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"Secrets to a perfect back\\nFlaunt your flawless back with these expert tips.\\n\\\"An exposed back can be as alluring as d\u00E9collet\u00E9,\\\" says Trae Bodge,a makeup artist in New York City. Her tricks to give skin a seductive shimmer:\\n\\n__Moisturize more.__ It's easy to ignore your back, but hydrated skin reflects light better, so you look sleeker. Choose a lotion with water-capturing glycerin.  \\n__Play up curves__ by running a finger dipped in bronzer down spine from midback to base to highlight the sexy hollow (pictured: On Fire Mood Lighting Shimmer Creme, [BlissWorld.com](http://www.blissworld.com/)).\\nA straight-up stance makes you appear more confident and trims inches from your waist. Assume the position with these simple tricks from Paul Drew, Ph.D., author of *Red Carpet Posture* (Perfect Paperback):\\n\\n__Imagine an orange__ between your shoulder blades. Shift them down and together as if squeezing the fruit with your blades. It will help roll back shoulders so you won't hunch.  \\n__Post a photo__ of an athlete with great posture in your office: When you see it, you'll remember to stop slouching.\\nFeel as fantastic as you look with tips from Richard Guyer, M.D., of the Texas Back Institute in Plano:\\n\\n__Heat muscles__ prior to massage to help them relax. Moist heat is best, via a warm bath or shower, or by applying a hot pack ([Thermalon.com](http://www.thermalon.com/)) to the aching area for 20 minutes max.  \\n__Work out deep knots__ with a roller like the Trigger Point Quadballer (pictured, [TPTherapy.com](http://tptherapy.com/)): Lie on side, roller underneath you just above hip, forearm on floor; tilt slightly back onto roller. Push off with top leg and glide roller 2 inches up side of back, then 1 inch down, repeating sequence until you reach armpit. Repeat on opposite side.\\nShow off your back's new definition in a chic halter\u2014but don't let stray straps sabotage your big reveal:\\n\\n__Adjustable bras__ go strapless styles one better by staying hidden but providing support. Wear one (such as Victoria's Secret BioFit 7-Way, pictured; [VictoriasSecret.com](http://www.victoriassecret.com/)) while you dress-shop to guarantee an ideal fit.  \\n__Secure tiny gaps__ with Topstick tape [AlconeCo.com](http://www.alconeco.com/). SELF senior style editor Lida Moore Musso says, \\\"It holds well and won't irritate skin.\\\"\\nHatha yoga poses and breathing techniques help release back tension and lengthen the spine, says Paula Lynch of YogaWorks in New York City. Try this:\\n\\n__Stretch.__ Perform Child's pose: Start on all fours, sit back on heels, then round back and rest chest on thighs and forehead on floor, arms stretched overhead on floor, palms down, for 10 minutes. Next, flip over to do new pose:  \\n__Breathe.__ Lie faceup, a stack of blankets under knees, arms at sides, palms up. Inhale, taking in air in three stages: First, into belly, holding breath for three seconds; second, deepening breath into rib cage, holding three seconds; third, filling the top of your chest. Pause; exhale; take three normal breaths. Repeat twice.\\nSweaty gym sessions plus sports bra equals back-blemish bonanza, when perspiration mixed with skin, oil and bacteria is pushed into pores. Beat bacne with a few fast fixes:\\n\\n__Shower after workouts__ with an antibacterial cleanser, says David E. Bank, M.D., a dermatologist in Mount Kisco, New York. Three times a week, slough off pore-clogging dead cells with an exfoliant containing salicylic acid (like Peter Thomas Roth Blemish Buffing Beads Body Wash, [Sephora.com](http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P186809&amp;searchString=blemish%20buffing%20beads%20body%20wash)) and a loofah.\\\"Treat any blemishes with a lightweight alpha or beta hydroxy acid\u2013based lotion daily,\\\" says Rosemarie Ingleton, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. \\\"It will also help loosen dead cells and reveal fresher underlying skin.\\\""^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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