Concealer make-up

Good for Scars, blemishes, veins.

Cost Low.

Faff factor Low.

If you're dashing to a party in your best floaty number, a foundation or cover-up will hide most blemishes quickly. Adding a pressed powder may make it look more natural. Remember that the make-up will rub off on to clothes, so put it on after you get dressed. If you want to cover your legs, Sally Hansen's Airbrush Legs spray (from £3.99) is quick to apply.

Stockists www.directcosmetics.com

Specialist make-up

Good for Scars, blemishes, veins.

Cost Medium.

Faff factor Medium.

Estée Lauder's Maximum Cover make-up (£22.50) is one of the few widely available products designed for covering blemishes. Cover FX, another specialist range, hides acne, sun damage, rosacea and birthmarks. It costs between £17 and £30.

Stockists www.esteelauder.co.uk ; www.harveynichols.com

Make-up on prescription

Good for Scars, blemishes, veins, stretchmarks.

Cost Low.

Faff factor Medium.

Four specialist cover-up products are available on prescription. Veil, Dermacolor, Covermark and Keromask are all waterproof and can last up to four days. The British Red Cross runs a camouflage class (www.redcross.org.uk/skincamouflage) in which volunteers will teach you how to apply products and how to find the best colour match. The classes are free, although you must be referred by your GP or consultant. Sheila Hannay, from the British Red Cross, says that patients with all kinds of scars use the service, from burns and acne, to rosacea and stretchmarks.

How to apply Hold a thin make-up brush like a dart and, using the tip, place dots of the product along the length of the scar. Use the flat of the brush to cross over the dots and blend around the edges.

Stockists Via prescription, or skin-camouflage.net/products; www.westons.com

Spider vein creams

Cost Medium.

Faff factor Low.

The susceptibility to spider veins, or thread veins, is genetic, says Tamara Griffiths, a dermatologist from the British Skin Foundation. So if your mum or dad suffered from them, it's likely that you will too. Many creams claim to reduce the appearance of thread veins, but there is little evidence that they'll have any effect.

Scar reduction creams and dressings

Good for Scars, blemishes.

Cost Medium.

Faff factor Low.

Because scars are the result of deep-tissue damage, there is limited evidence that any scar reduction creams work. However, Griffiths says that silicone patches may help to treat large, itchy or raised scars. Scar reduction patches, such as those made by Elastoplast (£17.59 for 21), claim to help to reduce the appearance of more mature scars. These must be worn for 12 hours a day for four to eight weeks. A review article in 2006 reported that there is some evidence to support the use of these dressings, but the data is not conclusive.

Stockists www.boots.com

Quick fix for stretchmarks

Cost Low.

Faff factor Low.

According Dr Nick Lowe, a consultant dermatologist at the Cranley Clinic, London, self-tan lotion is a popular quick fix for stretchmarks, caused by sudden stretching during pregnancy, growth spurts or rapid weight gain.

Stretchmark creams

Cost Low.

Faff factor Low.

Griffiths says that there is good evidence that the prescription-only retinoid creams, such as tretinoin, reduce these, but only if they are applied when the marks are still pink. Once they turn white, there is little evidence that creams or oils help.

Stockists Prescription only.

Long-term fixes

Good for Scars, blemishes, stretch marks, veins.

Cost High.

Faff factor High.

Lasers, deep chemical peels or filler injections can improve severe scarring or stretchmarks. These should all be performed by a dermatologist or a trained medical professional. Micro-dermabrasion may help brown spots and scars, and cortisol injections may help to treat raised scars. Laser treatments, surgery and injections can also be used to reduce varicose veins and thread veins. Treatment costs from £20-£60 for injections, £125 for micro-dermabrasion and £3,000 for laser therapy.

More information Try your GP for advice on NHS treatments. For dermatologists, contact www.bad.org.uk

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