Dry Skin

Q. Recently, my mom was suffering from severe back pain. She asked me to read the dosage instructions on her pain reliever because the print was so small. I thought she had misplaced her glasses again, but when I tried to read the bottle I realized why she was having difficulty. My vision is corrected to 20/20, and the print was so small I could not read it.This is potentially dangerous. The manufacturers of over-the-counter pain relievers should enlarge the print on their containers so that consumers, especially those without perfect eyesight, can read the instructions without a magnifying glass.

We have a cat that just had surgery for cancer and we want to give her shark cartilage. No one seems to know how much she should take. Any information you can give would be greatly appreciated. She is 10 years old, a diabetic, and weighs 12 pounds.Our veterinary consultant says shark cartilage has been used more widely in dogs than in cats. Veterinarians are more likely to prescribe it for arthritis than for cancer, and we are not aware of strong scientific evidence of its effectiveness for malignancies.

Summer is tough on your skin.The sun, humidity and heavy-duty sunscreen can make skin feel beat-up by August. Daniel Maes, vice president of research and development at Estee Lauder Inc., offers these tips on helping skin recover.* Exfoliate once a week. Women often make the mistake of wetting skin beforehand, but for best results apply exfoliant to dry skin and then wash off. Products such as Estee Lauder's Fruition Extra are mild enough to use daily.* Moisturize, but don't apply right after the shower because pores are too dilated.

Paula Begoun's straight talk about what cosmetics can and can't do has penetrated the blare of advertising hype. Her book, "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me," helped put the high-hopes-in-a-jar in perspective.Her new "The Beauty Bible" (Beginning Press, $16.95) is a reference book covering everything from eczema to alpha hydroxy creams to makeup colors.Much of what she says is controversial. But the book is a helpful guide (and money saver) -- along with your dermatologist's counsel.

I'm 83 and still interested in fashion. Lately, all I see in the press and on TV is "retro" fashion -- the return of looks from the '40s and '50s. But what I see are skimpy little shift dresses, nothing like the glorious portrait dresses we wore for great occasions. They were so glamorous they made us feel like movie stars. Is anyone making dresses like these today?You'll be pleased to know there are designers around the world who have made '50s-inspired ball gowns. One with a particularly fine hand is Inno Sotto, a star of the Philippine fashion world.

The fountain of youth of the '90s may be as close as the nearest cosmetic counter -- in the form of new, acid-based skin-care treatments. These face-saving formulas first trickled onto the market three years ago. Today, they still pack a powerful punch as companies continue to debut more acid-laced compounds.Dermatologists have prescribed alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA) and other acid ingredients to patients for years. Prescription-strength formulas get rid of scaliness, while acid concentrations of 30 to 70 percent perform deep skin peels that remove scars and wrinkles.

Q: My skin is normal to oily in the winter and definitely oily in the summer. I wash with Cetaphil (or one of the other cleansers you recommend) in the morning, wait 15 minutes, and then apply Alpha Hydrox Lotion morning and night. My skin is significantly oilier now. Is this from the action of the Alpha Hydrox Lotion unblocking my pores and releasing the oil that's in there? I have whiteheads and blackheads and would like to continue using the Alpha Hydrox if possible. I could increase my use of Milk of Magnesia as a facial mask -- I normally use it once a week in the winter, but several times per week in the summer.

I would like to say I loved all of Avon's products. At these comparatively low prices, I tried very hard to like them. The tally sheet isn't great. There are some definite bargains, but not everything is worth recommending. Hopefully, the following review will help narrow the field.FOUNDATION: Avon has five types of foundation that are remarkably good. The color selection is neutral, with only a few shades that are too pink or orange. That is a strong positive. Each of the five foundations contains sunscreen with an SPF of 6. Not great, but better than nothing.

Q: I am now 75 years old and wonder what I can do about the dryness and itching of my skin that seems to get worse every year.A: As people grow older, they tend to lose some of the skin surface lipids (or fats) that help to maintain the normal moisture of the skin.Skin dryness is often especially troublesome during winter months when the dry heated air found inside most houses increases water loss from the skin. Humidifying the house, or at least the most commonly used rooms, may alleviate the skin dryness.

Simple skin care for teens: Preventive skin care for teen-age boys and girls needs to include no more than a daily routine of mild cleansing, moisturizing and sun protection plus regular shampooing for oily hair, says Dr. Ellen Gendler, a dermatologist."

"Jack Frost nipping at your nose" may be a great line in a song, but the reality does little for your complexion. Add to the frost, blasts of dry, wintry wind, sun exposure and overheated office air and your skin may feel dry and even scaly. Indeed, millions of people each winter experience redness and uncomfortably dry and itchy skin, says Dr. Rebecca A. Kazin, assistant professor of dermatology and director of the Johns Hopkins Cosmetic Center. And those who already suffer from more serious conditions such as eczema or psoriasis may find that the cold season exacerbates their symptoms.

Something in my house is biting me. I've used foggers, had pest control companies come, but no one can even find the little pest. I'm at my wits' end. The itching is driving me crazy. Help! No insects that bite humans are invisible to the naked eye. However, there is a long list of things that make people feel as though insects are biting them. This phenomenon is known as "delusory parasitosis," but the sensation of being bitten is usually anything but delusory. Possible causes can include medication side effects, hard water, harsh detergent, wool allergies and aging.

As you hurry each day from your heated car to your heated office or home -- with your extra layers and your cold-weather gear -- you feel like you can barely tell that winter has arrived. But your skin can. As the weather gets colder, the air gets drier, and your face bears the brunt. Dry skin. Cracked skin. Red, irritated, tight-feeling skin. While your first instinct may be to hide behind a fluffy scarf or cover up with a ski mask, aestheticians, doctors and other skin experts say these are signs that, instead, you should be paying more attention to your skin-care program.

LET IT RAIN, LET IT RAIN We know, we know -- when it rains you're supposed to let your smile be your umbrella. Nice idea ... if you like getting wet. No, when it rains we'd prefer to let our umbrella be our umbrella. That is, when we can find it, open it without getting soaked and remember to take it with us when we leave. Totes' new Clip-n-go 'brella is small and sleek and comes in a case that clips onto your handbag, gym bag or briefcase. Which means you have no excuse not to remember your umbrella.

I am a 51-year-old woman who has been plagued with persistent eczema. The skin on my hands was always red, itchy, cracked and often bleeding. My hands were always covered with bandages or gauze. Dermatologists prescribed cortisone creams of increasing strength. None was helpful in the long term. Hand cream for dry skin was useless. Five years ago, I went to an allergist for an unrelated problem. When he saw my hands, he was concerned that the open sores put me at risk of infection. He suggested taking borage oil, since it had helped many of his patients.

With Labor Day -- and the end of summer -- a mere month away, we thought we'd take a few minutes to weigh in on this year's summer fashions. Why now, you ask? Well, it's officially mid-summer and it's also the time of the season when all the stuff you paid full price for is heading right for the clearance rack to make room for fall attire. So here it goes: Saddle up and head west Don't toss those Tony Lama boots -- Western wear is in ... again. Not only can Lucy Liu be spotted in Charlie's Angles: Full Throttle doing that flashy but classic Western look.

I know you mostly answer questions about human problems, but I have three pedigree cocker spaniels with dry skin. They scratch all the time but have no fleas. I have tried conditioner and baby oil on their fur and vegetable oil in their food, which just made them sick. Is there anything I can give them to improve their skin? Our veterinary consultant says that cocker spaniels are susceptible to skin problems. Itchy, flaking skin might respond to a dietary supplement with the proper ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids.

Smells like love According to a new survey by Clinique, 72 percent of people right now are in love, and the majority of those respondents say they are with their soul mates. Could this be true? Perhaps. Or maybe it's just that people in love are more likely to participate in surveys about the topic. The survey of 9,000 women was conducted online at clinique.com to celebrate the launch of the company's new fragrance for women, Happy Heart, which fortunately is for everyone, not just the lovestruck.

Q. I have been taking Echinacea with goldenseal every day since the beginning of fall. It works great. My husband has had four terrible colds since fall, and I haven't caught any of them. I have been hearing, however, that it is not good to continue taking Echinacea over a long period of time. I was told to wait until I think I might be getting a cold and then take it for a week to 10 days. It seems silly to me to wait until you get sick to start taking Echinacea, but I don't want to damage my body.

Now that it's getting warmer, one's first inclination is to take off those sweaters, those hose, those boots and bare a little skin. Don't do it. After months of dry, indoor air, skin can grow dry and scaly. Fight back against dry skin with a six-pack of readily available, tried- and-true, not-too-expensive skin-care products to help you get ready for spring. L'Oreal Ombrelle Sunless Spray Price: $8.99 for 4 ounces. Active ingredients: Vitamin E, Parsol 1789 Available at drugstores next month So maybe that vacation to Bali just wasn't in the cards this year.