Bridal Beauty Tips - Part 2
Trouble spot: Diffuse facial redness.
Long-haul fix: Soothing ingredients can reduce redness, but before starting a regimen, see your dermatologist to rule out rosacea, which affects more than fourteen million Americans. An oral antibiotic or a prescription gel, such as Finacea, alleviates the acnelike bumps present in some cases of rosacea, but to control fushing, one of the condition's common symptoms, you have to reduce the number of blood vessels in the area where you see a reaction. A pulsed-dye laser (a good solution as well for run-of-the-mill broken capillaries) or intense pulsed-light therapy heats the vessels and induces your body to seal them off. While each treatment takes only five to fifteen minutes, depending on the extent of redness, you may have to wait one or two months to see its full effect: a 25 to 35 percent reduction in redness. The results are cumulative - a second session pushes that percentage to between 50 and 70 percent - so the expert suggests that you have two to three treatments spaced about six weeks apart.
Shortcut: Your makeup artist should always apply makeup with a small concealing brush, never with her fingers, advises Linter, since pressure on facial skin may irritate it further. A green-toned product masks redness, but less is more here. "Thick layers of product will crack and look ugly," Pro warns. She recommends then applying an oil-free base; a cover-up for problem areas; and a dusting of powder.
Trouble spot: Uneven complexion.
Long-haul fix: A Q-switched infrared laser destroys the culprit, melanin, which causes small brown spots, like lentigo and freckles. But the laser is not as effective with diffuse discoloration; it won't eradicate the brown patches known as melasma or a chest full of congregated freckles. Your first step in those cases is a better skin-care routine, with either an over-the-counter lightener, like kojic acid, or a prescription cream. Your dermatologist will probably suggest chemical peels, too, from mild, at-home varieties to the in-office trichloroacetic adic (TCA) type. Whichever approach you choose, wear sunblock every day, or you'll never get rid of the hyperpigmentation. Last resort, though, does not mean last-minute: some deeper, more aggressive peels and lasers must be done three or four months before your wedding in case there are side effects (which may include blistering) and your skin needs time to recover.
Shortcut: The best cover-up for dark spots is a dense, noncreamy concealer that won't slide or move. When you choose the concealer, be sure the cover-up is matte. Anything with light-reflecting particles will attract attention to imperfections - a misstep you can easily make if you use your undereye concealer elsewhere on your face.
Trouble spot: Dull teeth.
Long-haul fix: Against a crisp white dress, your teeth can take on the dowdy tone of yellowed linen. The quickest way to a brighter smile is power bleaching, which employs a hydrogen-peroxide solution activated by a high-intensity light. Ask whether your dentist offers a whitening system. For the best results, use power bleaching four weeks before your wedding and then pair it with at-home trays. Over-the-counter options, like Crest White Strips, are also effective but don't deliver the same results.
Shortcut: A lot of teeth look darker than they actually are, because of surface stains. Blend baking soda and hydrogen peroxide into a toothpaste-like consistency, and brush for two minutes. Then avoid peach and coral lip colors, which highlight yellow tones. Instead, bring out your whites with a pink or berry shade.
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