Your skin on your wedding day is not something you want to figure out last minute. And according to today's guest — it's also not something you want to experiment with close to the date.

Dr. Kelsy Vick sits down with Claire — a Columbia-trained, board-certified nurse practitioner and cosmetic injector — for the most practical, honest, evidence-based bridal skin prep conversation on the internet. From the mistakes brides make most often to the exact timeline you should be following — this episode covers everything.

What you'll learn:

• The most common bridal skin mistakes — and why panic-changing your routine is at the top of the list
• Why you should never try Botox, filler, or a new procedure for the first time close to your wedding date
• The 12-month, 6-month, and 3-month skin prep timeline — broken down clearly
• What treatments are actually evidence-backed — and which ones are overhyped
• What to prioritize in wedding week — sleep, hydration, and barrier protection
• The TikTok skin advice you need to stop following immediately

Whether you're a bride, a MOH, or just someone who wants better skin — this episode is for you.

Links/Research Articles:

Dr. Claire’s Booking Link: https://www.myvelour.com/provider/claire-schwegel-del-signore/services?locationType=in-suite

Dr. Claire’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/confidencebyclaire/

Dr. Claire’s Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@confidencebyclaire

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youtube:: @dr.kelsyvickdpt

tiktok:: @dr.kelsyvickdpt & @wellnessbigsispod

Welcome to Wellness Fixes the

Pod, a by Maven Media production,

2

where we believe you deserve real

education from real experts delivered

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in a way you can actually use.

4

I'm Dr.

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Kelsey Vick, your board certified

orthopedic doctor of physical therapy, and

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this podcast was built for the girl who

is done feeling overwhelmed and frustrated

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by conflicting health noise and is ready

for something she can actually trust.

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Every week we have honest science-backed

conversations about your health,

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your hormones, your brain, your

body, and everything in between.

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No fluff, no fear-mongering,

just the truth.

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Because understanding your

body is the most powerful

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thing you can do for yourself.

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A table full of experts built for

the curious girl who wants the truth.

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So welcome.

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Your seat is waiting for you.

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If anything that I've learned from

all of my years in practice, it's

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that skin really loves consistency.

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Nothing is gonna happen overnight,

and trying to change it right

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before the wedding is, like, the

biggest downfall of most brides.

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Like, if you're somebody that's in the

realm of having static lines, like,

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Botox can be life-changing, truly.

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And then the other thing that's

my pet peeve is expensive skincare

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that, you know, has weak evidence.

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Like, save your money for Botox.

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I don't think the price is justifiable.

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If you're advertising it on TikTok

and it changes your skin overnight,

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it's usually too good to be true.

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My most honest advice is just,

like, your wedding week is not

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the time to chase better skin.

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It's really the time to protect the skin

that we have spent a long time building.

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today's guest is someone I

have been genuinely excited

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about to bring on the podcast.

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She is a board-certified nurse

practitioner and doctorally prepared

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clinician trained at Columbia University,

where she also served as faculty.

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As a cosmetic injector, she brings a

philosophy deeply rooted in French beauty

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and wellness, an ethos built around

elegance, simplicity, authenticity, and

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the idea that beauty should always look

like you, just a little bit elevated.

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Her methodology is grounded in a

deep understanding of facial anatomy

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and evidence-based techniques, and

the results speak for themselves.

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I really wanted to have her on the

podcast to chat all things prepping your

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skin for a big event, especially for my

brides preparing for their wedding day.

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So I can't wait for all of

us to learn from her today.

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Claire, welcome to Wellness Fixes the Pod.

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Kelsy: What is the most common mistakes

that you see brides make when it comes

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to their skin before their wedding day?

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Claire Schwegel Del Signore, DNP, FNP-BC, MS, RN:

So number one, I think before the

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wedding, there's this thing that br--

I mean, I was guilty of it myself.

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There's this thing that brides

do where they, like, panic-change

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everything right before the wedding.

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There's anything that I've learned

from all of my years in practice, it's

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that skin really loves consistency.

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It does not love, like, this

chaotic spiral that involves, like,

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initiating a retinoid last minute or,

like, trying some new TikTok serum.

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Like, nothing is gonna happen

overnight, and trying to change it

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right before the wedding is, like,

the biggest downfall of most brides.

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After that, I would say, like,

over-exfoliating whether that's, like,

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a chemical or a mechanical exfoliator.

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I grew up in the era of

the apricot scrub, the St.

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Ives Apricot Scrub.

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Like, anything…

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I get it, like, brides wanna glow, but

anything that's going to really disrupt

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the skin barrier is gonna be a huge

problem because it's leaving, like, these

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little areas in for infection to get in.

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It can cause breakouts.

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It will give you this inflamed, maybe

shiny, but, like, really angry skin.

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So I think just getting rid of exfoliation

that's, like, consistently used,

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like, every night or, like, multiple

times a day is the best thing that

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you can do leading up to the wedding.

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I'm not saying don't exfoliate, but I

see these brides, like, chasing the glow

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and essentially trying to just scrub off

the top layer of their skin, and it only

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leads to bad things like makeup sitting

weird or this really stingy, angry skin.

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Starting actives too late.

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Actives are really powerful.

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Those are things like retinoids

and vitamin C serums and pigment

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ingredients, but they require time.

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And my mom always said, like,

"Good things take time."

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Starting one of those right

before the wedding is gonna

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have really minimal effect.

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It's not gonna create, like, big

changes in the amount of pigment

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or the texture of the skin.

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But what it will do is it risks

making you really irritated.

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So I would say, like,

definitely use actives.

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They're very powerful.

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But starting them, like, right before the

wedding is not gonna, tilt the needle or

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change the scales in any meaningful way,

and it's gonna risk undoing any of the

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work that you've done because of either

compromising the barrier or what have you.

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And then the other thing that is

like my hard stop as an injector

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is doing any first-time procedure

right before the wedding.

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So a lot of patients will come in,

and they think that, you know, you

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need Botox right before your wedding,

and that will be the cherry on top.

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And the reality is that you've never

tried any of these treatments before,

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and you're seeing a new injector.

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There's just as much the possibility

that you hate the result than you feel

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like you look better or you like it.

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And so while it's temporary- Very…

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Botox, once it's active,

there's no undo button.

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Like, you- it's the

equivalent of cutting bangs.

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Like, you just have to wait for them

to grow out, which is never a good

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position to put a bride in, is to

do something that's not reversible.

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So I always say, like, never make

your wedding the clinical trial.

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And it's a really tough pill to

swallow because I think, like, a

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month or two before the wedding you

feel like you have all of this time

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to do things but procedures are

never one of them, especially really

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close and, like, leading up to it.

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You can have bruising, number one.

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So if you're really, like, within

a two-week window, you don't wanna

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do anything that's going to leave

you with swelling that makes you

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look strange, or have to cover

up a big bruise or any of that.

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while I'm very good at what I do, I

have first time brides come in the,

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like, eight-week period before their

wedding, I usually turn them away.

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And I have a 90% return patient

rate, and patients are really happy

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and satisfied with the results.

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But it's just not worth it for the

bride, but it's also not worth it for

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me, because then I'm going to be, like,

managing all of these patients right

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before if anything doesn't go perfectly.

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So I always say, like, all eyes

are on you for wedding day as the

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bride, and it's better to look like

yourself than to look super strange.

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What else?

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What's my last one?

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Things like ignoring pigment right

before a wedding is super important.

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So a lot of people forget that

pigment is driven by sun expo- sun

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exposure and, like, UV exposure.

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But it can also be driven by heat,

which two totally different things.

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Being on a beach in the sun is UV

exposure, it's also a little bit of heat.

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But being in a sauna can also

really flare melasma, so that's

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like a different type of heat that

I like to have people think about.

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And so I, like, booked this weekend in

the sun when I went for my bachelorette

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leading up to my wedding, and, like,

obviously flared all of my pigment,

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which was a big rookie mistake.

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But, like, my brides that go on wellness

centers and decide to do, like, a

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whole weekend at the spa with their

girlfriends, like, sitting in the sauna

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and steam room while you think it's

gonna help you, can actually derail all

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the hard work that you've done with,

you know, minimizing the pigment that

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you've had and, you know, especially if

you have melasma, like creating issues.

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So it's really a hidden culprit

that I think people forget about.

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Essentially my hard rule is just,

like, the closer we get to the

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wedding, more boring we become.

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So boring skincare is

bridal luxury in my book.

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Kelsy: I love that mantra too.

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I'm like, this is, I feel like why I

really wanted to have you on the podcast,

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'cause I know that your philosophy in

general is, let's do more natural-looking

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procedures and treatments especially

before, , a big event where you're like,

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"Okay, yes, I am a cosmetic injector.

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Yes, I am great at what I do, , but

this is not the time to be doing that."

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So I think that restriction and that

pulling back, whether it's from treatments

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or skincare, especially if someone's new

to this, is, like, a very, very hot tip.

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Claire Schwegel Del Signore, DNP, FNP-BC, MS, RN:

it honestly doesn't even matter

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the amount of, injectable or how

much you've been doing, like the

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months leading up to the wedding.

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it's really truly like you get to a

good place and as someone in medicine,

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really start to understand like

everything that you do in life, but

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especially with medical procedures,

like there's a risk and a benefit.

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And it's not like I'm gonna do this and

I'm gonna have this perfect end result.

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You really have to weigh the pros and

cons and say, "Okay if I break out from

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this thing, like, is that gonna be okay?

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Am I gonna have enough time to fix it?

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Or is that gonna derail

everything that we've done?"

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And I think those are really good

questions to ask because people come

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in thinking like, "Oh, that provider

can fix my under eyes," or, "That

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provider can do this thing for me."

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And like it's not, you know, injectors,

plastic surgeons, like we're not robots.

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It's really an art.

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And so obviously first and foremost

you may have a different opinion of

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what's aesthetically pleasing than I

do, and there's always a risk for that.

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But also things can go awry, just like

you can take a new medication like

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Tylenol or whatever and have a side effect

or an allergic reaction, God forbid.

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So I always say yes, they're

incredibly effective.

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More likely than not you'll have a

great outcome, but is it something

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that like before this momentous

occasion that you wanna gamble?

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Kelsy: Yeah, complete risk-benefit

sort of analysis that, that needs

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to be totally individualized.

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When we talk about timeline before the

wedding, what should brides in their

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engagement era be thinking about 12 months

out, six months out, three months out?

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Like, what should they be thinking

about at each of these different phases

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if they want to take this more, like,

long-term approach to helping their

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skin look its best on their wedding day?

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Claire Schwegel Del Signore, DNP, FNP-BC, MS, RN:

Okay, so a year out, I always say this

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is like the point in time where you

figure out what you're dealing with.

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Do you have acne?

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Do you have acne scars?

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Do you have melasma, redness,

texture, dullness, laxity?

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Are you dealing with some volume loss?

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Usually, like, my brides are younger, so

volume loss is not as big of a deal, but

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like, you know, some patients are a little

bit older, and they've noticed that their

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fat pads have diminished with some time.

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And you start to formulate

like a good skincare plan.

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And from my chair, the-- most of

the work that I do is needle-based

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or like injectables-based, right?

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Like Botox and fillers.

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But none of that is going to look

good if you don't have good skin.

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It's what's draping all of the

work that we've done together.

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So I always say like come up

with your skincare plan for the

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next year, which should involve

things like a daily sunscreen.

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It's a non-negotiable.

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The American Academy of

Dermatology recommends a broad

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spectrum SPF 30 or higher.

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and You know, I think

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Prevention is like the

bulk of what you're doing.

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After that, after you've gotten your

skin to this like good place, you

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can add in things like retinoids

or come up with a pigment plan.

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But like we wanna start on the

foundational things, which is to create

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a healthy skin barrier so that your skin

is functioning optimally, and then doing

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things that are going to prevent anything

from getting worse leading up to the day.

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After that, like retinoids

at night if appropriate.

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They have strong evidence base for

treating acne and meaningful evidence for

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like photoagency, but they require a lot

of time, and more than time, consistency.

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So I would not start a retinoid

for the first time like we

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said, right before the wedding.

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But like a year-long plan with consistent

use is really enough to see like

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meaningful changes in the skin especially

when you're talking about pigment,

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texture, and like luminosity, which is

what brides are always wanna go for.

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They also stimulate collagen and we

are evidence-based, you know, medical

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providers, so I think there's a lot of

data out there to support their use.

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Other things that are really worth

thinking about at the year mark

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are like a pigment plan if somebody

has melasma or bron- brown spots.

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W- that's like looking for

a little bit of brightening.

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Things like vitamin C serums,

kojic acid, hydroquinone in

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the right patient azelaic acid.

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Those are powerful tools.

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is super nuanced, so the most

important thing is that the

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provider that you're seeing should

be targeting what the underlying

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cause is for why you're developing

or you have developed that pigment.

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So don't just throw the

kitchen sink at all of this.

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I think the most important thing is to,

you know, really analyze why that pigment

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has developed so that you can target it

with things that are clinically effective.

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And then at that one-year mark, I

would say procedure planning is we

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start brainstorming and deciding

when we're gonna do treatment.

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So this is a time to talk about lasers,

microneedling, vascular treatments

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even talking about if we have acne

scarring and then planning out like

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filler if needed and a BOTOX trial.

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So I usually will have brides like count

back six weeks before their wedding, and

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that will be the last possible moment

where we would do BOTOX, and then we

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count back from there to do a trial.

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So that's like my one-year mark planning.

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Around six months out is like this

refinement window, which is when I

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like to have the core routine stable.

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So the skin is functioning optimally.

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We've done all of those things to

start chipping away at any type of,

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redness, PIH brown spots, melasma.

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And then at that point, I like

starting to tighten the plan.

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So for a lot of brides, this might include

doing a Botox trial if it's something

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that they want before the wedding.

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I always say like, "I'm in the

business of I want, not I need."

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Just like you don't need to wear makeup

for your wedding, and you don't need

245

to have somebody else do your makeup.

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But if you are gonna do it, and

it's something that you want, you

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definitely should have a trial, and I

think people really forget about this.

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You do a trial for your hair, you do

a trial for your makeup, you should

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absolutely do a trial for your Botox.

250

And essentially, like, we

need to understand what's the

251

look that you're going for.

252

So we wanna understand what dose gonna

use, how we're gonna place it, what

253

your brow's response to it is gonna be.

254

So it's really good to like, you

know, usually patients are really

255

happy after they try it for the

first time, but there are definitely

256

things that we can tweak and refine.

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I'll have brides like send me a

little photograph once it's fully

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kicked in after day fourteen.

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and then we can like plan and

tweak things for the final day.

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What else?

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Lasers.

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That's the point in time where

like at six months you're doing

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the bulk of your lasering.

264

Lasers can improve everything

from pigment to redness.

265

They help with texture.

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They can fight signs of photo aging.

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There's different evidence for different

wavelengths, and it can be super nuanced.

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Like laser physics is its own area,

I think, of aesthetic medicine.

269

But, you know, If you talk to a provider

that's like really well-versed in

270

how to use all of these things, you

can have pretty outstanding results.

271

I will say that not all lasers are created

equal, and not all providers are created

272

equal, so, you know, where you're going

to do these things, you can get widely

273

varying results based off of the knowledge

of the person operating the device.

274

So I think I see a lot of brides

looking for a specific laser.

275

They're like, "Oh, I wanna do a Moxie,"

or, "I wanna do whatever it is."

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And the reality is that you should

be seeing someone who's highly

277

trained on how to use those devices,

because you can have problems.

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You can have burns.

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You can flare pigment.

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I think, you know, that six-month

mark is when you should do them.

281

Maybe start doing your

research a little bit before.

282

I think this is like a good time to

do filler if it's appropriate for

283

you, like truly figuring out if you're

the right candidate for it, if you

284

have a little bit of volume loss.

285

Filler like can age you, so go

and really distort you and it

286

can photograph really strangely.

287

and I'm not anti-filler, but going to

see a highly conservative injector,

288

I think is really essential, someone

who's going to be truly honoring,

289

like, an individual's essence and not

creating a new face for them or, you

290

know, totally changing their appearance.

291

Like what…

292

The type of work that should

be done are things to really

293

refine a bride's appearance.

294

So sometimes that's, like, a little extra

hydration in the lip or, you know, one of

295

the fat pads project a little bit more to

support the undereye thing and the chin.

296

But all of these things, like, you should

be really aligned on with your injector.

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you should feel that they have

a similar aesthetic eye to you

298

It's like getting a haircut, like that

you're able to communicate what you want.

299

I once brought in, like, a picture

of highlights for my hair and

300

the hairdresser cut me a bob.

301

Like, just came up and cut me a

bob, and there was just this gross

302

misunderstanding that I was not

to her that I wanted, like, hair.

303

I came in for highlights, but she saw

the picture and saw a bob and decided

304

that, like, we were cutting my hair.

305

so really having those conversations

and understanding, like, exactly what

306

a provider is going to be doing and

that they're aligned with you and that

307

you trust them is really important.

308

. Thinking about three months out, it's…

309

Three months is, like, still plenty

of time, but it's really not the time

310

to reinvent your face, essentially.

311

This is a time to, like, really

lock in your routine, so no

312

aggressive product experimentation.

313

Like, keep doing what's working.

314

Do your final Botox,

like, around, week six.

315

Some providers will do, like, week

four, but it will be fully kicked

316

in and lasting, you know, still

a good amount of time for the

317

wedding and, like, the honeymoon.

318

It just gives you enough time

to, A, get the full effect of it,

319

any small, like, tweaks if you do

need a touch-up, and it allows it

320

really to like soften and settle.

321

So I always say if you like your Botox

around the two-week mark, then you'll love

322

it at four weeks, and it'll carry you out

until it peters on out around 12 weeks.

323

And then I, like, will have brides

pretty much avoid major filler unless,

324

like- We plan for it, or we have

a really strong relationship just

325

because when it's down to the wire

like I said, you don't wanna be deal-

326

dealing with bruising or swelling or

something, like, not settling perfectly.

327

That's my practice.

328

I know plenty of injectors that, like,

will, you know, do lips maybe two

329

to three weeks before the wedding.

330

I just…

331

I don't wanna…

332

I, wanna get everything perfect,

and it should last, like, filler

333

should last longer than Botox.

334

So doing those treatments and having them

be, like, really thoughtful and planned is

335

my vibe, and I don't do anything that's,

like, reactionary or deciding we wanna do

336

something last minute before the wedding.

337

Do only familiar, predictable

s- skin treatments.

338

So done peels before, like a gentle

peel, I'm totally fine with you doing

339

that, like, around the three-month mark.

340

Or even, like, one of these Clear and

Brilliants or, like, a light laser

341

if you've never reacted poorly to it.

342

But like a first-time aggressive

resurfacing treatment is not okay with me.

343

Like, absolutely not.

344

I've seen brides really break out

from even trying microneedling for

345

the first time or, like, trying a

celebrity facialist for the first

346

time because they think they're

gonna like reinvent their skin.

347

Just don't risk it.

348

All these procedures have some degree

of risk, and it may be small, but

349

if it happens to you, it's 100%.

350

So in those, like, few weeks

leading up, prioritize hydration

351

and, like, barrier repair or, like,

really strengthening your barrier.

352

And it's all about, making your face

be makeup-friendly, like, having

353

things lie really nicely on your skin.

354

Like, the best-looking skin is

healthy, like, luminous skin.

355

And if you've done any of those things

or have issues, whether it's from, like,

356

actives or lasering or whatever, like,

you don't wanna deal with, like, dry,

357

flaky patches and, like, the trial that

you did not working out for the day of.

358

Um, That's like, my little breakdown

leading up before the wedding.

359

Kelsy: I love that timeline

breakdown too, because as a physical

360

therapist, I come at it from,

like, the exercise side of things.

361

So I see all of these, like, bridal arms,

six weeks bridal arms series, like, body

362

recomposition stuff, and I sort of mirror

what you're saying to those sorts of

363

programs where it's like we're not crash

exercising, trying to get the body we want

364

for our wedding day, for the wedding dress

six weeks before, just like we shouldn't

365

be doing that with our skin once we're

like, "Oh, shoot, the wedding's coming

366

up a lot quicker than what I thought.

367

Let me get all of the, all

of the skin stuff done."

368

Like, I think this longevity approach

to it is super nice, and I also look

369

at it from not only, like, a body

recomposition standpoint but also from,

370

like, a skin health perspective of the

wedding day might be your motivation

371

to get a lot of these things done.

372

But it's also okay to use it as this,

like, deadline to try and get your

373

routines in order, whether that's,

like, fueling or your movement

374

routine or your skincare routine.

375

Like, it might just be that added extra

motivator to allow you to put a little

376

bit more effort that you want into

whatever routine you're trying to build

377

that sticks long after the wedding day.

378

So this sort of, like, longevity approach

to it or this preventative, like, giving

379

us enough time to either get you the

body recomposition results that you

380

want, the skincare results that you

want, how you wanna look and feel on your

381

wedding day, like, I think that is huge.

382

And I think a lot of brides

think about it with their hair.

383

I feel like the hair is like, you

know, "I'm gonna get my color trial."

384

Oh, and nails too.

385

Nails, like, pedicure, manicure,

they're like, "Oh, I, I have to,

386

like, get all of these trials done."

387

But I don't think a lot of people think

about it when it comes to their skin.

388

They think about it six weeks before, and

they're like, "Oh my gosh, I need to get,

389

you know, all of these treatments done."

390

So I appreciate the sort of, like,

timelined approach and helping people

391

understand, like, giving yourself that,

you know, from proposal to wedding, I

392

feel like the average is probably 12

months now, if not a little longer.

393

So I think it's just, like, this helpful

time to dive into, like, taking care of

394

your skin and getting that professional

consult of, like, "Okay, this is what

395

I would like to see happen, and, and

here's, like, when my wedding day is."

396

Use that as sort of this motivator to

get everything on track a little bit.

397

So what are some of the non-negotiables

that every bride should have in

398

her routine regardless of budget?

399

I know you mentioned SPF, but are there

any more that you sort of recommend

400

that brides have in their routines?

401

Claire Schwegel Del Signore, DNP, FNP-BC, MS, RN:

I think it's less of a product and

402

more of a philosophy or lifestyle,

which is that And you can't buy this.

403

It's consistency.

404

The best I can think of, like,

for an analogy is if you're using

405

retinoids, and you're using a super

high dose of tretinoin, like 0.05,

406

what- whatever it is, and you

can't tolerate that, and you're

407

not using it consistently, you're

never going to get results from it.

408

The goal is to be able to use it every

two to three nights, maybe even every

409

other night if you can, and consistently

use it and tolerate it so that you can

410

reap the benefits of using that product.

411

So I think consistency is the one

thing that, like, is a non-negotiable,

412

whether that's that you're using those

pigment products or, you know, even with

413

procedures, if you decide that you're

gonna do microneedling as, like, a

414

plan to get ready for your wedding day.

415

Like, consistency is the one tool or

gift that I would offer my brides.

416

Apart from that, like,

maybe an azelaic acid.

417

It's very specific for patients that are

dealing with rosacea or, like, redness.

418

I love, you know, starting

your bride on azelaic acid.

419

People don't really realize how much

that vascular, like, pigment really

420

affects their overall appearance.

421

And I see it also just

when patients use lasers.

422

Like an Excel V or a vascular

laser to treat redness.

423

Like nothing…

424

It's almost like nothing was really

done, but like everything was done.

425

It j- it just gives you

this, like, refined canvas.

426

We , touched on SPF.

427

We touched already on retinoids

and using them consistently.

428

Yeah, so I would say, like,

it's more of a philosophy.

429

Like, I could tell you all the things

that are great for a skincare routine.

430

It's never one thing.

431

It's really, you know, this idea that

you're going to protect, prevent,

432

repair, and correct the skin.

433

That takes a long time, and so

if you're using all of those

434

things and doing all those things,

which … They're pretty simple.

435

M most women these days I think have,

a nice cleanser, like a gentle cleanser

436

at home, like a Cetaphil or whatever,

a vitamin C serum, a little bit of a

437

retinol or retinoid, even if it's not

prescription, and, like, a good sunscreen.

438

Like, truly, it's not complicated.

439

Just using those things and using them

consistently is, like, for me, the

440

non-negotiable thing that you must do

441

Kelsy: So you've mentioned a few sort of

treatments and different procedures, and

442

I also know that a lot of these questions

are so individualized, which is why

443

I feel like a consult's, like, super,

super beneficial and super necessary.

444

But can you talk through some of the

different treatments and procedures

445

that you've seen actually move the

needle for brides, and then which ones

446

might be a little bit too over-hyped?

447

Claire Schwegel Del Signore, DNP, FNP-BC, MS, RN:

Yeah, so I think if you've never

448

tried BOTOX, And you have some…

449

I always like to talk about lines as

either being dynamic or static, right?

450

Lines that you form

when you're expressing.

451

So when you smile, you get crow's

feet, and then these static lines

452

that still appear there when you're

not making those facial expressions.

453

Like, if you're somebody that's in the

realm of having static lines, like,

454

Botox can be life-changing truly.

455

It will help makeup not crease

and sit in s- in those, like,

456

fine lines that you have.

457

And it will give you this rested and,

with the right placement, lifted look.

458

it should make you essentially

look like I slept, I'm hydrated.

459

Like, not that you're frozen and, like,

shiny like an ice skating rink, but

460

It should smooth everything out and

be like this in real life airbrushing.

461

So I think Botox truly can make a huge

impact and really does, move the needle

462

when you're talking about things that

appear to make you look less old and

463

just more rested, and that kind of stuff.

464

And then vascular lasers for redness.

465

Like, I think in the right

candidate, rosacea, broken

466

capillaries and just things that

you're trying to cover with makeup.

467

Like when I got…

468

I couldn't laser when I was pregnant,

but when I got pregnant, I got,

469

like, this redness around my nose.

470

And I couldn't get it to go away,

but then after I delivered, it

471

just went away on its own, I

think because I was less vascular.

472

and it just made me look so much better.

473

So I think getting rid of those, like,

little red patchy areas or diffuse redness

474

really does make a huge difference.

475

And patients can usually use

like an Excel V or V Beam laser

476

and that is like a home run.

477

What else?

478

Like little lasers to target pigment.

479

I love a Pico laser, especially

in higher Fitzpatrick patients.

480

It uses photoacoustic waves, so it's

not gonna be something that puts a

481

lot of heat into the skin, which is

good for anybody that's darker skin

482

tone or has like essentially melasma

or something that's driven , heat.

483

And it can really like find

a little brown spot and just

484

like blast it off of your skin.

485

there are, like, things that you can do

to generally resurface the skin that I

486

think really do make a nice difference in

just like overall glowiness and perfecting

487

like small little imperfections or like

erasing small little imperfections.

488

And then like subtle filler

will make a big difference.

489

Patients a lot of the time will come

in like complaining about these circles

490

that they have under their eyes.

491

And I never love to run and do under

eye filler, but like supporting the mid

492

cheek a little bit just to help, you

know To raise up the tissue to support

493

the under eyes can make a huge impact

or giving a little bit of a cheekbone

494

so that the contours of the face are

really young and youthful looking.

495

Or even somebody that like has a little

bit of asymmetry in their lips, has a

496

fuller bottom lip, like trying to get

that top lip to be a little bit fuller

497

will just harmonize everything in

terms of like you catch like a picture

498

from like your side profile, or if

the light is hitting in a weird way,

499

those like things do tip the scales.

500

In terms of over-hyped, I would say

like random bridal facials with no plan.

501

Like a facial can be lovely, but it's…

502

know, if it's like aggressive extractions,

like these unknown actives, weird

503

fragrances that they're using on

your face, harsh e- exfoliants, like

504

es- especially before the wedding,

it can absolutely derail the skin.

505

And then the other thing that's

my pet peeve is expensive skincare

506

that, you know, has weak evidence.

507

Like I like actives that have a good body

of evidence and like research behind them.

508

I think if you're gonna use

these things that are like…

509

They're meant for people to have

a luxury experience, essentially.

510

Like that you know, feel a

specific way when you're using it.

511

Like save your money for Botox.

512

I think if you're just doing it

for the way that it makes you feel

513

when you apply it, like go for it.

514

love a luxury experience, but I don't

think their price is justifiable.

515

So a lot of the times, you know, those

things can make you feel like a little

516

bit more hydrated, but on the other

end you've spent a lot of money, and

517

maybe you have a weird reaction from it.

518

So I usually will tell patients like

you don't need super expensive things

519

in order to achieve really good results.

520

what else?

521

Things that are over-hyped.

522

Last minute like kind of quote

unquote "glow treatments."

523

Everybody comes in, you know,

like finding something on TikTok

524

and using that and, you know.

525

If you're advertising it on TikTok,

and it changes your skin overnight,

526

it's usually too good to be true.

527

And too much filler.

528

I think cameras are not

kind to over-filled faces.

529

Bridal beauty should let you and emote,

and smile, and photograph naturally.

530

So I just would be really weary.

531

Like judicious and conservative

filler can be good, but doing anything

532

that's going to be overdone, obviously

nobody wants that, but it can

533

change really quickly um not ideal.

534

Kelsy: So what's one thing that

you think brides often overlook

535

when it comes to their wedding day?

536

It can be like this secret

ingredient, secret sauce.

537

Like, what do you feel like a

lot of brides miss when it comes

538

to l- helping their skin look

its best on their wedding day?

539

Claire Schwegel Del Signore, DNP, FNP-BC, MS, RN:

So I think the most important thing,

540

especially like the weeks and days before

the wedding, is just barrier health.

541

Everyone talks about like, you know,

all the treatments that you can

542

do leading up to it, but the thing

that makes skin look really great in

543

real life is a calm, intact barrier.

544

It's luminosity and the way that

the light hits super healthy skin.

545

So when the barrier is healthy,

then your makeup sits better,

546

texture looks smoother, skin

really reflects light nicely.

547

Your redness is usually reduced because

you're not inflamed from, you know,

548

doing things that have aggravated

the skin, and you look more hydrated.

549

Like healthy skin looks and usually

is very hydrated before the sprays

550

and the highlighters and all of that.

551

So stop over-cleansing, stop

over-exfoliating, moisturize like it's

552

part of the treatment plan because

honestly it is, and don't introduce

553

a new product close to the wedding.

554

The other piece I will say is that

like sleep, hydration, you know,

555

minimizing alcohol intake and salt

intake right before like matter

556

more than what people want to admit.

557

And a lot of people will have

these welcome right before,

558

that's not the time to get loose.

559

You know, have a few sips of wine or

like a little cocktail, but you know,

560

the evidence for sleep and general health

and alcohol avoidance is much broader

561

than just bridal-specific skin studies.

562

But clinically, like poor

sleep, inflammation, they

563

all show up on the face.

564

So I think um it's lower quality evidence

for like wedding glow specifically,

565

but it's very real in practice.

566

My most honest advice is just

like your wedding week is not

567

the time to chase better skin.

568

It's really the time to protect the skin

that we have spent a long time building.

569

This conversation was everything

I hoped it would be and more.

570

Claire, thank you for bringing your

expertise, your philosophy, and

571

your honesty to this conversation.

572

I learned so much, and I hope

all of you guys did, too.

573

All of Claire's links for booking,

if you happen to be in NYC and wanna

574

go see her, I will leave that link

in the show notes below, in addition

575

to her Instagram and TikTok links.

576

That way you guys can go learn from

her and follow her on social media.

577

Thank you guys so much for being here,

for joining Claire and me in this

578

conversation about bridal skin prep,

and I'll see you guys again on the

579

next episode of Wellness Fixes the Pod.