Prom Is Creeping Closer

It's that time of year again, high school proms and graduations are just around the corner. Which means your mom is going to want to take a million and three pictures of you at each event. Here are some tips from CNN.com to help you get photo ready for the occasions.




Consider a spray tan
It gives you a nice glow and evens out your skin tone. Plus it's infinitely better than damaging skin cells by lying out in the sun or baking in a tanning bed. DHA, the active ingredient in modern day tanning solutions, works with the proteins in the top layer of your skin to turn it golden brown. Since your upper epidermis is made up of dead cells, they aren't harmed in the process and the chemicals won't be absorbed into your body because they will eventually shed off with the dead skin. Most spray tans fade away in seven days. Get it done two days before your event if you're wearing a light-colored dress; one day before is fine if it's a darker color.

Whiten your teeth
A ton of teeth whitening products are on the market and almost any of them will produce results with some time. The American Dental Association says whitening products work in one of two ways, either bleaching the tooth to change its color or by using physical reactions to remove surface stains.
Whitening strips work well in just a few days by bleaching surface and set-in stains similar to a professional service.

Clear up your skin
 Use a salicylic acid body wash and you should see things clear up in a couple of weeks. If you get a zit three or four days before the party, you have a good chance of getting rid of it with a daily salicylic acid face wash and a benzoyl peroxide topical cream.

Lose the bloating
The best ways to get rid of that extra water weight before a party don't involve skipping meals, taking laxatives or eating grapefruit for a week. Eat foods high in water content such as fruits and vegetables and low in sodium, like lean meats. Avoid processed foods, and snack every three to four hours. Follow this "diet" and you'll have the energy required to deal with mom's shutterbug tendencies AND dance the night away.