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When it comes to quick fixes in the skincare world, there are times when you’re forced to choose between the lesser of two evils.  What may take care of the problem now, could damage your skin for the future. So, what do you do?

To help you make the best choice for your skin, we weighed in on two common skincare situations that don’t seem to have a winning solution. Keep this in mind the next time one of these little nightmares pops up:

#1- The Pop-Up Pimple

It’s the day of a big event and you wake up with a big, fat zit on your forehead. You followed your skincare regimen to a T, ate clean foods, and even practiced a little yoga to relieve stress, but unfortunately the acne gods just weren’t on your side.

This leaves you in a lose-lose situation — you can pop it, and pray that the redness goes away, or you could conceal it. So, what do you do?

It depends. If it’s a huge white head, experts say to go ahead and pop it. But, if the blemish hasn’t come to a head, it’s best to hide it with makeup. Popping the pimple too soon can actually cause a lot of damage to your skin, like bleeding and scarring. It’s easier to cover up a red bump than a scab, right?

#2- The Ghostly White Skin

This winter has been brutal, leaving most of us secluded in the confines of someplace warm for months. But spring is here, which means dress season is upon us and while your legs may be beyond pale, you will be expected to flaunt them.

This leaves you with two undesirable options — will you fake-in-bake or try a self-tanner?

According to the National Skin Care Foundation, women who use tanning beds before the age of 35 are 75 percent more likely to develop skin cancer. Regardless of how badly you need to be bronzed, it’s not worth the risk. Our recommendation — always choose the self-tanner.

We know that self-tanner often gets a bad wrap. Many say that it causes their skin to turn orange or simply looks unnatural, but we’ve found that this is all dependent on which brand you use and how your skin absorbs it. There are many brands out there that have rave reviews, talk to your dermatologist and do some research. Surely you will find one that works for you.

Photo by: Saluda UdeA – via Flickr