Top Four Places to Go for Skin Care Help

For the most part, you can handle just about all of your skin care needs in the privacy in your own home.

Cleaning and blemish control, sun protection and regular self-examination of your skin (especially those sun-exposed areas) are simple enough.

These are relatively inexpensive and do not require much specialized knowledge, equipment, abilities. But what do you do when you discover a problem? Perhaps you've got a persistent blemish, a rash, or a dry and scaly patch of skin?

Who doyou go to for help? Believe it or not, you've got several options for seeking help with skin care issues.

Drugstore

Your neighborhood pharmacy employs people who are paid to know something about the products they sell. If you have a particular question related to a skin care problem or skin care product, you can start here.

The person who works at the drug store can point you in the right direction, with either personal recommendations or those of other customers. He'll know what products are best suited to your particular needs. She'll be able to tell you what's the newest product or what's been around forever (because it works).

You can also call on the pharmacist who works out of that drug store or pharmacy; a pharmacist has spent several years in school studying just medicines and their effects on the body. They can give you good advice on what skin care options you have.

Day spas and Salons

Obtaining regular skin care treatments from day spas and salons means that you'll probably see the same esthetician every time. Develop a rapport with your esthetician and you'll have someone you can call on with a question or concern.

The esthetician is a professional and has special skills and training to deal with skin care in particular. Your skin is the face you show the world. You don't want to leave it to just anyone.

Doctor's office

For serious skin care problems, save time and see your physician first. Explain the problem in detail when you call for an appointment; depending on the issue and your medical insurance requirements, you may be referred to a dermatologist, a doctor who specializes in skin care.

If there's a chance that your problem may require prescription medication, say, like an infection, you'll want to start with your doctor's office first. No matter which place you turn to for skin care help, you'll need to be specific when describing your needs.

Write down the problem, any skin care products that might have caused it, and any self-treatments you've attempted so far. Bring a paper and pen with you when you go to speak to someone, so you can write down their skin care advice and be sure not to forget anything.

Once you've spoken to the skin care assistant of your choice, you must follow their instructions explicitly. If you don't take the required steps to solve the problem, it will take that much longer to resolve the issue, leaving you uncomfortable, self-conscious, and possibly even in pain.