Women and men can both develop stretch marks when their skin expands rapidly, such as during weight gain, pregnancy or puberty. At first, the striations appear red, brown and glossy, with a texture distinct from your normal skin. Over time, though, stretch marks fade to a less-noticable, whitish-colored scar.

A rich by-product of the fruit of the coconut tree, virgin coconut oil may offer soothing relief for inflamed skin. Coconut oil is a natural antibacterial that has long been advocated by herbalists for relief of eczema, acne, dermatitis and allergic skin reactions.

Sebum, a natural oil produced by oil glands in the skin, isn't a bad thing. In fact, sebum is a natural lubricant, keeping hair sleek and shiny and preventing skin from looking dry and wrinkled. Problems arise when the glands are overactive and produce too much sebum, states the University of Oklahoma Health Services.

That stinging feeling on your cheeks and around your eyes can make the thought of wearing sunscreen on your face unappealing. Fortunately, the science of sunscreen has advanced, developing formulas that are much gentler on your face. There are two types of sunscreen: physical and chemical.

Skin discoloration in African Americans can be the result of overexposure to the sun, healing blemishes or healed injury to the skin. This discoloration is brought about when excessive amounts of skin pigmentation, called melanin, is distributed to the affected area.

Doctors who wanted to alleviate their patients’ arthritis pain first used paraffin wax in the 1950s. Three decades later, during the 1980s, it became widely used as beauty treatment.

Unwanted and unsightly facial hair can be embarrassing. Because the skin on your face can be very sensitive, de-fuzzing your face with waxing is difficult and painful.

Keeping your skin healthy and hydrated is important, but lotion isn't the only way to pull that off. If you're looking for a lotion alternative you may be surprised to find that there are plenty of other ways to keep your skin soft and supple.

Many people notice irregularities in skin tone, especially in areas frequently exposed to the sun, such as the skin on your legs. Known as hyperpigmentation, dark splotches of skin often appear near irritated or wounded skin. While skin discoloration is common, not all spots are harmless.

Reddish-brown spots on the skin can be due to a variety of conditions ranging from bruising and bleeding under the skin, to skin cancer and diseases such as psoriasis or eczema. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, oftentimes reddish-brown spots are harmless changes that occur with age.

Visible veins in the breasts are generally caused by the breast's rapid expansion during early puberty, pregnancy, and breast augmentation, according to the Vein Treatment Center in New York. The veins are pushed to the surface of the skin and blood flow is increased.

The bright yellow hue of a banana may seem ruined when it develops brown spots. Your first instinct may be to throw away any discolored bananas. However, the appearance of brown spots does not destroy this highly nutritious and portable fruit, that is readily available year round.