Acne

GAITHERSBURG, Md. - An advisory panel recommended yesterday that the Food and Drug Administration further tighten restrictions on the acne drug Accutane, which is known to cause severe birth defects. The panel recommended, on a 16-8 vote, mandatory enrollment in a single central registry for patients who take the drug and doctors who prescribe it. The registry would allow the drug's makers to ensure that women taking Accutane or a generic equivalent, isotretinoin, receive regular pregnancy tests and use two forms of birth control.

I usually crave something sweet around 4 p.m. The temptation is so strong that I almost always give in. I've tried many tricks, like bringing carrot sticks to eat instead, but nothing seems to work. Is there any way to break this cycle? When it comes to favorite foods, most of us are creatures of habit. But recognizing that sugary treats are your weakness, and knowing when to expect them gives you a good chance to fend off the cravings. First, make sure you eat a healthful lunch containing protein, complex carbohydrates and a small amount of fat. As late afternoon rolls around, expect the craving.

Like him or not, Elvis Presley was an entertainer of such immense popularity as to defy comparison in his era. Beyond that, during his lifetime he was one of the most influential humans on earth -- not just in terms of music and art, but also in his impact on social customs, sexual attitudes, class divisions, style, the nature of irony and the self-image of hundreds of millions of people. The Beatles idolized him. Rock 'n' roll emanated from him. Richard Nixon opened his Oval Office trinkets drawer to him. More people have impersonated him than anyone save Santa Claus, whose historical authenticity is, at best, questionable.

The face electric Lancome's spring color collection is so over the top you have to love it -- even if you wouldn't wear it: neon-green, purple and orange lip glosses; hot-pink, canary-yellow and turquoise shadows; fuchsia nail polish. It's an absolutely psychedelic rainbow of shades that's sure to at least look good on the shelf if not on your face. Prices range from $13.50 to $30. Body spray for blemishes Clinique's latest addition to its Acne Solutions collection, a body treatment spray, is a welcome one, because we all know it's not just our faces that suffer from breakouts.

Cheap Frills by Jennifer Knapp (Chronicle, $19) is not for the lazy, the sophisticated, the snobby or the average. It is, however, for the funky, the crafty, the hip and the over-the-top. Loaded with personality and creative ingenuity (of the Pretty in Pink / Molly Ringwald variety), the book teaches you how to weave new life into your old clothes using a few stitches and lots of ribbons, beads and sequins. Got a plain old '90s cardigan? A little faux fur, some fake flowers and sequins take it from dull to diva (pictured, upper left)

On that snowy January day last year, Brandon Troppman seemed to be loving life. He put on a new shirt and combed his hair just so before heading to the mall to hang out with his high school sweetheart. "Cool shades," he told his stepmother in the car, laughing. At Montgomery Mall, he and his girlfriend picked out a CD, and he could hardly wait to listen to it when he got home. At 6:30 that evening, he talked on the phone with his best friend, laughing and making his friend laugh, as always.

MicroCineFest 2000, Baltimore's annual celebration of underground cinema, continues tonight with a pair of shorts programs and a midnight sci-fi feature about teens with seriously bad cases of acne. At 8 p.m., a program entitled "That's Psychotronic!" includes "Hot Broads," in which bands of tough gals battle for the Earth's few surviving men; "Harry Knuckles and the Treasure of the Aztec Mummy," with Special Agent Spanish Fly battling everyone from Beatniks to zombies to save his daughter's life; "Santiago vs. Wigface," the further adventures of our favorite superhero, Santiago, and his girlfriend, Cutthroat; and "Gas Huffin' Bad Gals," which sounds pretty self-explanatory.

You go, girly Ruffles are back in a big way this spring. Whether they trim the hem of a flirty floral skirt or sun dress or soften the neckline and cuffs of a jersey top (Banana Republic, $58, left), ruffles look modern, pretty and girly. Which isn't such a bad thing. Clearing up adult skin There are lots of things we don't miss about being teen-agers: angst, awkwardness, acne -- just to name a few. However, there are quite a few people who haven't been able to fully leave their teen-age years behind.

Q. I have been on Accutane to treat bad acne for almost a month. I have taken 26 tablets, but stopped taking it when I thought I might be pregnant. I found out yesterday that I am indeed pregnant, and I am scared. I want to have this baby, but after reading about Accutane causing birth defects, I am not so sure. What should I do? A. We were shocked to learn that you have become pregnant while taking Accutane. This acne medicine related to vitamin A can cause very serious birth defects in a fetus.

Clearasil says its new product line StayClear doesn't just clear up zits, it stops 'em before they start. Is this for real? WHAT'S NOT NEW: StayClear's active ingredient, salicylic acid. It's great at fighting acne, but "it's been used to treat skin problems and used in many products for a century," says Albert Kligman, professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Salicylic acid works by keeping your pores clean so dead cells, oils and debris won't stick together to become blackheads and whiteheads.