Your Christmas skin plan: what to book, and when

Eight weeks or more before

This is the time for anything that works gradually, and for a consultation if you're not sure where to start.

• Sofwave, at our Chichester clinic. It's usually a single treatment for the face and neck, with results building over around 12 weeks as new collagen forms. Any redness or swelling usually settles within a few hours. It's the one to plan furthest ahead.
• Your first Profhilo session, at any of our four clinics. Most people have two treatments four weeks apart, and skin quality improves over four to eight weeks.
• The start of a course of chemical peels, if dullness or uneven tone bothers you most. A course is usually four to six peels, two to four weeks apart.
• A consultation for lip filler if it would be your first time, so you can think it over without feeling rushed.

Four to six weeks before

A good window for treatments that come with a few days of visible recovery.

• Your second Profhilo session, if you started at eight weeks.
• First-time lip filler, at Chichester, Petersfield or Eastergate. Swelling is normal for two to five days, bruising is possible, and the final result shows at around two weeks. This timing leaves room for everything to settle.
• Your next peel, if you're on a course.
• Any new skincare your practitioner recommends, so your skin has time to adjust well before the day.

Two weeks before

From here, the aim is calm, predictable skin.

• Your last peel that causes visible peeling. Depending on the depth, redness and peeling can last three to seven days, so two weeks gives you a comfortable margin.
• The latest point for a lip filler top-up, if you've had it before and know how your lips respond.
• A steady routine, with SPF every day and active products kept to what your skin already tolerates.

The week of your event

This is the week for treatments with no downtime, that leave skin looking fresh and feeling smooth.

• A HydraFacial, at Chichester or Petersfield, two to five days before. It cleanses, exfoliates and hydrates in one appointment. Skin may look flushed for around 30 minutes, and the fresh look usually lasts five to seven days.
• Dermaplaning, at Chichester, Petersfield or Bognor Regis, for smoother skin and easier make-up. Skin may look pink for an hour, and it isn't suitable during a breakout or a rosacea flare.
• Water, sleep where you can, and a gentle routine. This isn't the week to try anything new.

What not to book at the last minute

Timing matters as much as the treatment. In the final week or two before an important date, I'd avoid:

• Any injectable treatment you haven't had before, including lip filler and skin boosters.
• Peels that cause visible peeling, and treatments such as microneedling that leave skin red for a few days.
• A facial or treatment you've never had, booked for the day itself.
• New active skincare, such as a stronger retinol or acid, that your skin isn't used to.
• Sunbeds. They add sun damage and can make some treatments unsuitable.

Before you book

Every treatment here starts with a consultation. Your practitioner will look at your skin and medical history before suggesting anything, and may suggest different timing, because it depends on how your skin responds. We'll ask you to wait if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, have an infection, a cold sore or broken skin in the area, or are unwell. If you're prone to cold sores, mention it before any lip treatment. And you'll always have time to think things over after your consultation.