A: Hives are caused by the release of a chemical called histamine in the skin. When there is a clear association with a skin product, this can be considered an allergic reaction. Skin products contain many ingredients. The active ingredient in self-tanners is dihydroxyacetone (DHA). You will have to try different self-tanners and see which ones are irritating.

A: Sun poisoning is a slang term describing a sunburn or a sunsensitivity. Sun sensitivity can occur from internal conditions such as lupus or external circumstances such as medications. There are many reasons people react adversely to sun exposure. This is a situation where you have to sit down with your dermatologist and go over possible causes. Sometimes a biopsy or blood work is necessary. Regardless of the cause, sun protection clothing and sun screen/block are essential.

A: Sun spots are sun damage. Make sure none of the pigmented areas are dangerous. You should review the ABC's of melanoma or see your dermatologist.

Go back to the basics of skin care. At a minimum, use sun protection with sun protective clothing or sunblock/sunscreen. To lighten the darker areas, bleaching agents can be used twice daily.

Finally, I do like topical vitamin C in the morning and retinol in the evening for daily sun-damaged skin maintenance. Read about these concepts inYourSkinDoctor.com.

A: With over 100,000 tanning beds and sunlamps in public use, approximately ten percent of the American population uses or has used indoor tanning facilities. Despite the recent emphasis on sun education, many people feel that healthy skin is achieved with a dark tan. Subsequently, indoor tanningin the United States is a multi-billion dollar industry. With our increasing knowledge of ultraviolet radiation (UVA/UVB), we know that tanning bed radiation (intense UVA) can be as damaging as outdoor ultraviolet sunlight.The tan achieved by sunlight is different than artificial darkening from a tanning bed. UVA and UVB have different effects on the skin, producing different types of tan. A natural tan (UVA/UVB sunlight) stimulates pigment cells called melanocytes to release a pigment called melanin into the skin. Pigment is released in various stages. For example, a person gets red after a day at the beach. The tan occurs gradually and is evident a few days later.

An artificial tan (UVA only) does not produce a staged release of pigment. The pigment released is within hours of exposure. Because of this variance in pigmentation, an artificial tan does not provide adequate protection from natural sunlight. It's estimated that 25 to 30 minutes in a tanning salon is equivalent to a full day of ultraviolet sun exposure. Remember, a suntan is sun damage regardless of how it is achieved.

Self-tanners effectively darken the skin without the risk of sun damage. These products contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA) which bind to the upper keratin layers of the skin. When using a self-tanner, a person must first shower and rub or loofah the skin. This removes dead skin cells and permits even pigmentation.

Remember: Self-tanners do not prevent sunburn unless they also include a sunscreen. Sun protection should be used on a daily basis.

A: Think of the dark spots as sun damage. The bleaching gels/creams will help lighten the dark areas. Most important is addressing ongoing sun damage and sun exposure. The methods of addressing sun damage include exfoliating agents such as acid peels,topical vitamin C, retinols, and sun protection.

A: Self-tanners and sun exposure darken skin. Use common sense. Too much sun exposure can damage the skin and then you have a problem with sundamaged and non-sundamaged skin.

A: Freckles and sun spots can be lightened on the skin. This type of pigmentation is the resulted of sun stimulated pigment cells (melanocytes). This type of pigmentation can be lightened with bleaching agents (such as hydroquinones) and acids (such as glycolic acid). Protection of the skin is most important. Topical vitamin C, Retinols and sunscreen are essential for maintenance. Read about these in YourSkinDoctor.com.

A: Dark skin people can still get tan and sunburn. Although skin cancer is not common in darker skin individuals, it does happen. I do recommend sunscreen/sunblock (SPF 15 or above UVA/UVB) for darker skin. Internal supplements do not help lighten skin. YSD Product Recommendations - Sunscreens

A: A similar question is: How can I smoke safely? Tanning beds expose the skin to intense radiation that will cause sundamage, wrinkles, and possibly skin cancer. Try a tan in the bottle!

A: White spots in the skin are from a decrease of pigment production in the skin. The causes are numerous. On the face, it sounds like scarring from previous inflammation such as acne. A self-tanning lotion will help cover the areas but will not "fix" the problem. These ultimately can be addressed by a plastic surgeon. If the white spots are increasing, you need to be evaluated by your dermatologist.

A: Twenty minutes in a tanning booth is equivalent to a day in the sun. We know skin cancer is from sun damage. The only safe tan is from a bottle!

A: Sometimes too much sun can have the opposite effect on skin. Skin pigment cells called melanocytes are over -stimulated and essentially "burn out." This usually presents as pinpoint light areas and is called guttate hypomelanosis. There are other conditions such as vitiligo and connective tissue diseases that can also lighten the skin. Your mother should get this evaluated by her dermatologist. You should also show her pictures of skin cancer on YourSkinDoctor.com and maybe she will use sunscreen and stay out of the sun.