Friday, January 22, 2010

How to Avoid Dark Circles and Crow's Feet

Have you noticed that your eyes are starting to get dark circles under the eye, or that you have fine lines starting at the corners of your eyes? The fact is most people over the age of twenty-five have the start of fine lines sometimes called “laugh lines” or “frown lines” caused from laughing, smiling, frowning or squinting all our lives. There are some things you can do to avoid or diminish these lines and puffy dark circles naturally.


  1. Step1

    Try to avoid rubbing your eyes. When you rub your eyes, you can make puffy, dark circles worse. The skin around and under your eyes is very sensitive and harsh rubbing of the eyes can irritate the skin.

  2. Step2

    Keep hydrated and avoid salty foods. Too much salt in your system can lead to dehydration. Hydration is important to healthy skin and doubly so for the areas around your eyes, which are more sensitive than the rest of your skin.

  3. Step3

    Sleep the recommended six to eight hours a night. Lack of sleep will only exaggerate dark under eye circles.

  4. Step4

    Avoid squinting. If you’re going to be in the sun, put on sunscreen and sunglasses. Squinting can exaggerate crow’s feet.

  5. Step5

    Be choosy when you pick products meant to be used near your eyes. Pick something for sensitive skin. Even if your skin type is not typically sensitive, the area around the eyes is very sensitive.

  6. Step6

    Eat foods that have antioxidants. Antioxidants are very good for the skin and help it to recover easier than it might otherwise recover.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

How to Remove Dark Spots on the Skin With Laser

  1. Dark spots can appear on areas of the skin where exposure to the sun is common, such as the face and hands. These dark spots are harmless but can be removed to keep the skin looking youthful and healthy. Using a laser to remove dark spots can be done by a dermatologic surgeon with experience in using a laser for removing dark spots and other skin discolorations. The dermatologic surgeon determines which type of laser will be the most effective for the patient's skin type, although an Nd:YAG laser is most commonly used in these cases. The surgery can be done in the doctor's office, and the patient can leave right after it has been completed.


    Step1

    Wash the area of the skin with the dark spot with a non-soap cleanser. Dry the skin with a soft towel.

  2. Step2

    Lie the patient down on the operating table. Put a pair of protective goggles over the patient's face.

  3. Step3

    Apply a cooling spray to the area on the skin where the dark spot is located.

  4. Step4

    Place the Nd:YAG laser probe against the dark spot. Adjust the setting to "defocused" for superficially vaporizing the skin.

  5. Step5

    Activate the laser to deliver a long-pulsed burst of laser light through the probe and onto the dark spot to vaporize the skin.

  6. Step6

    Sit the patient up and remove the goggles. Apply sunscreen to and around the dark spot. Send the patient home.