Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with skin

Suggestions for gentle exfoliation

mossicle — Sun, 19 May 2013 01:59:42 -0800

I'm noticing some dead skin just hanging around on my face. It's especially obvious when applying foundation. I'd like to scrub this off, but my skin is quite sensitive and prior exfoliation attempts (St. Ives, Clean & Clear) have been irritating. Can you suggest any products or methods that would make for a really gentle exfoliation? Thanks!

My eyes are up HERE

Ms. Toad — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:18:42 -0800

Help me cover up this big dark bump on my shoulder with makeup or other tricks! I have a kind of benign cyst on the back of my shoulder. It's raised, dark, and reasonably large, about a 1/4 inch in diameter. It sort of looks like a mole, but it's clear from its coloring and shape that it's not. I love wearing tank tops in the summertime, but I notice people staring at the cyst when I'm sitting next to them. I WILL NOT SACRIFICE THE TANK TOP!

I don't want to get it removed because the doctor says it's big enough that it would leave a large crater in the skin, and it's benign and doesn't bother me otherwise. So, maybe I can cover it up?

Can you recommend a (reasonably inexpensive) cosmetic that could help to hide this big bump? I've tried traditional blemish cremes, foundation, and cover-ups, but they don't quite do the job, partly because it's so raised. I'm also a bit makeup-dumb. Other ideas?

My skin is fairly light/caucasian, and the bump is a deep brown, if that matters.

I don't want to be alarmist, but I also don't want to be stupid.

meese — Sat, 11 May 2013 12:33:40 -0800

Suppose you've noticed a growing red skin blemish on your arm that's irregular, raised, and a little flaky towards the center. At what point do you start to worry it's skin cancer and go see a doctor? So, about a month ago, I noticed this tiny bump on my forearm. I thought it was a pimple, and I picked at it a bit, and it didn't pop. Then it started to get red -- but I figured this was just some reaction to my picking at it. But it kept growing larger. For a while, it looked a lot like a small burn. About two weeks ago, I noticed it had an irregular shape, and just a little bit of flaky skin in the middle. I was worried for a while that it was some sort of fungus or rash, but it doesn't really itch or anything. (It does sting a bit, if I touch it.) Right now, it's a little bit larger than a pencil eraser. It doesn't bleed at all, and it doesn't appear to have any veins in it or anything. (Overall, so far as frightening skin blemishes go, it's been pretty unobtrusive.)

Just this morning, I remembered what I had learned in high school physiology about skin cancer, and it dawned on me that this is a wee bit closer to the description of what to look out for than I'd like. But, this isn't a mole: I never had a mole in this spot of my arm. And, furthermore, it's only been there about a month. That seems like way too short a time frame for skin cancer -- although, I have no idea what I'm talking about.

So, given that I've had this skin blemish only for about a month, and given that I really don't want spend my money and time on going to the doctor just to be told, "Eh, if it's still there after $TIMEFRAME, come back," when should I be thinking about making an appointment with my doctor? Now? A month from now, if the blemish is still there? Six months from now?

What's up with my skin?

Vampire Cat — Sat, 04 May 2013 13:37:22 -0800

I've had a mysterious rash for the past 8 months, starting 2 weeks after my first child was born. Two different dermatologists say probably eczema, and I probably just have to live with it. Should I give up and live with it, or try to do something else? I had eczema on my wrists (and only on my wrists) when I was about 8. I put some sort of cream on it and eventually it went away completely for 22 years. Then 2 weeks after my kid is born, some itchy redness shows up on the backs of my hands.

At first it was just on the backs of my hands, and in these small circles sort of like ringworm. I was sleep-deprived and stressed out (the early weeks were difficult). We used disposable diapers in the first two weeks or so, then switched to cloth diapers. I was washing my hands a lot after changing diapers, and there was the new cloth-diaper-safe detergent (Rockin green). Neither my wife nor son have had any symptoms.

I tried over-the-counter cortisone stuff, moisturizer, anti-fungal stuff, and doing nothing on the various spots, but I couldn't determine any difference between the treatments. The one spot that improved the most was a cortisone-treated spot, but so was the one spot that got worse the most. My wife took over the bulk of diaper duty, we tried changing detergents (All, free and clear), we tried running a load of rags with bleach before doing adult laundry, and my stress levels went down naturally, but nothing seemed to matter.

My hands were a little dry, but not the driest they've been since I was 8. Occasionally the backs of my hands have gotten chapped when I spent too much time outside without gloves in the winter, and I never needed anything more than some moisturizer to heal it.

The spots on the backs of my hands got pretty bad, and I also started getting some spots on my upper arms and on my legs, so I went to a dermatologist. She did a scraping and said it wasn't ringworm. She said it could be a handful of things, but it didn't really matter because the treatment would be the same - topical steroid ointment, fluocinonide 0.05%. I put that on for two weeks and the spots got a lot better, but didn't totally go away. She did another scraping and sent it to a lab to look for bacteria, and there was some, so she gave me an antiobiotic and told me to continue for another two weeks. When I asked her if there was any way to determine the cause of this rash, she said I could get a biopsy, but it probably wouldn't tell us much.

The spots would go away completely, but once I stopped putting the steroid on them, some of them would come back. I would randomly get new spots on my arms, legs, backs of my fingers, and tops of my feet. I didn't get warm fuzzy feelings that the first dermatologist was going to solve this for me, so I decided to get a second opinion. The second dermatologist said it's definitely eczema, and I just have to live with it, moisturizing as much as possible, treating with steroids for two weeks, taking a break from steroids for a week, and repeating. She also gave me a "stronger" steroid cream, triamcinolone acetonide 0.1%.

I used the "stronger" cream for two weeks, but it didn't work as well as the ointment, which I'm able to leave as a layer of greasiness on the backs of my hands for most of the day -- I very carefully wash just the fronts of my hands when I have this stuff on, and I punch a keyboard all day.

So now I'm using the ointment for two weeks, taking a break, and repeating. During the break I put the greasiest Eucerin you can find on my skin instead of the ointment - Original Healing Soothing Repair Cream With Rich Emollients, Maximum Richness. By the end of the two weeks of ointment I'm in pretty good shape, but then by the end of the week break it's all itchy, red, sensitive, and slightly inflamed again. That's where I'm at now - finger, back of my upper arm.

I'm tired of putting this stuff on my skin every day, and the explanations don't make any sense to me. It's May now and my skin isn't dry at all. I'm getting decent sleep, and I'm not stressed. The second dermatologist also said my past eczema plus my other allergies (cat hair, dust, pollen) point to eczema, but most of this rashy time has been pollen-free winter.

So what is going on? Should I see another dermatologist? Should I suck it up and continue with the steroids? Should I get a biopsy? Neither dermatologist gave many details about what sort of biopsy they'd do or what they might be looking for.

Red-faced runner

greta simone — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:11:01 -0800

How can I prevent or shorten the time that my face is beet red after going for a jog? I have been working on the Couch-to-5k program which, for those not in the know, is a jogging program that very slowly and gradually has you walking and running in increments until after many weeks, you're running and no longer walking. Each session is only 30 minutes, and you do it 3 times a week. It's simple and I like it, which is the first time in my life I can say I like any kind of exercise for exercise's sake.

Problem is, a normal person would have to carve out only an hour or so to run and them come home, shower, and be on their merry way. But no, not me. My face is unbelievably beet red, so much so that it looks like a sunburn. And it stays that way for over an hour after I'm done running and showering.

I'm not running strenuously.
I'm running in 45-65 degree weather, usually in the morning, so it's not too hot.
I'm running mostly in shaded areas.
I wear sunscreen.
I take a cool shower immediately upon returning.
I stay really well hydrated.
I run a fan when I get home.
I'm a white, but not pale, 30 year old woman.
I have a good diet and am in good health.
I don't feel over-exhausted or over-heated.
I currently take a birth control pill and Wellbutrin, but the red-face thing has always been the case throughout my life and before these medications.
Make-up won't cover it, and I wouldn't want to do that anyway.
I can't pay for a gym membership right now, and I probably wouldn't use it anyway.

This is only a problem because my schedule does not allow me 2-3 hours of consecutive time, three days a week, to stay out of public and 'cool down', and I'd really like to be able to give myself the time to stick with this program to the end.

What can I do to cool down my face quicker so that I can get on with my life after I run?

What's up with my face?

sunshine arakhan — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 03:38:51 -0800

YANAD, but what are these lines on my face?? They start from the inner corner of each eye and run in a long semi-circle under my eye to the middle of my outer cheek area. Bad phone quality pictures here and here (it's a good day so they aren't as puffy so it may be hard to tell). Limited Google results tell me they may be malar festoons/mounds??, however I can only find articles on these in older people and I'm 23. Some days they are barely noticeable and others they are very pronounced (for example, at 16 I was once asked how I got those big scars on my face). I haven't noticed any link between how pronounced they are and what time of day it is, if I am especially tired etc. It can sometimes make me quite self conscious when I catch a glimpse of my reflection in a window or mirror and see these pronounced creases cutting through my cheek fat. Any ideas??

SCUM Manifesto

airguitar2 — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:05:02 -0800

I do not think of myself as a dirty person, but when I'm in the shower and I scrape my nails over my neck/chest/back area, a grayish scum collects under my fingernails. What is this disgusting medley, and what can I do about it? I shower. I wash. Nonetheless, my skin seems to create a grayish, filmy, scum-like substance that I can scrape off with my fingernails.

Possibly related: my comb, after several uses, also seems to have a grayish film on the teeth.

Am I disgusting? What is this? How do I rid myself of the scum??

How do we treat this wound on our cat's ear?

aparrish — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 08:04:19 -0800

Yesterday we noticed this hairless patch on The Grey Lady Jane Grey's ear. What could it be, and how do we treat it? It's hard to tell what's going on in the photo, but the hairless patch is about half the diameter of a US penny. It seems like there might be some dried pus or scabbing in the area. It's possible that we'd not noticed the patch for a few days, but it's definitely very new.

Here's what's been going on in TGLJG's life recently, and how we think they might be related to the patch:

(1) We introduced a second cat to our household recently (Althea; here's a pic of them both). After carefully following these guidelines for introducing the cats, we've finally reached the point where we let them roam the apartment together, sometimes without supervision. They're still a little territorial, though. We wonder whether Althea might have nicked TGLJG's ear in a tussle, making a tiny cut which she then over-groomed...?

(2) Althea (cat #2) came to us with a few skin problems—there's a small hairless patch on her back, and sometimes she bites herself while grooming. We're wondering if maybe she has some kind of skin thing (mites?) that she could have passed to TGLJG.

(3) We recently switched over to corn-based litter (see previous question). Is it possible that the hairless patch is an allergic reaction to the new litter?

... or maybe it's something else entirely. We're trying to decide whether we can treat this ourselves, or if a visit to the vet is definitely necessary. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

How can I soothe/remoisturizing the irritated skin on my face?

lovableiago — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:42:59 -0800

How to heal or restore moisture to this (probably) temporary chemical-sensitivity induced rash/dryness on my face? I just came back from a weekend at a vacation rental and the skin on my face--mostly around my mouth--is very dry, red, scaly, a bit itchy and generally irritated (it actually feels like I have a sunburn, though I am near certain this is not a sunburn). Please help me fix this without making it worse.

I usually wash my face (only at night) with pretty gentle stuff--Trader Joe's face wash with tea tree oil or a Neutrogena "Naturals" or Cetaphil anti-bacterial bar, depending on how much make-up I'm wearing or how much I've been sweating. For this trip I grabbed a random travel size face wash in my attempt to be low-maintenance and not schlep my whole medicine cabinet with me. The one I got was Neutrogena's "Oil Free Face Wash". I realized after using it several nights that it has salicylic acid in it. I know that is already drying, PLUS I was not putting moisturizer on after I washed my face with it because...vacation/lazy, but my skin is irritated enough that I'm wondering if I also did not do a good enough job of rinsing it off or something (this occurred to me because after the first night of using it I got sort of red and itchy in front of my ear near my hairline--which sometimes gets missed when I rinse my face). Anyway there's a fine rash all along my jaw line and chin that sort of looks like little zits that kind of burns and the skin in that area is just dry and flaky and pretty nasty looking. The skin directly under my lower lip feels like it's chapped.

For what it's worth, this also may have been a matter of sleeping on vacation rental sheets that I highly doubt were laundered with the higher-end hypoallergenic detergent I use at home. I mention because I actually woke up this morning and the side of my face that I was sleeping on was swollen, especially around my eye (noticeable to others) and my eye sort a bit watery all morning so maybe this indicative of a larger allergy issue? Probably several converging factors here, but the question is:

Has this kind of thing ever happened to your skin, and if so, how did you nurse it back to normalcy? I am home now and I want to 1) take my make-up off (if I didn't have to go out and about today I would have just skipped it) and 2) soothe/restore moisture to that area. My first instinct would be to use a gentle soap (like the cetaphil bar) and a hot washcloth but would the heat make it worse? I have some coconut oil I put on my skin when it gets dry but I am afraid that will further irritate things too. I have a pretty heavy Cetaphil skin cream I use in winter months but I am just wondering if there are any better ideas? Oatmeal mask? Benadryl? I can get over my vanity but the burning/itching is just darn uncomfortable. Thanks in advance.

Everybody's free to wear sunscreen. But what kind?

Sara C. — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:36:45 -0800

I need daily sunscreen recommendations compatible with oily skin. After four months living in Southern California, I can no longer chalk my failure to develop a daily sunscreen habit up to "getting rid of the New York pallor". I'm also far too vain about my youthful looking complexion and my beautifully inked custom-designed tattoos that I want to last forever.

There's only one thing keeping me from just running out to CVS and picking up some SPF whateverz -- my extremely oily skin. I don't use a daily facial moisturizer because I frankly don't need the moisture on my face. While I do use lotion on the rest of me, I find that combination lotion/sunscreen products I've used in the past are goopy, have a weird smell to them, and never quite feel like they absorb into my skin.

So friends, tell me what kind of sunscreen products to get. I probably need two different products -- one for my face which is compatible with oily skin, and one for the rest of me. Neither should have that goopy "day at the beach" residue going on.

In general, I have a low threshold for skincare bullshit. I'm not looking for anti-oxidants, retinol, vitamin E, anti-aging serum, or anything else. Just sun protection. I probably don't need some kind of crazy SPF 50 vampire control. In my old east coast Day Trip To Montauk life I used SPF 15.

I am willing to spend some money, but not necessarily department store beauty counter highway robbery money.

Advice to lessen my dermatographic urticaria aka "skin writing"

AppleTurnover — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 20:48:21 -0800

I have dermatographic urticaria, also known as "skin writing." It's really problematic because I will scratch an itch on my forehead or rub my chin while I am working and then, without even realizing it, I will look like I am breaking out with an illness or I got into a fight. Even though my skin is going haywire, getting puffy and red from being scratched or rubbed, I don't feel anything bothersome at all so I don't know until I check in a mirror. Does anyone have any experience with this and possibly reducing the symptoms? I just saw a dermatologist who didn't know any of treatments. I saw an allergist a few years ago who said there's nothing I can do but hope it goes away on its own. Well, it hasn't, and I've had it at least five years. I also have grave's disease and my allergist said there seems to be a correlation between dermatographic urticaria and thyroid disorders.

Anyone tried to get rid of this or found something that helped? I checked a few stores and didn't see any sort of antihistamine creams so I couldn't try that, but I figured it was worth a shot if I could buy some. I use lotion to make my skin less dry and itchy, but that doesn't stop the problems I get when I do scratch an itch.

Thanks in advance.

At the age of 37, she realized why the hell didn't I wear sunscreen?

silly me — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 07:28:18 -0800

I am a late thirties, fair-skinned, outdoorsy, sunscreen-shunning person who now has the face to show it. Assuming from now on I don't smoke (quit several years ago), wear hats and/or sunscreen, will the accelerated aging of the skin on my face slow down to a normal rate? So yeah, I was dumb. Now I have deep crow's feet that radiate down over my cheeks, and the skin around my eyes is paper-thin and wrinkly. I have a labial lentigo http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sun-damage/SN00021&slide=5
(which is no big deal but according to Mayo Clinic a sign of sun damage).

The damage really became apparent a year or two ago, and since then I've been pretty fanatical about keeping the sun off my face. I eat a healthy diet and exercise. I'm not really interested in facial peels, chemical treatments, plastic surgery or what-have-you. I'm mainly wondering if I can expect my skin to continue to age at a faster rate than that of my peers--will the effects of all of those sunburns continue to wreak havoc even though I'm now staying out of the sun? Or can I expect my skin to age normally now, just looking about 10 years older than it should?

Botox me?

Dansaman — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 13:12:47 -0800

I have a wrinkle (or whatever this particular skin condition is called) that is very similar in position and depth to this one on Ethan Hawke (mine doesn't go up that high but curves a little bit at the top). I'm trying to educate myself a bit before I consult with a dermatologist so that I can be an informed patient. Does anyone know if this is treatable with Botox? Are there any other effective treatments?

My skin has decided to start hating me

jezemars — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 09:54:04 -0800

I recently turned 40 and my skin, which has previously been happy under my tender loving care, has decided to rebel. I've always had dry skin but this winter is the first I've experienced flaky patches on my face. My usual moisturizer does nothing. HELP! I've always had dry skin. I was that annoying girl who never got acne in high school. My skin is also prone to redness. I've never been diagnosed with rosacea but have some of the symptoms: I flush easily, especially when I've had alcohol, and my skin tends to turn very red in cold weather. My skin is also extremely sensitive and I have trouble finding sunscreens and moisturizers that don't sting upon application or makes me break out. Until recently I used Neutrogena's sensitive skin moisturizer without sunscreen and while it didn't tone down my redness, it kept the dryness under control.

But then came the winter. I do not live in an extreme climate. The winters here are fairly mild, with lots of rain and very few sub-zero days. But my skin had decided that no amount of moisturizer is going to make it happy. When my regular Neutrogena moisturizer was no longer working I decided to try something new and wanting to see if a redness minimizer would work, I've recently started using La Roche-Posay's Rosaliac moisturizer. While it seems to be toning down the redness in the skin, I'm still dry and flaky. Anyone have any suggestions on something else to try?

Here's my current regime:
Wash in the morning with Cetaphil and warm (not hot) water. Pat dry with a towel. Apply Rosaliac moisturizer and Bare Minerals powder. I drink a lot of water throughout the day. I don't usually wash my face again at night. I've tried products from Aveeno, Eucerin and Oil of Olay and my skin has reacted badly to them.

I love my skin and want to treat it right. Anyone have suggestions for what I could do differently?

Is there any hope for smooth skin, post-depilation?

Anonymous — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:40:57 -0800

Brazilian wax has revealed unattractive skin issues. Is there anything that can be done to solve it? I had my first-ever Brazilian wax a couple weeks ago. I am extremely pleased with the results, and intend to stay bare for the foreseeable future. The only problem is that with the removal of the hair, I discovered that the skin of my mons pubis resembles, well, turkey skin. Lots of distinct nodules where the hairs grow out. These are not ingrown hairs, as they are not red or inflamed in appearance, and uniformly distributed. A darker version of uncooked turkey skin really is the closest thing I can think of in terms of describing what I'm seeing. Which is gross. I suspect this might be genetic and therefore unsolvable, but is there anything that can be done to reduce these bumps, or make them go away entirely?

Facewart Funtime

moorooka — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:38:36 -0800

I have a little wart on my face next to my nose. It's only pimple-sized but has been there for almost a year or so and won't quit on its own. It's not very noticeable but I want to get rid of it and as far as I know freeze-burning in the fastest way to get these things off. But sometimes they are stubborn and need multiple hits of the nitrogen gun. Will doing this freeze-burning thing leave me with noticeable marks on my face the next day, or even scars?

Finally won a battle--help me win the war (against acne).

tomorrow — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:42:11 -0800

Washing my skin with just water has gotten rid of 90% of my acne. How can I get rid of the remaining 10%? I'm a woman in my late 20s who's had moderate to severe acne on my face for at least the last 10 years. My skin care routine has always involved several products: I've always used some combination of an exfoliator, a cleanser, a toner, and moisturizer. I've used acne.org's The Regimen, Clinique's acne solutions 3-step products, and Paula's Choice Clear system, so my routine has almost always involved salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. I've seen several dermatologists and used prescription-strength versions of these products. Through all of this my skin has never been that good, and while some routines have been better than others I've pretty much always had a fair bit of visible acne all over my face.

About a year ago, I stopped using any products at all and started washing my face just by splashing it with water twice a day and using no toners or moisturizers or anything else. After a short while, my skin started to improve A LOT. After tweaking this routine by adding in this 5% alpha hydroxy acid exfoliator that I use at night, about 90% of my acne has vanished and hasn't come back. This is obviously beyond awesome! But now I'm wondering if there's anything I can do to get rid of the remaining 10%. The pimples that I get now are almost all small pustules (the kind filled with pus that can be popped) on my chin. This is a huge improvement from before, when I used to get all kinds of pimples all over my face, including the big, deep, under-the-skin ones and other painful red bumps.

My skin is very fair/pale and scars easily. While I was using different products it was extremely oily (like, I had to blot it with blotting paper multiple times a day) but since starting washing with just water it's hardly oily at all: it starts out a little dry, flaky, and tight in the morning and gradually gets less dry until the end of the day when it's just slightly on the shiny side.

I change my pillowcase often, wipe my phone down with alcohol wipes, minimize dairy, and have switched to an all-natural shampoo.

Knowing that using fewer products has helped more than anything else, what could I try to deal with the few remaining pimples I keep getting on my chin? I'm already thrilled with how much of a difference I've see, but I'm SO CLOSE to having totally clear skin and would love some suggestions of how to finally get there.

Can I do anything with pig skin after slow-cooking it?

Magnakai — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 13:57:08 -0800

I made some delicious slow-cooker pulled pork using this chow.com recipe. I cooked the pork shoulder with the skin on, believing it to add flavour. After cooking, it came right off, along with a thick layer of fat. I've looked up pork scratching recipes, but none of them take into account that I cooked it for 8 hours beforehand. I'd like to do something useful with it, but I'm not sure what. Is it destined for my tummy or the bin?

It-All-Goes-Downhill-After-30-Filter

raztaj — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 09:38:33 -0800

Is there anything I can do to minimize, hide, or slow down the lines developing under my eyes? I'm in my early 30s, but I've always had a couple fine lines under my eyes, even as a teenager. But it feels like they're quickly getting cemented, bigger, and more numerous. My eyes are inset, and something about the structure of my face creates lines completely under my eyes, and not the sides (no crows feet).

The lines are MUCH more prominent and wider spread when I smile/laugh, so I appreciate that there are good times built into the nooks of those lines... but they still bother me.

I have an early family history of skin cancer, so I've always been conscientious of sun exposure, usually get enough sleep, and drink plenty of water. I'm pale, but with dark hair/eyes/eyebrows. So far the rest of my face seems to be spared from these lines and wrinkles - my forehead, mouth, sides of eyes are of no concern. But the lines under my eyes…. eek!

Is there anything I can do to be proactive about how those lines develop? Can I do anything to further prevent them, or reduce their appearance?

My skin is revolting. Help me lead the charge against this mutiny!

youandiandaflame — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 05:50:40 -0800

My newly 30 year old skin is acting like it wants to ruin my life. And my boobs are my skin's accomplice, apparently. What is happening with my hormones? I turned 30 last September and my skin, it seems, has decided to revolt. I never had acne as a teenager and for a majority of adulthood I had healthy skin that didn't require me to wear makeup. My routine for the last umpteen years involves washing gently every night with hot water and Dove soap...and that's it. It's worked well for years...until recently.

I'm experiencing what looks to be miniature whiteheads just under the skin. They never become pop-able. They're not as large as cysts but they are red. One side of my face has had an outbreak of this, along with exceedingly dry skin no matter how much I moisturize and that spot is about 3" x 2" of dry, red, annoying awfulness. I'm also experiencing the same thing on the bridge of my noise and now it seems to be spreading to the other side of my face. I am no longer using OTC acne medication -- tried that and it just seemed to dry it out more and make it worse. I've quit exfoliating as well because that seems to aggravate my angry skin. I've also been dealing with blepharitis in the past few months.

On top of that, for the past three months before my period my boobs swell. I've always been rather flat chested and I swear, these things go up a size and become a little sore about 2 weeks before my period.

Both those things lead me to believe this is hormone related. Has anyone experienced anything like this? What did you do to calm your skin down (frankly, I'm fine with the bigger, albeit a little sore, breasts -- I can live with that!)? I've been washing my pillowcases once a week with no detergent in hot water but that's offered no improvement. I don't pick at my skin and I've not changed anything about what I do to my face. Shampoo and soaps are the same I've always used.

Today I'll be wearing makeup to work for the first time in, uh, years. I'm not a makeup wearing person and I don't think that'll help with the skin issue but frankly, my crazy skin is looking awful so it's necessary.

Again, if anyone's experienced this or anything like it, advice is truly appreciated.

Also, I am uninsured so would prefer to not HAVE to see a doc about this unless this is a serious hormone issue. I can save up a couple hundred bucks for an office visit if I HAVE to but honestly, I'd really rather not.

Get rid of oily worms

Napierzaza — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 14:03:13 -0800

What's the best way to get all the white and black heads out of your skin? Specifically in the nose. I always seem to have little white and black heads and I don't know how to definitively get rid of them. I want to have my nose be totally clear of them without putting undo pressure on my nose skin. If I push to much it gets a bit red.

I know there are those dumb strips, but do they work? Do I need to soak or steam or something?

I've seen videos (yes I know) of someone using a tool that looks like the eye of a needle but much bigger to help put pressure on the pores.

What works, and where can I get it?

This is a place for your anecdotes, but any professionals would be appreciated. And any new terms you can teach me would also be nice.

What is going on below my waistline?

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 21:19:47 -0800

I have spots near my groin region. I know you're not my doctor, but if you can give me any insight to calm my nerves it would be appreciated. Also, what do I say to the girl I'm dating? About me: 30 year old straight male.

I have a about 6 light pink to red spots between my navel and groin region, and they are a few centimeters apart from each other. I just noticed them today.

One is on my inner leg, and looks slightly chaffed or opened. They don't itch and they're not painful, except for the ones that are right on my waistline, which is rubbing against my underwear waistband.

I had an STI test performed two months ago, however I don't believe I was tested for herpes. The test came back clean.

I am going to my doctor tomorrow morning.

I'm really nervous right now, as:

1) I don't know what this skin condition is. And I'm feeling very panicky about it.

2) I'm supposed to meet up with a girl I've been dating and sexually active with for the past few weeks on Friday. We have had sex without a condom on two occasions. I don't know what to say to her about this. How do I bring this up?

Is my wrinkle cream aging me?

vanitas — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 12:45:42 -0800

I'm in my early 20s and my skin is getting worse by the day. Can wrinkle creams make wrinkles worse? I started freaking out about my "premature" fine lines (upon looking closely at other people my age, I think they were pretty normal) a while ago and a few weeks ago started using a night moisturizer and eye cream daily and a retinol cream (Philosophy Help Me) a few times a week.

In the past couple weeks my skin has been getting worse by the day. I got redness and peeling from the retinol which is expected, and my forehead lines seem to be getting better, but the lines under my eyes seem to be deeper every morning and I've spotted new ones creeping out down to my cheek. I am starting to look OLD and freak out.

WTF is going on? I am getting seriously upset by this and borderline obsessive since I feel at this rate I'll look 50 by the time I hit 25. Does aging really hit you this rapidly or is the Help Me messing me up? Should I keep it up with the retinol or cut it out?

I am 23, white, have dryish skin that was amazingly clear until I started this stuff. I wear Neutrogena SPF moisturizer every morning and don't get much sun anyway.

Rule of thumb for initial break outs?

flying_trapeze — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 16:43:31 -0800

At what point do you decide that the initial breakout is now a reaction breakout? I began using sea buckthorn seed oil as a treatment for my rosacea. I also suffer from moderate acne, but my biggest skin concern is redness and inflammation. I've gotten a few recommendations for sea buckthorn oil, so I purchased it and started applying a few drops morning and night. While my skin is definitely much more moisturized and less flaky, I'm breaking out. I've gotten a few cysts, and alot (more than a dozen) of other small bumps. (The pimples definitely aren't related to anything else, as my acne is hormonal and I am familiar with the timing.) The acne is making my skin even more irritated and red.
Since it's been a week, I'm wondering when I should give up the ghost and accept that the product isn't working? For this oil's case, and just in general for all skin products.

Tea Tree Filter

bad grammar — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 16:44:28 -0800

Should tea tree oil in bath water sting like crazy? I'm not getting a good answer from the online tea tree oil fanatics who swear by its use for all medical and hygienic purposes.

I used 100% tea tree oil from the drugstore and put about 2 t. in my hot bath water. About halfway through the bath (not a long soak), it started to make my legs sting like crazy, and I drained the bath water, cleaned the tub and soaped all over again to get it off. It is still stinging. Oddly enough the rest of my body isn't experiencing the prickly sensation.

Is this a serious reaction (i.e. poison, allergy) or will it go away? I basically feel as if I've had a Finnish sauna and beaten myself with the traditional birch branches.

I realize I probably used too much. For impulse actions I identify with Mark Vonnegut who said "My mind is like a lynch mob."