By Elsa Mcalonan for MailOnline
Updated: 03:40 EST, 1 October 2009

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Should I exfoliate my neck and décolleté area? I don't want to cause any more wrinkles, but as I moisturise there regularly, I wondered whether I should also exfoliate?

Yes, you should definitely exfoliate your neck and décolleté. Beverley England, Head of Education at Darphin, advises 'Far from creating more wrinkles, exfoliation will help stimulate cell rejuvenation to keep your skin youthful and glowing. Also by regularly exfoliating you get rid of dead, dull cells which can block the effectiveness of moisturiser and any other products applied to the neck area.'

The neck actually isn’t as fragile as the face, but the skin can be sensitive, so use a gentle exfoliation product, such as Darphin Mild Aroma Peeling, £25 (0870 034 2566) or Skin Wisdom Gentle Botanical Derma Polish, £5.86 (Tesco).

Moisturise the area every morning and evening, along with your face. There are some effective neck creams around, such as 3LAB Perfect Neck Cream, £75 (Harrods and www.beautique.com) which helps improve skin tone and slackening, and the beautifully rich Clarins Advanced Extra-Firming Neck Cream, £37.50 (0800 036 3558 and www.clarins.co.uk).

StriVectin Neck Crème, £70 (www.spacenk.co.uk) has been specially formulated to firm and tighten the neck area.

It sells particularly well in America, where it is known for reducing the appearance of sagging necks or ‘Turkey Necks’ – as they like to call them.

I have bad spider veins on the backs of my knees and calves. Is this caused by crossing my legs? And how can I get rid of them, while preventing any more?

Laser surgery can be successful, by sending strong bursts of light onto the vein, making it slowly fade and disappear. It’s non-invasive, and can remove spider veins within two to five treatments.

Sclerotherapy is another procedure to treat spider veins, and involves injecting a solution into the vein using a micro-needle, causing the vein to collapse and fade. It is virtually painless, and most patients see an improvement of 80 – 90 per cent after treatment. Prices are from around £150.

For a non-surgical treatment, try Skin Doctors Vein Away Plus, £20.95 (Boots or www.skindoctors.co.uk) which contains a scientifically developed complex which can help reduce spider veins in around six weeks. RéVive Sans Veines Body Repair Cream, £140 (John Lewis and www.spacenk.co.uk)) gives a noticeable lessening of the appearance of spider veins.

It uses yeast extracts to reduce the appearance and microscopic quartz-like prisms also help to mask the imperfections by reflecting light off the skin.

None of these products or treatments guard against more veins forming, so it’s important to minimise the chances of getting a whole new batch. Prevent getting spider veins by always using sun protection, exercising regularly to improve leg and vein strength and circulation and of course, not crossing your legs.

Watch your salt intake to prevent bloating and swelling, which puts extra strain on the veins.

I am 39 and have a brown area of skin on my forehead, following pregnancy. I have been told that this is Melasma or 'pregnancy mask' – how can I get rid of it, or will it just go away naturally?

When you become pregnant, hormones can change the pigment in the skin, leaving a sort of 'tea-stained' area of skin, which unfortunately is often on the face.

This pigmentation is sometimes permanent and doesn't tend to vanish completely on its own, but that also depends on how light the pigment is to start with.

Fraxel Re:Store is a laser treatment done by a doctor that restores balanced pigment to the area. It is expensive, but does help to remove the marks completely.

Cosmetic doctor Dr Rita Rakus explains: 'Melasma is a very common condition and can cause women to feel very self-conscious at a highly emotional time. I see lots of women who have melasma because of pregnancy.

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'In certain cases it can be very difficult to treat, but with Fraxel's laser technology it is possible to improve the appearance with minimal down time and risk. After treatment, during the first 24 hours, your skin may feel as though it has mild sunburn and appear a bit pink, but you can wear a little bit of light make-up to cover it. Sometimes, while the skin heals after a treatment the pigment can appear darker, but this will fade.

'There is no special aftercare, unless your practitioner directs otherwise. It is recommended that you wear an SPF 30 to protect the treated skin from the sun's rays. Depending on the size and depth of pigment, usually people have three to five treatments, spaced about two to four weeks apart.'

Prices for Fraxel start from £895 per session for a treatment on the face, but they vary. Smaller treatments (such as on the hands or neck) can start from £575.

I have recently had my very fine hair coloured and it is now really dry. Do you know any hydrating treatments that won’t weigh down fine, limp hair?

Jo Hansford, famed for her subtle colouring technique, has a superb line of hair care products for coloured hair and her Colour Care Intensive Masque especially suitable for very fine hair. Most of Jo’s salon clients use this deep conditioning treatment at home.

Yasmin le Bon is a regular client and uses other products in the range to keep her colour looking good.

The Intensive Masque is packed full of Vitamins A and E to protect colour, moisturise and repair the hair, leaving it lustrous and shiny, without weighing it down at all, so you won’t get that limp look.

Colour Care Intensive Masque, £25.00 for 150ml, (available from Harvey Nichols and Fenwicks stores nationwide).

I’m looking for sturdy heated eyelash curlers. I find they make a huge difference to my eyes, but I’ve had a couple of sets which have broken very quickly.

Ruby & Millie’s Lash Kit, £20 (Boots) is one of the best around. The heated wand is well-made and easy to use. The kit also comes with a brow comb and metal lash comb, which is fantastic for separating lashes.

If used properly, the heated curler will open up your eyes, making them appear bigger and brighter.

This is a favourite product of professional make-up artists, and once you start using it, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.

Do you have a beauty problem? Write to Ask Elsa, Beauty Confidential, Femail, the Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, Kensington, London W8 5TT. Or email: askelsa@dailymail.co.uk. Elsa will answer your beauty problems in future Beauty Confidential columns, but regrets she cannot answer letters or emails personally.

BEAUTY DECADES: PRIMERS

Click on an image to enlarge and scroll through for more...

• SIXTY PLUS: Laura Mercier
• TWENTIES: Paul & Joe
• THIRTIES: Mac
• FORTIES: Lancome
• FIFTIES: Elizabeth Arden
• SIXTY PLUS: Laura Mercier
• TWENTIES: Paul & Joe

Designed to protect your skin from harmful UV rays, this will leave you with a flawless base, perfect for creating more natural make up looks that really show off your skin texture and tone. The primer is slightly tinted with a gold pearl shimmer to add lustre to the skin and eliminate the appearance of pores and blemishes. Natural floral ingredients such as orange flower water help to hydrate whilst the addition of Vitamin E, works as an antioxidant.

With SPF 50 to give your skin complete protection from the sun, this light, fast-absorbing, oil-free primer is specially formulated with oil-absorbing powder, to keep your make up holding fast. Worn daily it also helps guard the skin against discolouration, premature aging, dryness and other effects of sun exposure.

This translucent make up base feels ultra soft to the touch, helping to smooth the skin surface, hide blemishes and make your make up stay put for longer. It will leave your skin looking smooth and youthful, hiding wrinkles and fine lines so it's good for more mature skins. And you only need to use a tiny bit with each application so it lasts for ages.

This is a great time saving, multi-tasking product, leaving your skin exfoliated, conditioned and primed ready for your make up application all in one go. Your skin tone and texture will look visibly improved after use, as this primer helps to reduce the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles.

Ideal for all skin types, but working particularly well on older skins, this liquid to powder primer contains vitamins and minerals which help to visibly improve the appearance of the skin, preparing it for the application of make up. It smooths fine lines and wrinkles giving you a flawless matte base. Contains vitamins A, C and E too to condition the skin and fight free radicals.

WHO KNEW?

Manicurist to the stars, Andrea Fulerton, who paints Nigella’s nails in the iconic Revlon Red shade to get them in tip-top shape for close-up shots, has a foolproof trick for avoiding smudges when you’re applying nail polish.

She uses an old concealer brush which she dips into a small dish of nail polish remover, like a paintbrush.

It’s perfect for getting around the edges of the nails and for cleaning up polish that finds its way into the cuticles. Andrea’s favourite shade for autumn, (apart from Revlon Red) is their new nail enamel in Plum Night, £6.16, which looks good on fingers or toes.

Wear with the new Super Lustrous Lipstick in Va Va Violet, £7.13. Both will give your looks an instant update and are available at Boots.

COMING SOON!

We are getting very excited about the new Eucerin Hyaluron Filler range – which is a number one seller in Europe and heading our way soon.

There is a day cream and night cream (both £24.99) and an Eye Filler Cream (£21.99). The day cream is especially popular as it produces an instant plumping effect and like the night cream and eye cream, contain contain hyaluronic acid and saponin, which is known to gently stimulate the skin’s own production of hyaluronic acid.

The packaging is plain and simple, but the textures feel luxurious on your skin and testers found a decrease in lines and wrinkles after four weeks of use.

(Available at Boots, www.boots.com and Selfridges, London, from October 12th).

 CHEAP TREAT

MEMEME LONG STAY LIPS, £5.99, Superdrug stores

We are already fans of the great value MEMEME cosmetics range and their latest long-lasting lip colour has the staying power and quality of a luxury brand, but at a third of the price.

One application will give you a strong lip colour which will last for at least twelve hours - from daytime well into the evening.

And it doesn’t come off or feather when you apply it. MEMEME Long Stay Lips is available in six different shades, including Infinite Nude, Timeless Heather, Always Rose, Forever Plum, Sparkling Merlot or Ultimate Red for on-trend colour.

WE LOVE THAT...

During Breast Cancer Awareness month this October, you can buy a bottle of  Donna Karan’s Cashmere Mist Eau de Toilette Spray, prettily adorned with the pink ribbon logo and £2 raised from the purchase will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for its breast cancer research study at the Royal Marsden Institute of Cancer Research.

Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Eau de Toilette Spray, £39 (call 0870 034 2566 for stockists).

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