Complications Intense sun exposure that results in sunburn increases your risk of certain complications and related skin diseases. These include infection, premature aging of your skin and skin cancer. Infection Ruptured blisters make you more sus...

Complications Intense sun exposure that results i...

Sunburn — red, painful skin that feels hot to the touch — usually appears within a few hours after sun exposure and may take several days or longer to fade. Intense sun exposure that results in sunburn increases your risk of certain comp...

Sunburn — red, painful skin that feels hot t...

What you can do Before your appointment, you may want to write a list of answers to the following questions: How long after exposure to the sun did your symptoms begin? What type of symptoms did you experience? Have your symptoms worse...

What you can do Before your appointment, you may ...

Sun allergy is a term often used to describe a number of conditions in which an itchy red rash occurs on skin that's been exposed to sunlight. The most common form of sun allergy is polymorphic light eruption, also known as sun poisoning. Some peopl...

Sun allergy is a term often used to describe a num...

What to expect from your doctor Your doctor is likely to ask you a number of questions, including: When did you begin experiencing symptoms? Have your symptoms been continuous or occasional? How severe are your symptoms? What, if ...

What to expect from your doctor Your doctor is li...

An ingrown hair occurs when a shaved or tweezed hair grows back into the skin, causing inflammation and irritation. Ingrown hairs are most common among black males ages 14 to 25. But an ingrown hair can affect anyone with tightly coiled hair who shav...

An ingrown hair occurs when a shaved or tweezed ha...

It's so tempting to get out and enjoy the sun. However, new research from Mayo Clinic shows that skin cancer is on the rise — especially among younger people. Incidence of melanoma — the most deadly type of skin cancer — has dramat...

It's so tempting to get out and enjoy the sun. How...

What you can expect A face-lift can be done in a hospital or an outpatient surgical facility. Sometimes the procedure is done with sedation and local anesthesia, which numbs only part of your body. In other cases, general anesthesia — which re...

What you can expect A face-lift can be done in a ...

A face-lift (rhytidectomy) is a cosmetic surgical procedure to improve the look of your face and neck. During a face-lift, facial soft tissues are lifted, excess skin is removed and skin is draped back over the newly repositioned contours. A neck li...

A face-lift (rhytidectomy) is a cosmetic surgical ...

How you prepare If you're interested in laser hair removal, choose a doctor who's board certified in a specialty such as dermatology or cosmetic surgery and has experience with laser hair removal. If a physician's assistant or licensed nurse will do...

How you prepare If you're interested in laser hai...

Laser hair removal is a medical procedure that uses a laser — an intense, pulsating beam of light — to remove unwanted hair. During laser hair removal, a laser beam passes through the skin to an individual hair follicle. The intense heat...

Laser hair removal is a medical procedure that use...

What you can expect Dermabrasion is typically done in an office-based procedure room or outpatient surgical facility. However, if you're having extensive work done, dermabrasion might be done in a hospital. Before the procedure, a member of your he...

What you can expect Dermabrasion is typically don...

Dermabrasion is a skin-resurfacing procedure that uses a rapidly rotating device to sand the outer layers of skin. After dermabrasion, the skin that grows back is usually smoother and younger looking. Dermabrasion can decrease the appearance of fine...

Dermabrasion is a skin-resurfacing procedure that ...

Answer from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. Yes, birth control pills (oral contraceptives) may improve acne in women. Birth control pills for acne are typically considered when acne doesn't respond to other treatments, such as prescription medication. How...

Answer from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. Yes, birth c...

Laser resurfacing is a skin resurfacing procedure that uses a laser to improve the appearance of your skin or treat minor facial flaws. Laser resurfacing can be done with two types of lasers: A wounding (ablative) laser, which removes thin laye...

Laser resurfacing is a skin resurfacing procedure ...

How you prepare Before you have laser resurfacing, your doctor will likely: Review your medical history. Be prepared to answer questions about current and past medical conditions and any medications you're taking or have taken recently, as well ...

How you prepare Before you have laser resurfacing...

Answer from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. No — shaving hair doesn't change its thickness, color or rate of growth. Shaving facial or body hair gives the hair a blunt tip. The tip might feel coarse or "stubbly" for a time as it grows out. During th...

Answer from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. No — s...

Answer from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. Research on the best foods for healthy skin is limited. Still, antioxidant-rich foods seem to have a protective effect for the skin. Consider these skin-friendly foods: Carrots, apricots, and other yellow an...

Answer from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. Research on ...

Answer from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. Although proper hydration is important for your overall health, it's not clear whether drinking extra water affects skin hydration in healthy people. Skin is made up of three layers — the outer layer (epid...

Answer from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. Although pro...

Answer from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. Tattoo removal creams are widely available online — but there's no evidence that they work. At best, tattoo removal cream might fade or lighten a tattoo. The tattoo will remain visible, however, and skin ir...

Answer from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. Tattoo remov...

Answer from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. Yes. The medication bimatoprost — marketed under the brand name Latisse — is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat inadequate eyelashes (hypotrichosis). Bimatoprost is also marke...

Answer from Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. Yes. The med...