-line to settle in and, for liposuction,
for swelling to decrease. These aren't things you
want to do at the last minute," Dr. Laverson
emphasizes.
What about so-called "extreme
makeovers"—those procedures that involve dramatic
changes to face and body. In the opinion of the
three afore-cited surgeons, such approaches are not
worth it. "It's better to think about specific
things that bother you, that you can correct,"
counsels Dr. Tattelbaum. "For instance, one patient
hated her nose; she had a rhinoplasty and, while she
was at it, a chin implant, and she looked gorgeous
for her wedding."
Makeovers in the Mainstream
All three surgeons stress the
importance of having any such procedure carried out
in a safe facility. If done in an outpatient clinic,
Pozner stresses, "Just be sure the outpatient
facility is fully licensed."
From all indications, "getting a
little work done" to enhance one's premarital
physiognomy is becoming increasingly mainstream.
"Brides today are more routinely including cosmetic
procedures in their wedding plans," reports Dr.
Laverson. "I'm seeing not only brides but
occasionally even bridegrooms. It's often a good
time to make cosmetic changes you've always wanted,
before expenses such as home-buying and raising
children impose on your budget."
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