Beauty confessions.(dark spots on lips; ingrown hair care; toenail problem; buying beauty products)(Brief Article)

couple conundrum

I have these little dark spots on my lips. I recently kissed a new guy, and he freaked because he thought they were sores. Help!

Those mysterious marks are probably nothing to worry about, but you should still have a dermatologist look at them to rule out any problems like a rare cancer. "These colorations could be moles, sun-induced freckles, or a harmless pigment cluster called an oral melanotic macule. However, if any of the spots have irregular edges or have changed a lot in size, they could be melanoma," says Robert Brodell, M.D., head of dermatology at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. If the spots are accompanied by other problems such as abdominal pain, they could signal an internal ailment. Don't panic--just have them checked. To hide the spots for a makeout session, slick on a long-wearing lipstick in a medium to dark hue. Try Max Factor Lipfinity, $9.99. If a guy spies them and asks what's up, tell him they're beauty marks.

icky inquiry

I have a really ugly ingrown hair in my armpit that totally hurts. How can I get rid of it?

Attacking it with your tweezers is likely to create or worsen an infection. If it's pus-filled, put a warm compress on it to help drain the fluid. Then wash with a disinfectant cleanser, apply an antibacterial ointment like Polysporin, and wear a bandage until it heals, suggests Flor A. Mayoral, a dermatologist in Miami. If the bump won't budge after three days of treatment, make an appointment with your dermatologist to have it removed. If you're persistently plagued by ingrowns, ask your doctor to prescribe Vaniqa, a hair-thinning cream that'll help thwart future ingrown hairs.

no-duh dilemma