1. I can tell which way you sleep. Sleeping on your side or stomach creates a furrow on one side of your face. For an easy way to minimize wrinkles, sleep on your back. You may snore, but you’ll age better. 2. If you hit the pillow at night without washing, every single thing you came into contact with that day is on your skin. If you’re usually too tired to lather up, keep a box of alcohol-free towelettes on your nightstand, grab one as you fall into bed, and swab your face. Otherwise, don’t be surprised when you break out. 3. Anything that makes your skin feel squeaky-clean is stripping out all the moisture, and that’s not a good thing. If you have dry or sensitive skin, wash with gentle or moisturizing cleanser, not soap. 4. If you’re a woman who’s losing her hair, apply some men’s Rogaine 5 percent minoxidil formula. We recommend it off-label all the time. The women’s version is only 2 percent minoxidil. 5. Try drugstore-brand anti-aging creams first. Those from Olay, Neutrogena, and Aveeno have the same active ingredients and can be just as effective as products that cost four to ten times as much at department stores. 6. Please, please, throw away your magnifying mirror. It makes you want to pick and squeeze, which is the worst thing you can do. If you have acne, think of your face as a no-fly zone for your hands. 7. Young men don’t often come to see me. So if I have an appointment with a younger guy, I bet that either A) a woman dragged him in, or B) he has something going on in his private area, usually genital warts or jock itch. 8. Yes, you do have to take off your underwear for the full-body skin exam. And please don’t wear makeup or nail polish. I need to see every inch of your skin. I’ve found skin cancer underneath toenails, between toes, in armpits, and in other places where the sun doesn’t shine. 9. Drinking eight glasses of water a day is not going to hydrate your skin, which is affected by your environment. If you’re in the dry heat of Phoenix, you can drink water all day long and your skin will still be dry. If you’re in Hawaii, where it’s humid, your skin will be plumped up no matter how much water you drink. 10. A rigorous exercise regimen will make you fitter, but it won’t make you look younger. Thinner and more athletic people over age 40 have less fat under their skin and can look older than overweight people. 11. Got cracks between your toes? People hate it when I tell them this, but it’s often caused by fungus. Over-the-counter creams will clear it up. Sprinkle antifungal powder into socks and shoes so your feet don’t get re infected. 12. Yes, that could be poison ivy down there. To prevent allergic rashes in your genital area, wash your hands when you come in from the yard—before you go to the bathroom. 13. Are razor bumps ruining your life? Shave either every day or never. Shaving every other day causes the most problems because the hairs get long enough to curl back in. source
