Skin and hair health Archive

Climate change has made life-threatening heat waves increasingly common across the globe. Anyone with health issues will have a more difficult time in extreme heat, including older people and people with diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and other conditions. Be prepared by knowing how to identify and treat heat-related illness, and how to plan for hot days.

Discover how steroid creams, hormones, thyroid issues, and other conditions might drive new hair growth and when to seek a doctor’s advice.

Peeling skin on your fingers can signal eczema, infection, or other issues. Explore common triggers, treatments, and when to call the doctor.

Poison ivy rash is a red, blistering, itchy skin reaction caused by contact with the oily resin of the poison ivy plant. Quickly washing any exposed skin and contaminated clothing, tools, pets, or gear may help reduce the risk of a reaction. For a mild rash, home remedies and over-the-counter medications can help soothe symptoms; stronger prescription drugs can help heal more severe cases.

Misconceptions about poison ivy are common - from when you can get it to how you might get it, and the best ways to treat it. Knowing the facts can help you avoid it, or treat it properly if you are exposed to it.

Ringworm is a common, contagious skin infection caused by a fungus. Children can get it from other people who have it or from an infected animal. While it can be itchy and unpleasant, ringworm is usually harmless.

Bald spots or thinning hair in pre‑teen boys can happen for a number of reasons. These include scalp infections, tight hairstyles, immune conditions, or stress.

A variety of disparate factors can speed up people’s biological aging, which describes how well their body functions (in comparison to chronological aging). Drivers of aging include ultraviolet light, stress, smoking, obesity, radiation, and loneliness and social isolation.

Small bald spots can result from stress, but not always. Patchy loss can reflect hereditary patterns, alopecia areata, fungal infection, or scalp disease.

Warm, damp shoes can harbor fungus well after a skin infection clears. Fresh socks, antifungal powder, rotation, and retiring old shoes are all important.