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"Cellulite, Bacne, Veins, and More: Your Top Skin Embarrassments Solved\\nSome body-skin issues may make you feel like permanently covering up. These tips will help you come out of hiding.\\nYour handy razor skills or your waxer's impeccable reputation mean very little when it comes to ingrowns: No matter how you choose to remove the hair around your bikini area, you can still develop these annoying, itchy bumps. Minimize redness, swelling, and bacteria by spreading on a zit cream or gel that contains 2 percent salicylic acid a minute or two before shaving (we like __Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Eliminating Spot Gel)__. If you have sensitive skin, try [Tend Skin Liquid](http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/skin/body-moisturizer/2012/tend-skin-liquid)\u2014it's a liquid that contains a more gentle form of salicylic acid. Continue to use your product once a day for a week afterward to help prevent ingrowns from forming.\\n\\\"I don't care if you cross your legs; I don't care if you wear tight everything\u2014about 90 percent of unsightly blood vessels are genetic,\\\" says dermatologist Seth Matarasso. That said, nearly all cases of unsightly spider veins can be cleared with sclerotherapy, in-office saline injections that shut down the blood vessels (it sounds scary, but it's completely safe). You'll need about four sessions, which cost around $600 each.\\nDiet and exercise can help erase excess pounds, but the chances of your cellulite vanishing along with the weight are unlikely. \\\"It's not about being skinny or fat,\\\" says dermatologist Ranella Hirsch. There's still no magic fix, but here's the good news: The most cost-effective way to diminish the appearance of lumpiness is with creams. \\\"I can attest to the short-term magic of caffeine-containing gels for minimizing the appearance of cellulite, though results last only a couple of hours,\\\" says Hirsch. (Try [Clarins High Definition Body Lift](http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/skin/2010/clarins-high-definition-body-lift-cellulite-control) or [Glytone Lipo-Lift Massage Kit.](http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/skin/2010/glytone-lipo-lift-massage-kit)) For the best results, use a caffeine gel in the morning and a cream with peptides or retinol at night\u2014the latter will stimulate collagen production to help fill in dimples over time. (We like [Elizabeth Arden Prevage Body Anti-aging Moisturizer](http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/skin/2010/elizabeth-arden-prevage-body-moisturizer) or __Vaseline Renewal Age-Redefining Body Lotion.__) Lastly, a little self-tanner can also go a long way toward making your skin at least look smoother. (Try [Xen-Tan Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe,](http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/skin/2011/xen-tan-dark-lotion-absolute-luxe) which is out in May.)\\nBeing a rough-and-tumble kid probably gave you cred on the playground...but most of us adults just wish the resulting scars would fade into memories. Nothing can make older scars go away, but there is a good method for covering up flat ones: Swipe a toner over the area to remove any oil; then use a flat, synthetic brush to blend a highly pigmented oil-free concealer over the area (we like __Giorgio Armani Beauty Concealer Brush__ and [Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage)](http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/makeup/2010/laura-mercier-secret-camouflage). If you have a new injury, be proactive and apply a scar treatment religiously. A new formula that sounds promising: [InviCible Scars,](http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/skin/2010/invicible-scars-treatment) a cream created by a San Antonio breast surgeon. \\\"It contains silicone, which minimizes scar tissue, while licorice and vitamin C address hyperpigmentation,\\\" says dermatologist Jeannette Graf.\\nThe salicylic acid treatments and wipes you use on your face will work well on the body, too, but avoid ones with benzoyl peroxide, since it can bleach clothing. If you tend to break out in hard-to-reach spots, make sure you use a medicated body wash every time you shower. (Try [Murad Acne Body Wash](http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/skin/2011/murad-acne-body-wash) or [Peter Thomas Roth Blemish Buffing Beads Body Wash.](http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/skin/2010/peter-thomas-roth-blemish-busting-buffing-beads-body-wash)) If those don't work after a few weeks, consider a series of acne laser treatments. \\\"In a split second, the Isolaz laser expands the pore, vacuums out gunk, and kills bacteria,\\\" says Graf. But a clear back will cost you\u2014expect to pay $300 to $600 per session.\\nThose little red bumps on the backs of your arms\u2014they're not pimples. They're a genetic condition called keratosis pilaris, which half of the population has. There's no cure, but they are easy to treat. Twice a day, slather on a moisturizer with lactic acid or urea, which will dissolve the thickened skin. You can find [AmLactin Moisturizing Body Lotion](http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/skin/2010/amlactin-body-lotion) over the counter, but if you don't see a difference after about three weeks, ask your dermatologist about prescription creams such as Carmol 10 and Lac-Hydrin. Make sure you kick abrasive scrubs and loofahs out of your shower, and avoid cranking the hot water all the way up\u2014all of these things can inflame the area further.\\nThe skin on your chest is thin and vulnerable\u2014and often ignored. If you haven't been extending your sunscreen below your neck, you're probably paying the price now with brown sun spots, broken blood vessels, and/or textural changes, such as fine lines and crepey skin. But don't worry\u2014there's a still a chance to turn back time. Hydroquinone, which is often used to fade spots on the face, can help with these dark patches of skin (try [Ambi Skincare Fade Cream](http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/skin/2010/ambi-fade-cream)), while the vessels, lines, and thinning can be addressed at home with prescription retinoids (these promote collagen production and cell turnover). Be careful: Both ingredients can make your skin more sun-sensitive, so they should be used at night\u2014and since they can be drying, use just a pea-size amount. After six weeks, you'll start to see results, but make sure you preserve your progress by applying an SPF 30 sunscreen daily (without one, the spots will pop right back up). Faster options exist, but they're pricey: A few rounds with an Intense Pulsed Light device (around $500 per treatment) or a Q-switched laser (around $750 to $1,000 per treatment) will make the entire area look better\u2014and years younger.\\nWhen warm weather arrives, so does the urge to liberate your toes\u2014but if you've been wearing backless or slingback shoes, your soles may have developed unsightly calluses. \\\"Calluses are a protective mechanism the skin invokes when it's rubbed repeatedly,\\\" says Hirsch. \\\"Skin views friction as an injury and responds by getting thicker.\\\" But you don't need to stay in socks all summer. Soak feet in warm water and sea salt before sloughing soles with a wet pumice stone, the PedEgg, or a foot scrub once a week. (We like __Molton Brown Unwind Island Sand Foot Exfoliator.__) Rub on a rich urea cream, which attracts moisture and gently dissolves dead skin. (Try __Sally Hansen Salon Pedicure Hydrating Foot Creme.__) If the calluses are too severe for scrubs and creams, don't resort to a razor scraping from your pedicurist; this could harm the healthy skin under the thickened area. Instead, see a podiatrist to have them safely removed.\\nSweat marks on your blouse are like a piece of food stuck in your teeth: painfully obvious and completely embarrassing. If you wear antiperspirant daily but your armpits still feel damp, try one of the clinical-strength formulas, which have a higher concentration of sweat-blocking ingredients, instead. Swipe it on both morning and night to increase its efficacy. (We like [Secret Clinical Strength Waterproof Antiperspirant/Deodorant;](http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/skin/2010/secret-clinical-strength-waterproof-antiperspirant) it contains petrolatum and dimethicone, which form a barrier on the skin.) If that doesn't help, see a doctor\u2014you may have hyperhidrosis, or excessive perspiration. Whether the problem is with your underarms, palms, or soles, a set of Botox shots in the affected area (which costs around $1,500) will stop the nerves from signaling the glands to release perspiration for about nine months.\\nWhile you might be inclined to cover up white marks on your toenails, the drying chemicals found in certain nail polishes (formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate) and removers (acetone) might be the reason why they're there in the first place. Avoid polishing your toes for a month, and instead buff them to help fade the marks (try the __True Blue Spa 1-2-3 Nail Buffer)__. Then, when the time comes to get a pedicure again, opt for a product that's free of these chemicals (we like polishes by OPI, Sally Hansen,and Barielle)."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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