With the right at-home care, minor skin injuries -- from hungry mosquitoes to a collision with a surfboard -- don’t have to leave noticeable scars. Here, dermatologists and plastic surgeons share their treatment advice to speed healing and reduce scarring from common summer mishaps.

Clean up
Carefully washing with soap and water is the first step in treating minor cuts and scratches, says Dr. Jay Calvert, a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon and associate professor of plastic surgery at the University of California’s Keck School of Medicine. For sensitive skin, try a diluted solution of one part hydrogen peroxide and one part water. Some doctors also recommend applying a topical antibiotic ointment to prevent infection, but only for the first few days after injury. Among over-the-counter antibiotic blends, pure bacitracin is least likely to trigger an allergic reaction, says Calvert.

Allow Healing Time
Although life in our high-def world makes it more tempting than ever to obsess about the appearance of scrapes and scars, relax and give your skin the opportunity to heal, says Calvert. Frequently rinsing or medicating new cuts, scrapes or incisions can sometimes impede healing.

Avoid Scratching
Pesky mosquito, flea and chigger bites can cause maddening itching that drives some sensitive people to scratch obsessively, potentially causing scars or uneven pigmentation. Dr. Hayes Gladstone, director of the division of dermatologic surgery at Stanford University and associate professor, suggests applying an over-the-counter cream of 1 percent hydrocortisone to tame the itch and keep skin moist. Dry skin is a leading cause of itchiness, he says, “and no one really moisturizes enough.” Still can’t resist the impulse to scratch? Cover the bite with a bandage.

Keep It Simple
Even with their access to prescription cures, doctors sometimes prefer ordinary remedies, such as applying a cool compress to stifle itching from bug bites. Home medics can stir up effective skin soothers with common kitchen ingredients too. For example, soaking in a warm bath mixed with ultrafine oatmeal can provide relief from itching. Simply grind 1 cup unflavored oatmeal into a fine powder. Pour the powdered cupful into running warm water and soak for 15 or 20 minutes.

Stop the Scabs
Many of us remember letting our childhood cuts and scrapes form dry, hard scabs as they healed, a method that often left lasting scars. Now, doctors embrace a moist-healing technique, which can speed healing and minimize scarring. After cleansing the area of a cut or scrape, moisten it moderately with common ointments such as cocoa butter or petroleum jelly; cover with a nonstick bandage to contain the ointment and protect the injury. The wounds will heal in about two weeks. To further minimize scarring, try a nonprescription cream containing a copper-peptide complex; a recent Stanford University study showed the copper complex mobilizes the skin’s own healing response, leading to smoother scars.

Embrace the Shade
Keeping a wound or new scar away from sunlight is critically important, doctors say. “Sun exposure can cause more superficial blood vessel formation and make scars appear redder,” says Gladstone. Diligently guard your injuries from sunlight for several months, using a sunscreen with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. New formulas with extra-fine particles of the sun-busting minerals don’t leave thick, white streaks.

Think Long-term
Scars don’t completely vanish, but managed properly, they’ll become less conspicuous during the healing process, says Calvert. For aftercare, Gladstone recommends gels with silicone as the active ingredient, available at online drugstores. “Silicone helps with wound healing and minimizes scarring,” says Gladstone. “I have my patients use it on surgical scars, but it’s useful even with everyday scrapes.” Gentle daily massage with the silicone gel should help soften and break down rigid tissue.

As a judge on “Dancing with the Stars,” Carrie Ann Inaba shrewdly assesses spins and steps. As host of TV Guide network’s red carpet coverage for Hollywood’s award shows, she chats up celebs about coiffures and couture. And on Sunday, March 7, she’ll be reporting from the most glamorous walkway of them all: the Academy Awards pre-show. Between fittings and hair appointments, Inaba shares the ticktock of how she’s getting gorgeous for the big event.

Diet

Back when I was a dancer and had to fit into tiny costumes, I’d go on really strict diets -- including fasts and liquid diets -- before a performance. Now, at 42 years old, I don’t feel the need to have a bathing suit-ready body under my dress. Still, I totally cut out chips, because the salt makes me puffy and zaps my energy, and I added more fruit and vegetables to my diet.

Workout
I always amp up my fitness regimen for the Oscars by doing double workouts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. One workout is always a cardio dance class called Drenched. If I’m really going for it, I’ll do back-to-back classes, which I love, but that means I’ll be toast be midafternoon. Or I’ll follow Drenched with some Pilates at home or a Wii Fit session.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I’ll do just one of these workouts, and on weekends I always go for a long bike ride along the beach. I’m not working out to shed pounds -- though losing an inch or two is always nice -- but for muscle tone and energy. My favorite part to work on is my back, because so many of today’s dresses are backless. I think it’s sexy and feminine if you can see the outlines of a woman’s muscles when she moves.

Skin
I think if your skin is touchable, soft and moist, that really reflects an inner beauty and health. To get ready for the Oscars, I start on that final Friday, my big grooming day. I’ll also get a spray-on tan from the pro who tans everyone for “Dancing with the Stars” and knows how to make it look natural. Up next? A relaxing pedicure for open-toed shoes. One thing I can skip is getting my brows waxed. When I was on tour with Madonna in ’93, the makeup artist pretty much plucked all of my eyebrows out for the skinny-brow look of the time, and they’ve never really grown back.

Hair
I color my hair a week before the Oscars to give the color enough time to settle in. I do a root touch-up and both highlights and lowlights: The darker tones of the lowlights balance out the highlights and give my hair weight and depth. After all, I’m Asian, so there should be dark hair in there somewhere! I’ll likely also have a trim too -- something I do every other month -- and keep it well-conditioned to add shine. I cut bangs last year, and now I’m trying to grow them out because I’m doing a lot of updos on both “Dancing with the Stars” and on the red carpet. As flattering as they may look, you’re very limited in what you can do when you have bangs.

The Day of
My team and I gather at a Hollywood hotel in the late morning. It takes me two hours to get into hair and makeup and get dressed, and we go live from the red carpet at 3 p.m.

I start my preparation with a full breakfast at about 10 a.m., which includes two scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, some hash browns, grapefruit juice and coffee. You can’t be in a hunger cloud on the red carpet; my brain needs to be working at full capacity. I’ll also work out for 30 minutes, doing some jumping jacks to get my energy going and a little Pilates and stretching. I have an inversion board, so I’ll hang upside down for a few minutes to get the blood circulating to my head. 

Then I’m ready to hit the red carpet and start my celebrity interviews.

What better way to celebrate coupledom than with a stress-relieving spa experience? No need to splurge. You can create your own relaxing, rejuvenating -- and romantic -- retreat right at home.

Courtesy of some of the best spas around the country, here are seven tips to help you plan the perfect Valentine’s Day at-home spa escape.

1. Add luxurious details.
Have plenty of soft, fluffy towels and “his” and “hers” robes handy. Toss them in the dryer for a few minutes just before your spa session so they’re warm and cozy. You’ll need just three other products: a massage oil, a skin scrub (e.g., a salt rub) and a scented bath product.

2. Explore each other.
When it comes to couples’ spa treatments, it’s all about the shared experience, says Robert Vance, spa director at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain in Scottsdale, Ariz. Customize these experiences to fit your own preferences: If you don’t like the invigorating exfoliation of a salt scrub, do a mud or clay skin treatment instead, and slather each other in slippery body mud.

3. Set the mood.
Turn off your cell phones and computers for the night, and make a pact not to talk about work. Turn off the overhead lights and use reading lamps or candles to create an inviting glow. “Use whatever’s available in the environment of your home to make things feel quiet and private,” says Jenny Helling, spa director at Cavallo Point Spa in Sausalito, Calif. “If you have a big bathroom with an oversize tub, bring in some candles, pull in a soft rug and create a retreat right there.”

4. Feature food.
For maximum sensuality, go for food that’s slippery or involves dipping or spreading. You might start with fresh fruit -- such as grapes, strawberries or raspberries -- that can be dipped in whipped cream. Or try bread or crackers with soft spreads like goat cheese and hummus. The final bubbly touch: Create a romantic cocktail by dropping pomegranate seeds into champagne, suggests Shane Bird, spa director at Aji Spa at the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix.

5. Make things scent-sual.
Light a scented candle or a stick of incense, and drop aromatherapy oil directly in the bathwater or sprinkle on the sheets. If you have a fireplace, throw a few juniper logs on the fire, suggests Camelback’s Vance. The wood contains essential oils that scent the room with a southwestern straight-from-the-desert aroma that will make you feel like you’re camping under the stars.

6. Pamper like a pro.
Nothing is sexier than a full-body massage. There are two basic ways to approach massage. Some like to start with a neck, shoulder and back massage, since that’s where most people experience aches and pains. Another technique is to start with the feet and hands, and work inward to the center of the body. Choose a massage oil with a grapefruit oil base: It’s lighter and less greasy, which allows you to get a bit more grip than do massage oils with an olive or vitamin E base.

7. To each his/her own.
It often works best if there’s a variety of offerings on your home spa “menu” and each of you picks what you like best. Maybe your partner would like a foot rub in the tub, but you want an all-over body massage. Try making a menu of experiences that you can offer each other. Write them on a whiteboard -- or on cards, which you can then pick one by one from the deck. The happy ending? You and your honey feel closer than ever.