Expert Answers to Your Fine Line Questions

By Ayren Jackson-Cannady
WebMD Magazine - Feature

Looking for new products to fight those pesky fine lines on your face? Our two experts -- both dermatologists -- told us about the night creams, day creams, cleansers, and even supplements they like the best.

Rachel Herschenfeld, MD's Top Picks

(Dermatologist, Dermatology Partners Inc., Wellesley Hills, Mass.)

RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream ($21.99) "You can't really stop skin aging, but you can slow some changes, prevent others, and partially reverse the rest. Retinoids are one of the most effective ingredients. Retinol -- the over-the-counter version -- can stimulate collagen formation and help even out skin tone."

Aqua Glycolic Face Cream ($24.95) "In addition to stimulating collagen for a plumping effect, glycolic acid exfoliates the top layer of dead skin cells, revealing smoother skin that radiates by reflecting light more evenly. Apply at night, since the ingredients can make you more sensitive to the sun. (Don't use with the RoC retinol product.)"

SkinMedica AHA/BHA Cream ($40) "If you see fine lines and acne, look for a product that contains both glycolic acid or AHA and salicylic acid or BHA. Salicylic acid helps unclog pores and reduce acne and blackheads. Use every other night as a p.m. moisturizer. (Don't use this product with the retinol or glycolic products mentioned.)"

Heliocare Daily Use Antioxidant Formula ($30.99) "You need to wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 daily, year-round. You could also try taking an OTC pill infused with an extract from the antioxidant-packed fern plant Polypodium leucotomos. Some studies show it may increase the skin's resistance to sunburn."

Sonia Badreshia-Bansal,MD's Top Picks

(Clinical instructor in dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, and CEO, Elite MD, Danville, Calif.)

Olay Complete Daily Defense All Day Moisturizer ($14.99) "Sunscreen is your first line of defense to prevent skin aging. Physical blockers like this, made with micronized zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, provide UVA and UVB protection without causing sensitivity. Physical blockers sit on top of skin to reflect UV rays (while ingredients in chemical blockers penetrate the skin instead)."

RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Filler ($21.99) "Vitamin A creams [OTC retinol and prescription-strength Retin-A] prevent fine lines, exfoliate to speed up cell renewal, and lighten brown spots. Start slowly -- use just once or twice a week -- because the superstar ingredient can cause peeling if your skin isn't used to it. Apply at night."

Replenix Cream ($67) "As the skin ages, it becomes drier and more easily irritated. A moisturizer infused with a free-radical-fighting antioxidant like green tea boosts hydration and improves overall skin health. Apply it over your sunscreen daily or a few times a week."

Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub ($5.99) "The older you get, the slower cell turnover becomes, causing skin cell buildup and a dull complexion. Remove the top layer of skin twice a week with a beaded exfoliating wash -- just apply to your fingertips and gently rub in a circular motion over damp skin -- to help remove these dead cells and stimulate new cell growth."

The opinions expressed in this section are of the experts and are not the opinions of WebMD. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.

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Intimate Grooming: Shaving or Waxing Pubic Hair

Thinking about personal grooming for a very tender spot on your body? Here are the best -- and safest -- ways to protect your private parts if you want to remove pubic hair.

There's no medical reason why you should or shouldn't remove your pubic hair. It's not dirty, and gals who take it off aren't any cleaner.

"I think a lot of it comes down to societal peer pressure," says Jennifer Ashton, MD, author of The Body Scoop for Girls.

But the bottom line is it's really your choice. How much hair you remove is up to you, too.

Grooming “down there” began years ago to tame pubic hair that might peek out from a bathing suit. Now styles vary from just a trim to a skinny rectangle, called a landing strip on TV's Sex and the City. Some women dare to go completely bare with a Brazilian wax.

So which is better when you want to get rid of pubic hair, shaving or waxing? Again, it’s up to you. Many women prefer to wax their pubic area. When you wax, the hair doesn't grow back for a few weeks, although you do have to wait for it to grow in a little to wax again. It can also be pricey.

With shaving, you'll see stubble pop up in a few days. But you can take care of it quickly and easily by shaving again. Shaving is also cheaper that waxing.

For waxing, home setups are available, but that can get messy and awkward. And hot wax may better be left to a professional. When you go to a salon, here’s how it works:

First, talk with your technician (an "esthetician") about what style you want and how much hair to take off.Next, she’ll spread on hot wax, then place small cloth strips on top.When the wax sets, she’ll quickly pull off the strips one at a time and your unwanted hair is ripped away with them.

This is a delicate area of your body! Find a reputable place that keeps it clean.

Look for a salon that belongs to The Salon Association.Choose an esthetician who is licensed in your state.Visit the spa or salon before your big day. Check it out like you would a restaurant before you ate there. The bathroom is a great clue to how clean the place is.

"Be sure they're using fresh wax ... and they're heating it appropriately," says Estherann Grace, MD, of Harvard Medical School.

Part of being clean means no double dipping. It's gross and unsafe!  You don't want to share a bowl of hot wax with other women in the salon. It spreads germs.

The spa worker should use a new applicator just for you -- usually a disposable wooden stick. Expect the white glove treatment -- latex or plastic gloves, that is -- so she doesn't pass on any infections to you.

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Erectile Dysfunction May Signal Hidden Heart Disease

TUESDAY, Jan. 29 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors should look more closely at the overall health of impotent men, a large new study suggests.

Men with even mild erectile dysfunction -- but no known heart problems -- face a major extra risk of developing cardiovascular conditions in the future. And as erectile dysfunction becomes more pronounced, signs of hidden heart disease and earlier death risk grow.

Not surprisingly, men already known to have a heart condition along with severe erectile dysfunction fare worst of all, the Australian researchers found.

Among men aged 45 and up without diagnosed heart disease, those with moderate or severe erectile dysfunction were up to 50 percent more likely to be hospitalized for heart problems, according to an adjusted analysis. Erectile dysfunction boosted the risk for hospitalization even more when men had a history of cardiovascular disease.

Erectile problems, which become more likely as men grow older, aren't a guarantee of heart problems. Still, men with erectile dysfunction should "take action by seeing a health professional and asking for a heart check," said study lead author Dr. Emily Banks. "Men with erectile dysfunction need to be assessed for their future risk of cardiovascular disease, and any identified risk must be managed appropriately."

Banks is a professor of epidemiology at the Australian National University's National Center for Epidemiology and Population Health.

Banks said an estimated 60 percent of men aged 70 and up suffer from moderate to severe erectile dysfunction. The condition can place major limits on sexual activity and require the use of drugs like Viagra that can come with side effects and awkward challenges when it comes to the timing of doses.

A variety of causes can contribute to impotence, but "it is widely acknowledged that erectile dysfunction is predominantly the result of underlying cardiovascular disease," Banks said.

Doctors already believe that erectile dysfunction is an early warning sign of heart problems, but it's not clear why. It's possible, Banks said, that the arteries of the penis are smaller than those of other parts of the body and may be more likely to reveal problems when their lining deteriorates.

The new study aims to gain more insight into how the severity of erectile dysfunction translates into a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. The researchers tracked more than 95,000 men aged 45 and up, and compared data collected between 2006 and 2009 to data collected in 2010.

The researchers adjusted their statistics so they wouldn't be thrown off by factors like high or low numbers of men who smoked or drank alcohol, or were wealthy or poor. They found that the men with severe erectile dysfunction, compared to those with no problem, were eight times more likely to have heart failure, 60 percent more likely to have heart disease and almost twice as likely to die of any cause.

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