Best Non-Surgical Treatments for Brides

Below I detail five non-surgical treatments that I often perform in advance of patients’ special events. Let me help you look your best on the big day!

• Treat Your Gummy Smile:  On your wedding day, be prepared to smile a lot! A significant percentage of women have some degree of ‘gummy smile’, where the gums above the teeth are partially revealed when smiling broadly or intensely. I can treat this with a combination of Botox Cosmetic to temporarily partially paralyze the muscle, the orbicualaris oris, that lifts the upper lip in a smile and Juvederm, a facial injectable filler, to slightly augment the fullness of the upper lip. The combination of these two injectables can reduce a “gummy smile” significantly or fully depending on the severity. The treatment lasts 4-6 months and involves only a small amount of each of the two injectables, making it relatively affordable.
• Raise the Corners of the Mouth: At rest, many people have slightly downward sloping corners of the mouth, or oral commisures in medical terms. You can avoid this accidental frown in your candid wedding photos with a small combination of the injectable Botox® Cosmetic just below the corner of the mouth to temporarily partially paralyze the depressor anguli oris (DAO) muscle, which pulls the oral commisures downward, and Juvederm®, a facial injectable filler, to slightly raise the corner of the mouth. Results last 4-6months and involve only a small amount of each of the two injectables per side.
• Sculpted Profile: New FDA-approved injectable Kybella can permanently destroy fat under the chin. Kybella requires a few months and a sequence of treatments for best results, so I advise patients to start several months before their wedding. Avoid any risk of a double chin in wedding pictures!
• Radiant Skin: Undergo a laser treatment, such as Fraxel® or Clear + Brilliant, or microneedling treatment with or without platelet rich plasma (PRP) 2-3 weeks before your wedding for radiant-looking skin on your wedding day. Fraxel® helps remove superficial sun damage and ameliorates fine lines and wrinkles. A gentle chemical, glycolic acid, peel could similarly help. Each of these treatments requires about a week before redness is fully resolved, and the final result is revealed.
• Other “Typical” Injectables: I also recommend undergoing a light Botox® Cosmetic treatment high on the forehead 2-3 weeks before your wedding day or a subtle Juvederm lip augmentation for a great pout!