Are You Making Any Of These Beauty Or Skin Care Mistakes?

There are a lot of beauty and skin care myths out there. Are you making any of these common mistakes?

People have some pretty funny and strange ideas about beauty, aging, skincare, and especially plastic surgery! I hear myths described as sacred truth all the time. Patients do it, parents of patients, and even doctors themselves! As a plastic surgeon, I would like to clear up some of this misinformation. Let's start by separating beauty truth from beauty fiction. Here are some of the most popular questions I hear in my clinic:

#1 I've heard that Preparation H will get rid of my under eye bags. Sweet! I didn't think anything would work to get rid of those!

College students are notorious for all nighters and running on hardly any sleep. But don't get too excited about slathering your face with hemorrhoid ointment to get rid of those under eye bags! This is an urban legend that's been out there for a long time. Unfortunately, the active ingredient that supposedly worked to eliminate under eye bags was removed from the product years ago—at least in the United States.

#2 Can I change the size of my pores?

Pore size is determined by factors beyond your control: genetics, skin type, and age. However, you can reduce the appearance of pore sizes pretty easily. The best ways to make pores less noticeable are:

• Keep your face clean using a good cleanser

• Follow cleansing with an exfoliating product a few days a week.

• Periodic chemical peels can also keep pores looking smaller.

#3 Do hand sanitizers dry out my hands more than soap?

As a student on the go, having hand sanitizer in your bag is a quick and easy way to keep those hands germ free. But is it drying out your skin? Hand sanitizers usually contain alcohol, and alcohol does have a drying effect on the skin. However, alcohol is actually less drying on our skin than soap and water, which strips your hands of essential natural moisturizing oils even more than hand sanitizers do. If you have a job that requires clean hands (if you are a health care professional, for example), it's better to use hand sanitizer when appropriate rather than constantly washing your hands with soap and water. Your skin will thank you and your hands will look better.