2. Outsmart Pollen
To pull a fast one on the P-word, you need to know its M.O.
Stay indoors during prime times. Pollen counts tend to be highest between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m., and again at dusk.
Check the daily pollen count. Do this before heading out (try the Allergy Alert app by Pollen.com). The higher the number, the more likely you are to sneeze (4.9 is a "medium" count; above 9.7 is "high").
Wear protection. Slip on sunglasses to shield your eyes and lashes, and wear a hat (hair is a pollen magnet, especially if you use gel or other sticky products). If you're particularly sensitive, consider a dust-filtering mask, like the kind carpenters use, to cover your nose and mouth (no, a cute scarf won't cut it), says allergist Tim Mainardi, M.D., a clinical instructor at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Yeah, you're going to look goofy. But not as goofy as you would with a face full of snot.