The Beauty-Tech treatments to try before your wedding

Our U.S. editor, Mallory, visited a glamorous beauty-tech hub in Miami and tried… everything

Post-Covid, weddings are becoming less predictable than ever before, with the traditional big white wedding being eschewed in favour of micro-weddings or no wedding at all. Of course it makes sense that the typical beauty prep done before the ‘big day’ has followed suit. Now the pre-wedding routine consists of so much more than just a fresh mani and some emergency skin care. Many brides are turning to beauty-tech to give them that glow that standard facials just can’t come close to.

Our U.S. editor, Mallory, sought out the best beauty-tech spa in her area, to prep with treatments for her upcoming wedding. She found herself at Skincare, a boutique medspa in Miami run by Amy Peterson ‘The skin savant of South Beach.’ So how many beauty-tech treatments does one need to get wedding ready? She’s here to tell you.

I need….invisible pores.

Beauty-tech fix. The Hydrafacial MD. This machine works by using a tiny tool to cleanse and suction your pores (painlessly). A cleansing serum is delivered to your skin while a spiral tip washes away all the dead skin cells. The same machine then injects specific solutions to dislodge impurities (clogged pores). Finally, vacuum suction is used to eject all dead skin and debris from the site. This means...no more pinching and pushing with a tiny metal tool to remove blackheads. All I felt the entire time was water and a tiny suction, and it left me with basically invisible pores.

I need….cheek bones.

Beauty-tech fix. The Cryo T-Shock. This machine is used to visibly lift skin anywhere on the body, but for the sake of the facial, I did my face and neck. It felt like very cold vibrating ice cubes were going around my skin and head, and I swear I could feel my muscles literally moving. Along with lifting skin, it also smoothes wrinkles, decreases pores, removes puffiness, and freezes any extra fat cells you may have (looking at you double chin). It was amazing and I would absolutely add this to my monthly routine.

The HydraFacial MD and Cryo T-Shock machines

I need…a snatched face.

Beauty-tech fix. Vibration Therapy. Similar to other vibrating machines like the NuFace, a vibrating facial tool was used to stimulate my skin and enhance lymphatic drainage. If you aren’t familiar with lymphatic drainage, look it up and thank me later. This tool transmits acoustic sound waves up to 6 cm below the skin’s surface, targeting your skin/wrinkles at the source instead of the surface level. This is great for crow’s feet, nasolabial folds, and eyebrow furrows. Maybe even an alternative for botox?

I need….toned arms.

Beauty-tech fix. EmSculpt. I saved the best for the last. This beauty-tech treatment is by far the most technologically advanced, and probably the most intense. If you aren’t familiar with EmSculpt, it’s a non-invasive procedure used to sculpt your body and tone your muscles. Many people use this for their abs and booty-lifting needs. I opted to try my arms, as this is a bridal target area for me. The device delivers electromagnetic energy deep into your muscles, strengthening and burning fat at the same time.

This technology is so intense that the device actually triggers your muscles to flex about 20,000 times during treatment. I personally couldn’t do 20,000 push-ups, so obviously this is very effective. When the device was wrapped around each of my arms, I was a little nervous. It was turned on and I immediately felt a jolt! It didn’t hurt at all, just a tad bit surprising. After a while, I got used to the feeling found myself totally distracted, watching TV. Since I was counting this as my Saturday “workout”, I asked the esthetician if I would be sore the next day. The answer was no! Even though your muscles are flexing to their literal limits, the machine also goes through stages that feel like tiny little taps. These taps are actually removing the lactic acid from your muscles, leaving you with sculpted arms and zero downtime. Magic.

Would I do these treatments again? Yes. I left Skincare by Amy Peterson with glowing skin, a sculpted face, and slim arms. I immediately made a dinner reservation for that night, because all that work could not go to waste on a Netflix night-in. If you find yourself in Miami or are a beauty-tech junkie, these procedures are a must try and Amy Peterson is your gal.