Wedding skin prep now begins long before the final facial. Dr. Macrene Alexiades, MD, PhD, joined a panel of dermatologists and cosmetic experts in Forbes' ultimate guide to wedding skin prep, sharing how she plans treatments for brides and grooms in the months before the big day. Her guiding principle: skin turns over on a roughly 28-day cycle, so clearing breakouts, healing scars and building collagen are measured in months, not weeks.
Her Recommendations
1. Start With an Assessment a Year Out Dr. Macrene ideally sees a bride or groom a full year before the wedding. She begins with a comprehensive skin assessment, identifying concerns from blemishes and laxity to hyperpigmentation and volume loss, then maps out a treatment schedule.
2. Build Results With At-Home Care Daily sunscreen, antioxidants, and peptides and DNA repair enzymes make an enormous difference, she says, in how skin responds to in-office treatments and how long the results last.
3. Make Meaningful Progress at Six Months With six months to go, there is still time for meaningful improvement. Continue the treatment plan already in place, or start one now.
4. Ease Off at Three Months From three months out, Dr. Macrene prioritizes lighter peels or gentle laser pigmentation work, and no aggressive interventions, to leave enough healing time before the wedding.
5. Refine and Glow in the Final Weeks In the last two weeks, she suggests a mild peel, a PRF treatment or a lymphatic-focused facial to reduce puffiness and maximize radiance. The day before, light microcurrent or lymphatic drainage can subtly sculpt and depuff, with nothing that could cause redness. For an at-home finishing touch, the High Performance Eye Mask is The Quality Edit's Best Special Occasion Under Eye Patches.
Read the Full Guide
Dr. Macrene's wedding timeline makes a clear case for consistent, well-planned care — grounded in the same clinical authority and prevention-first philosophy behind DR. MACRENE actives. Read the full guide for every expert's recommendations, from 18 months out to the wedding day.