Skincare-News.com discusses advanced treatment options for acne scars.

What are acne scars? According to Skin Care: Beyond the Basics, (acne) scars form when "the skin, in a desperate attempt to heal itself, produces lots of collagen to try to compensate for the lack of normal skin functioning." The result can be anything from a red spot or macule, to a raised scar to the typical 'pit' scarring commonly seen with more aggressive forms of acne.

Ease the pain of winter-ravaged lips

Anyone who's said it doesn't hurt to smile must not have had chapped lips.

Chapped lips are basically an infl ammation of the lip itself and can occur for a variety of reasons, including exposure to wind, dry air, cold temperatures and the sun, said Stephanie Burleson, family medical physician with Utica Park Clinic Jenks.

“Chapped lips can be a big problem when they get sore. They can interfere with eating, drinking, talking or other types of everyday things," she said.

Breathing problems such as asthma that cause people to breath out of their mouth more than their nose can also trigger chapped lips, as can some medications.

“Medications for acne, like Accutane, are notorious for drying lips," Burleson said.

Heaters also affect the lips by causing the air to dry out.

HealthCentral Network Adds Skin Care Site To Web Properties

HealthCentral Network has launched MySkinCareConnection.com, a condition-specific site that educates and informs online users about acne, aging skin, rosacea and other skin-related problems. MySkinCareConnection.com provides reliable medical information and a community forum for patients, medical professionals and others in the Skin Care community.MySkinCareConnection.com includes guides to help consumers understand the basics of a number of skin problems, as well as information on medications and cosmetic procedures used to treat an array of skin conditions. The site also provides a support network for those struggling with skin disorders such as acne outbreaks, wrinkled skin and rosacea.Joining the panel of experts on MySkinCareConnection.com is Sue Chung, an accomplished writer and editor who has written for several publications, including In Style magazine's health and beauty department.

Suicide rating’ could be given to every new drug licensed in UK

Every new drug licensed in Britain will be given a "suicide rating" under proposals for a big shake-up in the rules governing pharmaceutical development. European regulators are also to require pharmaceutical companies to include a comprehensive suicide assessment into trials of new medicines.

The reform, based on a system adopted recently in the United States, has been fuelled by a growing body of evidence that drugs that affect the brain can heavily influence behaviour through seemingly innocuous changes in body chemistry. Medicines to treat acne, swelling, heartburn, pain, obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol, bacterial infections, smoking and insomnia have all been associated recently with psychiatric problems. There have been warnings about the potential side-effects of Acomplia, an antiobesity drug, Roaccutane, an acne treatment, and Champix, an antismoking medication, which together have been prescribed to more than 60,000 patients in Britain.

PTL Beauty Editor Lori Geiger

The beginning of the year is a great time to take out the old and bring in the new beauty items you carry with you everyday. Cleaning out your make-up bag is the perfect time to update your make-up and keep germs away. The most used product in your bag is most likely a pressed powder compact. If a crust has developed on top it is oil from your face that has been transfered to the powder when not in use. You can scrape it off with an old tooth brush and replace the puff. To prevent this in the future, keep the cellophane circle the compact comes with as long as you can to separate the puff from the powder. If you buy a new compact, get one that has a separate compartment for the puff, such as L'Oreal true match compact. To help keep make-up fresh and germs at bay keep this in mind: Powdered products, such as powder, eye shadows and blush have a life of about 3 years.