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Hair-Waxing-Facials, Oh My!
By Kelly Krause
Photography By Erin Stoll - Rami's Photography
I can’t think of a single bride who has ever said they didn’t want to look their best for their wedding - and rightfully so! Your wedding is your time to treat yourself like a true princess: dress to the nines and primp-n-pamper yourself like you never have before. But while you’re treating yourself to relaxing activities like a day at the spa, it’s important to know the do’s and don’ts before you walk down the aisle.
When I think of relaxing, I think of indulging in an entire day of pampering services: getting my hair done; eyebrows waxed; pedicure and manicure and winding down to an hour-long Swedish massage—maybe a facial in between one of those. But most important for a bride is that she get ample relaxation time AND all the services she needs in one sitting before the “big day”. Here is a list of services to consider before your wedding day.
Hair
Do: Char Ratkovec, owner of D’Zyns in Lincoln, recommends reserving your wedding weekend 3-4 months in advance of the big day. Generally, the bride will have a ‘trial run’ hair appointment 1-2 weeks prior to the wedding to practice the perfect hairstyle. Ratkovec recommends a color service be done 2-3 weeks before the wedding to avoid re-growth (and horrid roots!). And the same time period of 2-3 weeks applies for a trim as well.
Don’t: Never call the week before your wedding and expect to get an up-do or color appointment, especially if you have a summer wedding. Also, cover up those dark roots; your veil or tiara doesn’t hide everything.
Tanning
Do: Brides really like to look lustrous on their wedding day. But nothing is worse than looking streaky, red or orange. Besides the obvious sunbathing done outside and ‘fake baking’ in tanning beds, there are other options. Many tanning salons now offer airbrush tanning that is Ultra-Violent (UV) free. You can also purchase sunless tanning lotions, sprays or cloths from drug stores or makeup counters. Just make sure to carefully follow the directions.
Don’t: If you tan in the sun or in the bed the day of the wedding, you will most likely appear red in your pictures. So, as a general rule of thumb, tan 2-3 days before the wedding in case you burn. In case of a tanning emergency, there are products on the market, like Aloe Vera that help to calm and soothe redness and burns. Always follow directions on sunless tanning products; you don’t want to look streaky with orange hands.
Pedicure & Manicure
Do: This is a great service to be done either the day of or before your wedding. It looks really nice when the bridal party has matching fingers and toes too. Your nails should look classy; wild and crazy nail designs are not the rage for weddings.
Don’t: Watch out for smudges. If you are getting these services in a spa, they should keep you there until your nails are dry. If they don’t, try not to touch anything, you don’t want to end up taking more time out of your day for touch-ups.
Waxing
Do: Let’s face it: women have facial hair. Although not as prominent as men’s, it is important that we maintain what is noticeable. The most common procedure of temporary hair removal in a spa is waxing and amongst the most common areas are: eyebrows, lip and bikini. According to Kelly Marbach, founder of Atlantis in Omaha, waxing should be done every five weeks so growing hair doesn’t become too noticeable.
Don’t: Because waxing can cause temporary surface redness and occasional face bumps, don’t wax the day of your wedding. Instead, go a few days before so your not beet red for your pictures. However, you can do your legs and bikini area at any time. Keep in mind that the shorter the hair, the more the waxing will hurt. So, go ‘hippie’ for a few days to prevent pain and “never go to someone who doesn’t have a lot of experience in waxing, Marbach said, if it’s messy, they shouldn’t be doing it.”
Facial
Do: For a bride who wants clear skin, a facial is your calling. Marbach says that facials are great because they mildly exfoliate the skin. “If you are oily, it unclogs skin and evacuates pores of anything dirty; if you’re dry, it gets rid of dead skin,” Marbach said. “Twenty-eight year old skin isn’t exfoliating like it should, so facials boost the process.” There are different types of facial treatments and Marbach recommended talking to a spa esthetician to discuss what’s best for your skin type.
Ann Alesio, owner of Bella Skin Care and Massage Therapy in Lincoln, says, “Deep pore cleansing facials are a great way to start taking care of your skin. Enzymes remove dead skin so that impurities embedded in the pores can be extracted. Chemical peels and microdermabrasion will take the process one step further to exfoliate and polish the skin. Don’t: Like waxing, a facial can also cause surface redness or breakouts if your skin is sensitive. So, brides should steer clear of this procedure on their wedding day. If you want to stay in the ‘safe zone,’ get a facial 3-4 weeks prior.
Skin Maintenance
Do: According to Alesio, “Maintaining great skin between treatments is a crucial part of getting optimum results. This can be achieved by using high quality skin care products to suit one’s individual skin type. At Bella, we use only professional products containing pharmaceutical grade ingredients. They are more effective because of purity and ability to penetrate the layers of the skin. Many drug store or department store products contain food grade ingredients and synthetic fragrances that can be irritating and simply not as effective.”
Don’t: Never try a facial product that isn’t geared toward your skin’s needs. Watch out for oils and ingredients that clog pores. Always consult a professional esthetician or dermatologist if you have questions. The last thing you want is bad skin for pictures.
Internal Cleansing-At Home Treatment
Do: To take good skin to the next level, Marbach personally recommends beginning a mild herbal digestive cleansing six months before the wedding. Digestive cleansing or colon cleansing involves taking pills which flush the colon of unnecessary impurities thus bringing forth clear skin. Because the skin is the last organ to get moisture, Marbach recommends starting the cleansing months before the wedding to achieve peak results. You can purchase a digestive cleanser from any natural food market. As a general rule, always drink a lot of water, which also helps promote clear skin.
Don’t: Brides should not take this the day of or even a few days before their wedding because it basically “blasts the colon” and can be very uncomfortable. Also, when beginning, start slow on dosage; don’t take the recommended three capsules a day—try one first.
Though Ratkovec mentioned that brides often come in for a full day at the spa (pedicure, manicure, massage, facial, hair styled, make-up application and lunch), spa days are a great idea for bonding with your bridal party. Ratkovec said that bridal parties often come in for spa services and enjoy brunch together on the day of the wedding.
For any questions about services and appointments, consult your local day spa. Whether you are the bride, bridesmaid, mother of the bride or even the groom, remember that a day at the spa should be fun and relaxing. Don’t forget to get yourself the hour-long Swedish massage, you’ll become addicted. Go ahead and pamper yourself—you deserve it.
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