How to Zap a Blemish Fast

An Interview With Diane S. Berson

Berson is a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City and a board member of the American Acne and Rosacea Society.

BY BROOKE LE POER TRENCH

Many women wish their acne had ended with puberty, but unfortunately, we all have to deal with occasional breakouts well into adulthood. If you suffer from regular eruptions, your dermatologist should be able to prescribe medication that will treat the underlying cause. For the odd spot, however, there are easy ways to clear things up.

· Be strong. When you feel a pimple forming, resist the urge to squeeze. All you're doing is traumatizing the area and causing an inflammatory reaction that will result in further swelling, a longer healing time, and most likely a scar. (I know it's tempting to take care of a whitehead yourself, but those explode inward as well as out, which can worsen the infection.)

· Focus your efforts. If the pimple feels huge, gently press an ice cube on the spot for a few minutes to reduce inflammation. Use a salicylic acid cleanser, which unclogs the pores; then apply a spot treatment containing benzoyl peroxide, which kills bacteria and dries out the area. (The Neutrogena and Bioré acne-treatment lines both make products with these ingredients that are excellent.) After a few minutes, dot on some oil-free concealer. It's fine to use your finger, though a brush might give you better coverage. Don't worry—makeup won't make things worse, and not even a dermatologist would expect you to walk around with blotches on your face.

· Make an appointment. If you have an important event and desperately need that pimple to disappear, a dermatologist can inject it with cortisone, which will shrink a blemish within 24 hours. I wouldn't get a facial if you need to look your best right afterward; they can inflame skin.

· Fade away. If the pimple leaves a pink mark, apply cortisone cream a few times a day for no more than a week to fade the spot, or see your dermatologist; she can prescribe something that will lighten the mark more quickly. And be vigilant about wearing sunscreen—any kind of skin discoloration will get even darker if you go out in the sun unprotected.

SOURCE: http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/how-to/2010/zap_a_blemish_fast

Solutions for Your Top 9 Body-Skin Issues

Look Better Naked: Solutions for Your Top 9 Body-Skin Issues

Stripping down—whether it's in a bikini in front of everyone at the beach or fully naked for just one other person—can make even a confident girl quake. Tackling these common skin problems will help shore up your body love.

THE PROBLEM: STRETCH MARKS

Ninety percent of women will get stretch marks over their lifetime. Yes, 90. The marks—caused by thinning of the skin during a quick weight loss or gain, or pregnancy—aren't necessarily a life sentence. First off, they're much easier to treat when they're new. They start out pink or red, and that's when they're most receptive to Vbeam (at $400 to $800 per session) or, once they turn white, Fraxel laser treatments ($500 to $1,000 per session, depending on the area treated).

THE PROBLEM: BODY ACNE

Since sweat and oil production ramp up in the summer, pores on your chest and back get clogged more easily. The best approach starts in the shower: Use a body wash with at least 1.25 percent salicylic acid (Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash Pink Grapefruit contains 2 percent and doesn't smell medicinal). If that doesn't do the trick, once you're dry, add a layer of benzoyl peroxide (just remember, it can bleach clothes) or a prescription antibiotic lotion.

THE PROBLEM: CELLULITE

These lumps are among the most vexing beauty problems—there is no cure (not even liposuction). Lessen dimples with Thermage, a treatment that uses radio frequency to tighten tissue for up to two years. (Though you need only one treatment, it costs roughly $4,000 and takes about six months to see results.) For a quick and temporary approach, caffeine creams, such as Clarins High Definition Body Lift, dehydrate fat cells for a few hours, so skin appears tighter.

THE PROBLEM: BRUISES

Short of living like the girl in the plastic bubble, it's hard to avoid an occasional bruise. When a splotch first appears, massage it daily with a botanical anti-inflammatory lotion, like Arniflora Arnica Gel, which may speed up healing. In the meantime, try this genius tip from makeup artist Scott Barnes: Dab red lipstick on the mark, then set it with powder and applyDermablend Cover Cremeor a creamy foundation; the red helps neutralize the dark bluish tone of a bruise more than foundation alone can. Pat it on with a makeup sponge and blend it outward to the nonbruised area

THE PROBLEM: SPIDER VEINS

The standard way to zap veins is sclerotherapy, an injection that irritates the vein, causing it to shut down and get absorbed back into the body, usually after as few as two $450 treatments. Though it's been available in Europe for roughly 40 years, the FDA just approved Asclera last year: It's another injectable that costs $500 per treatment and works as well as traditional saline, without the burning sensation. Be sure to start injections long before you need to see results: Sclerotherapy causes bruises for about two weeks, and the veins won't disappear completely until your treatment is completed

THE PROBLEM: SCARS

Small scars, such as those from shaving nicks that are less than six months old, can be treated at home with a silicone cream, such as Kelo-cote Advanced Formula Scar Gel. To flatten scars, massage the cream in for 30 seconds twice a day for two months. Four sessions with a vascular laser (for red scars; $200 to $600 each) or four treatments with a Fraxel laser (for white scars; $500 to $1,000 each) can help restore skin to its normal color. If a scar is raised, two steroid injections ($250 each) can make it flatter and thinner.

THE PROBLEM: SLACK SKIN

Skin can get stretched out from damage, aging, pregnancy, and even minor weight fluctuations. A new treatment is Exilis, a noninvasive device that combines ultrasound and radio frequencies to tighten skin. It's especially effective on stomach pooches and requires one treatment a week (about $350) for four weeks—skin will stay taut for at least 18 months.

THE PROBLEM: ARM BUMPS

If the backs of your arms look like gooseflesh and feel scratchy, like sandpaper, and you're prone to dry skin or eczema, you could have a benign, common condition called keratosis pilaris. (It's caused when keratin, a protein in the skin, forms hard plugs within hair follicles.) Whatever you do, don't try to scrub the raised bits away with rough exfoliants—you'll just irritate the skin, making the bumps inflamed. Instead, use washes and lotions with alpha hydroxy acids (like the Glytone Keratosis Pilaris Kit, which contains both). Then use a hydrocortisone cream to reduce the redness, and the bumps should clear up in three weeks.

THE PROBLEM: SKIN TAGS

These small, loose pieces of skin tend to appear on women's necks and underarms during hormonal changes. Skin tags are harmless, but easy for a dermatologist to cut out if they bother you. With a few numbing shots, you can get several removed at once

SOURCE: http://www.allure.com/skin-care/2011/

Get Youthful Skin: 12 Easy Anti-Aging Tricks

The simple things you can do to take years...and years...and years off your face

SHRINK YOUR PORES

Your pores expand as gunk accumulates in them—and the older you get, the more likely they are to stay expanded. Put them on a diet by switching to a cleanser with salicylic acid, which "dissolves the oil in the pores," says New York City and Coral Gables, Florida, dermatologist Fredric Brandt. It also helps slough away dead skin that can lead to clogging. We like Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser and Bioré Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser.

LET IT RIP

Deflate and clean pores—like the ones on your nose—once a week with pore strips. (TryBioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips.) "They really do work," says Francesca Fusco

SLATHER ON THE SUNSCREEN

By now you probably know that you need a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least an SPF 30, that the ingredients Mexoryl and Helioplex offer the longest-lasting protection, that you have to slather a tablespoon's worth of the stuff on your face and a shot glass–size dollop on your body...and that it's necessary to reapply every two hours if you're outdoors, including any time spent in your car. Now you just need to do it—every single day. We recommend Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 55 (with Helioplex) and La Roche-Posay Anthelios 40 (with Mexoryl), because neither will turn your skin ghost white or greasy

GET MORE BEAUTY SLEEP

If you go to bed 15 minutes earlier, progressively, for four nights running, you'll establish a routine where you get an extra hour of dark circle-zapping rest. For your best shot at the necessary eight hours, quit the coffee after 3 P.M. and avoid exercising in the three hours before bedtime. Log off in plenty of time, too—your face is more important than Facebook. And stop hitting the snooze button the next morning—fragmented sleeping just makes you groggier

PILE ON THE ANTIOXIDANTS

They're among your best weapons against pollution and sun. The most potent are CoffeeBerry (found in Priori CoffeeBerry Day Complexor RevaléSkin Day Cream), idebenone (Prevage Anti-Aging Treatment), green tea (Topix Replenix Cream CF), pomegranate (Murad Energizing Pomegranate Moisturizer SPF 15 andEstée Lauder Nutritious Vita-Mineral Moisture Lotion) and Coenzyme Q10 (Eucerin Sensitive Skin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Sensitive Skin Lotion SPF 15). Whichever antioxidant is in your arsenal, arm yourself every morning for all-day protection.

REMEMBER THE RETINOL

Retinol rules—it's "the only thing that's been proven to reduce fine lines over the long-term," Brandt says. But like even the best long-term relationships, it isn't 100 percent perfect. It can increase sun sensitivity (that's why it's best applied at night) and it makes some women peel, flake, redden, and itch. New York City dermatologist Howard Sobel advises taking things slow: Dab it on every other night, or dilute it with plain moisturizer, until you know your skin can handle it. (Try DermaDoctor Poetry in Lotion or RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream.)

HANDS OFF YOUR EYES 

You are too thin—at least around the eyes. Don't rub, poke, or otherwise fiddle with the skin there. "Every time you do, you risk breaking delicate blood vessels, which leads to darkening, dulling, and thickening of the surrounding skin," says Fusco.

When choosing an eye cream, look for gentle anti-aging ingredients like peptides (Olay Professional Pro-X Eye Restoration Complex) or zinc (found in Relastin Eye Silk)—a current favorite of Leslie Baumann, director of the University of Miami Cosmetic and Research Institute. "It's been shown to increase elastin production, which can reduce crepiness," she says.

DON'T DRINK, DON'T SMOKE

What do you do? Take care of your body to take care of your skin, that's what. Smoking is an infamous wrinkle factory that destroys collagen and elastin. (But you knew that.) Less well known is that more than one glass of alcohol increases inflammation in the bloodstream, "which can hasten sagging over time," Brandt says. Eating too much sugar is also a vice for your skin (not to mention your waistline), he says—it may affect the body's ability to repair damaged collagen

CLEAN UP YOUR ACTIONS

Remember the little things. They can lead to big trouble—like premature aging.

• Stop squinting (sunglasses help). And if you wear eyeglasses or contact lenses, make sure your prescription is up to date.
• Avoid sipping through a straw. It contributes to lines around the mouth.
• Break the habit of resting your chin on your hand. (It stretches the skin.)
• Switch to a smooth satin pillowcase. The creases in cotton eventually make their mark on your face.

WIPE OUT DARK SPOTS

Wrinkles may be the classic sign of aging, but studies show that most people view mottled skin as even older-looking. The good news: dark spots can be faded in as little as a month. The magic ingredient is hydroquinone in Murad Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Gel and DDF Skincare Fade Gel, and it should be dabbed directly onto brown spots every night. (Yet another reason to wear sunscreen: Without it, you'll earn new spots as you erase the old ones.)

 

BRIGHTEN UP

As we age, cell turnover slows and dead skin cells pile up all over our face. Eventually these malingerers "reflect the light at odd angles and rob your face of radiance," says New York City dermatologist Doris J. Day. It isn't pretty. Whisk them away twice a week with an at-home glycolic acid peel, like Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel or Avon Anew Clinical Advanced Retexturizing Peel.

DON'T FORGET YOUR NECK AND HANDS

They're the body parts most likely to betray the age that's on your passport even when your face doesn't. Get them on the same daily maintenance program as your face, with sunscreen every morning and retinol at night. Dab hydroquinone on sunspots, and exfoliate twice a week. (We like the gentle but powerful St. Ives Elements Microdermabrasion scrub.)

SOURCE: http://www.allure.com/skin-care/anti-aging-skin/2009/anti_aging_skin_tricks