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Dealing with your most dire dermal dilemmas

It happens to the best of us - a little redness here, an age spot there, a few enlarged pores here, there and there. Fortunately, these minor imperfections don't have to stop us from putting our best faces forwards. Here are our tips for relieving blotchy redness, banishing pigment problems and shrinking pesky pores.

Redness Relief
There are two main culprits behind redness: sensitive skin and rosacea (a chronic "flushing" of the skin often radiating over the nose and cheeks). The best bet for fighting the flush is to diligently check the labels for potentially irritating ingredients like Alcohol, Fragrance, Witch Hazel and most essential oils. Just because the product is naturally derived, doesn't mean it is irritant free - Lavender, Grapefruit, Arnica and Ylang-Ylang are all known causes of sensitivity. Also, certain strengths of active ingredients like Retinol, Benzoyl Peroxide, skin lighteners and Alpha Hydroxy Acids can also lead to flare ups. Remember, the higher the ingredient is on the list, the more of it the product contains, so pay careful attention to the first five to ten ingredients on the package, as these are more prone to cause a reaction.

Quick Fix: An over-the-counter Hydrocortisone cream can help reduce inflammation in a pinch.

First Line of Defense: For longer-term solutions, a redness-fighting skincare regimen, like Mario Badescu Redness Relief, can help keep blushing at bay.

Medical Approach: Intense pulsed light (IPL) lasers produce a single wavelength of light that can help reduce the redness, burning, pimpling and itching associated with rosacea, as well as the redness caused by vascular problems. It can also be customized to the patient's tolerance level, making it a solid choice for those with sensitive skin. Five to six treatments are typically need for optimal results.

Pigment Problems Solved
Despite the name, age spots can pop up unsuspectingly on anyone who isn't diligent about wearing sunscreen, regardless of their age. The primary causes of these annoying blotches is prolonged sun damage, most commonly rearing its ugly head on unsuspecting forearms and hands (places we forget to slather in sunscreen), hormonal changes and acne scarring. And while there are treatments to help lighten the load of brown spots, the best offense is a good defense: Using an SPF of 30 or more every day on all exposed body parts, not just the face, and keep from picking at pimples, which can more easily lead to scarring.

Quick Fix: Lightly dab on a flesh colored concealer to cover minor blemishes, while an all-over color-correcting primer can neutralize pigment problems.

First Line of Defense: Products containing lightening agents like Hydroquinone or Kojic Acid can help fade existing pigmentation, while super-exfoliating ingredients like Retinoids and Glycolic Acid help increase cell turnover, revealing brighter, more even skin - try Dermelect Beautone Enlightening Facial Brightener and Spot Treatment.

Medical Approach: Depending on the extent of damage and the affected area, sun spots can be zapped with laser treatments like an Nd:Yag laser that offers more precision on the face, while chemical and acid peels offer the ability to even out larger surface areas on the body.

Pore Perfection
Among the many things we'd like to see increase (our paychecks, our happiness), pore size is way, way down on the list. As excess oil builds up and hardens in pores, it forms a plug in the pore (hello, blackheads), resulting in inflammation, making pores appear even larger. But large pores can also affect those with dry, congested skin.

Quick Fix: Since shine helps make pores appear larger, stash a portable pack of oil-blotting papers in your bag for touch-ups on the go.

First Line of Defense: To keep oil in check, use oil-free cleansers and moisturizers, plus a good grainy exfoliator containing blemish-fighting ingredients like Benzoyl Peroxide or Sulfur. Mattifying products, such as Perricone Ceramic Skin Smoother, can also help reduce shine and mask pore size.

Medical Approach: A new laser treatment called Isolaz, which uses a combo of suction and acne-destroying blue laser light, is actually the first technology that's been shown to effectively shrink pore size, in addition to banishing blemishes for good.

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