Style
YOU'RE SEEING SPOTS
Who put them there? You did, by going SPF-less one too many times. Commonly known as age spots, these brown marks are actually little piles of sun-damaged dermis that clump together over the years.
To get a new face: Once a day at bed time, apply an over-the-counter skin bleaching agent containing hydroquinone. If the product is too irritating for you, try L'oréal's White Perfect Spot Corrector. It regulates the production of Melanin, and contains Vitamin C to help slow down darkening.
And if that doesn't work: Have someone shoot you with a laser. The painless pulses from an alexandrite laser will turn a brown age spot into a grayish-white scab that will eventually fall off and leave behind unmarked flesh.
YOU LOOK LIKE A 17-YEAR-OLD
You're oily and pimple-prone. It's those raging hormones again; testosterone can trigger an overproduction of sebum, a pore-clogging oily substance. Throw in some bacteria and the clog may turn into an attention-grabbing red pustule, known better by the unscientific name "zit."
To get a new face: Stop using that bar of soap and use Benzac AC, a water-based, 2.5 percent benzoyl peroxide cleanser. It'll limit oil production, flush your pores, and kill bacteria without irritating your skin the way 10 percent peroxide solutions can, says Dr. Jacknin. Apply the stuff once or twice a day and you'll knock out existing pimples and prevent new ones from forming. Benzac AC is available by prescription only, so you'll need a note from your doctor. Pores still pumping more oil than Kuwait? Complete the mop-up job by wiping your face with an over-the-counter astringent that contains witch hazel, says John Bocachica, MD, director of the division of dermatology at Loma Linda University in California. "Witch hazel cleanses the skin and has anti-inflammatory properties." Of course, it also has that cool, evil-soundingname.
And if that doesn't work: Rub on a prescription retinoid cream to open up your pores and push out debris before they get completely clogged. Just make sure you ask your dermatologist for 0.1 percent Retin-A Micro or Differin; both are gentler than standard preparations.
» Style archive
Men's Health Philippines - August 2005
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