Help! Facial 911, part TWO by Camy Tang

Everyone's different, and everyone has special problems with their skin. I'll address a few here.

I already have a pimple!

Here are emergency measures to take:

1) If the pimple just turned up, wash your face and smear on a dab of mask over the area. Sometimes the mask can pull out the oil clogging the pore.

2) Pimples are essentially pores clogged with oil that have gotten infected (the white stuff just under the surface). Sometimes the use of antibacterial cream over the pimple can speed up healing.

3) Going on a date? There are some great cover-up creams, including one from Mary Kay. Over the cover-up, use an appropriate color liquid foundation and a light layer of powder. Most quality liquid foundations do a better job of smoothing your skin out than cream to powder foundations.

Then FORGET ABOUT IT. It's not as noticeable as you think and fidgeting over it will only bring attention to it. If you must, take your powder compact with you and do touch-ups in the bathroom -- but not in public, and certainly not in front of your date, unless you WANT to draw attention to your blemish! Confidence and a spirited attitude will shine brighter than any whitehead.

After your date, be sure to wash thoroughly and moisturize -- the foundation and powder are good for hiding it, but your skin needs light and air to heal.

My skin is so dry it looks like an alligator!

1) Wash your face everyday, twice a day. You need to remove dead skin cells and open pores to allow your skin to naturally moisturize itself.

2) Use the right moisturizer. Some are specially formulated for drier skin, or for sensitive skin. Sometimes cheap moisturizers cause dry patches, redness or bumps, especially if you have slightly sensitive skin.

3) For combination skin or dry, red patches on your face, put extra moisturizer or special emollient moisturizer on the dry spots. For some girls, consistent application to dry spots helps them heal completely. A cheap alternative to emollient is a light coat of petroleum jelly, but test for skin sensitivity first.

4) After moisturizer, put on a light coat of high-quality sunscreen, specially formulated for your face, as a layer of protection. It can keep your skin from drying out as well as protect from harmful UV rays.

And, as always, some girls have more serious skin problems which can't be solved by the conventional wisdom here. Be sure to check with a parent or doctor.