Delayed harvest - need some advice

Hey boys and girls.
I have 2 lovely plants that will be ready for harvest in a matter of days. Unfortunately, I am going to be away all next week.
I have a friend who will water them, but I have two concerns/questions:

1) The harvest might be several days overdue. Is that a big deal? How much degradation could potentially happen?
2) Is there a way for me to slow the process down a little? Less light or something like that?

This is my first grow. I'm very proud of these two beautiful plants and would be very sad to screw things up so close to the finish line. So any other advice would be highly appreciated

Thanks for the help.

Check out your trichomes really well, clear, cloudy and amber ratio right before you leave that is the key. You say they are ready in a couple of days but usually, I stress usually when you think they are ready they usually take an extra week. I know I will get lots of feedback from that remark I think most old schoolers will agree when you think it is ready leave it another week.
Please tell us your clear, cloudy and amber ration and we might be able to help you narrow it down a bit.

Thanks canefan.
Where do I check the trichomes? On the buds themselves or the little leaves that come out of them?

the buds themselves and please do this in a few different spots. The plant ripens in the upper area first, so you can stagger your harvest to get a more uniformed harvest of chop when the the top says it is to your liking. This is an area that seems to spark much debate in RIU, try a little of both methods and see what works best for your tastes. I don't believe there is a right or wrong answer just a matter of personal taste. Glad I could help, best of luck to you.

OK, so I've done a check.
I'd say the Trichoms are about 60% clear, 40% cloudy (this is on the more advanced plant).
How quickly does the plant start degradation if not harvested on time?

. 1st is tangerine dream at 80 days second was 65. few days is not gonna hurt anything but your butt cheeks as a more couch lock effect comes from plants ran longer<agent orange 100 days
>agent orange 65 days. most noticeable difference was if they were doing good they continued and if not they just kept plodding. only things I've seen kill plants fast is bud rot/black mold or severe overfeeding . and stupid stuff like bleach or a narc cop. weight went way up on the tangerine. attached it's the living agent orange bud still wet