Heop! How Do I Soften the Rough Skin on My Elbows?

Thick, dark skin on elbows is one of those annoying body problems you've likely inherited from someone. To soften rough skin on elbows, try exfoliation in the shower with a scrub and bath mitt. Follow with a heavy moisturizer. At-home microdermabrasion creams can also exfoliate a few layers of dead skin. But for the hardcore alligator-skinned cases, you're best off visiting a dermatologist for a round of acid peels on the elbow (renowned dermatologist Dr. Fredric Brandt uses trichloric acid on his patients). Laser peels can also be effective, but must be administered by an MD.

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How To Get Rid of Liver Spot (Age Spots ) on Hands

s we age, our hands may develop liver spots (or "age spots"), which are blemishes typically caused by overexposure to damaging UV rays from the sun.

Liver spots can be removed by lasers in a doctor's office. To prevent liver spots, use hand creams with SPF protection. Your hands will give away your age as you get older, even if your face is as lineless as that of a 20-year-old's.

Great hand lotions with SPF protection include Ole Henriksen Hands Forward SPF 15. It contains kojic acid, which prevents brown spots.

Another great option is Kiehl's Creme de Corps, which is SPF 30.

Here's a list of hand creams with SPF from $5 to upwards of $30.

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How To Cover Spider Veins or Varicose Veins on Legs

Unsightly veins on the legs (known as "spider veins") can be camouflaged with long-lasting body makeup specially formulated to cover tattoos, spider veins, scars, stretch marks and bruises.

You'll want to choose a concealer that matches the color of the skin on your legs (this will likely be different from your face). Once applied, body makeup should be set with a powder so it won't come off on your clothes.

My hands-down favorite body makeup is Dermablend Leg and Body Cover. It can be purchased at Macy's, Dillard's, nice drugstores that specialize in skincare or online here. Not sure where to find it? Check out their store locator.

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Quick Fix For Undereye Circles?

If you suffer from undereye circles, you know what a huge pain they are to cover up. A new product that Marie Claire editor-in-chief Lesley Jane Seymour swears by (in the June 2005 issue of the magazine) is Hylexin ($95) which is billed as the first eye cream created to treat & combat undereye circles.



This cream is specially formulated to treat the problem, not cover it up (undereye circles are caused by broken capillaries, not lack of sleep, the makers say). Here's what their Website touts: 'Serious dark circles (the kind that make you look old, tired and exhausted) are about, of all things, the oxidation of hemoglobin (blood) in the capillary matrix of the peri-orbital eye area.' Huh?

Anyway, don't want to splurge on this 'miracle' cream? I show you simple, daily fixes with concealer in this article.

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What Causes Undereye Circles?

Oh if only we could take a magic pill to cause the blue veins under our eyes to recede back into our heads, or the dark circles under our eyes to magically lighten to match the rest of our skin.

Unfortunately, there is no magic pill to combat dark, undereye circles, which you were likely born with. Yes, it's true. Your parents are to blame for your dark undereye circles, according to dermatologist David J. Leffell of Yale School of Medicine, in "O" magazine.

So, now that we have them, is there any way to get rid of them?

Three Types of Undereye Circles

There are basically three types of undereye circles:

1. Hyperpigmentation. Hyperpigmented undereye circles can be dark circles often found in women with darker skin tones (African, East Indian or Latin descent). This is caused by the over-abundance of melanin in skin.

2. Blue-ish veins. As we age, the skin around our eyes thins out, causing the veins underneath to show. This is typical in women with lighter skin.

3. Poor circulation. These undereye circles tend to be puffy or baggy. This is usually caused by poor blood flow or water retention under the eye. Large bags that don't recede in time are hereditary.

To determine the cause of your undereye circles, press your thumb on the shadows. If the shadows momentarily lighten, the cause is poor circulation. If they don't lighten, the cause is hyperpigmentation, according to dermatologist Macrene Alexiades-Armenakas of Yale University in the November, 2007, issue of Elle Magazine.

How to Treat Undereye Circles

Dark circles from hyperpigmentation can be treated with lasers in a doctor's office. However, Alexiades-Armenakas warns that lasers don't always work well on darker skin. "The laser may turn on melanocytes to produce more pigment," she says in Elle Magazine. For dark skin, she prefers topical solutions made with kojic acid, such as Skinceuticals Phyto+ gel. Creams with hydroquinone are also commonly used to treat undereye circles. Both kojic acid and hydroquinone brighten hyperpigmented skin, according to "Getting Gorgeous," a book by the editors of InStyle magazine.

If you suffer from puffy eye bags, sleep on your back with your head propped up. You can also treat puffiness with black tea bags. Chill steeped tea bags in the fridge first. Place chilled bags over the eyes. The tannins in black tea help reduce bloat, according to "Confessions of a Beauty Editor," a book written by the editors of Allure magazine.

If bags are constant and never go away, see a doctor for treatment options.

Camouflage Undereye Circles With Makeup

To cosmetically camouflage dark undereye circles, use eye creams that contain mica or other light-diffusing particles. For darker circles, you'll want to use a creamy concealer.

To apply concealer, first prep eye with an eye gel. Dot concealer over the blue veins or dark circles and tap, never rub, concealer into the area surrounding the eye.

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