Skin Care Tag

Avoid Causes And Shorten Cold Sore Outbreaks

You probably have heard by now that the cold sores on your lip are a form of herpes. This is true. While classically not associated with the same strain that causes genital herpes, there are ever increasing rates of crossover infections. In the interest of clarity, I am focusing on lip cold sores today; some people refer to them as fever blisters.

Sorting Out The New Rules On Sunscreen

Is an SPF of 100 better than 50? What do the terms waterproof, water resistant and broad spectrum really mean?

If you are confused, you are not alone. After a lot of arm wrestling back and forth, the FDA finalized its sweeping new sunscreen guidelines for consumers and they go into effect this year.

It is said that "chronic itch is the skin equivalent to pain." Itching disrupts sleep, limits your activities, diminishes your concentration and generally is quite maddening. We will scratch, claw and tear up our skin to satisfy that annoying itch sensation. It is poorly understood by modern medicine but the burden on patients is very real and taxing to even the most stoic of individuals. A psychological component complicates its definition and study, as just thinking about itchy things can cause you to itch.

So You Think Your Moles Look Fine?

You have heard the message by now: Melanoma is deadly. You also probably know that it is the fastest growing cancer in the United States and that one American every hour dies from melanoma. Millimeter for millimeter, it is the deadliest cancer. Rather than bore you with statistics on this horrid disease, allow me to share with you some fascinating background on it you may not have heard before.

Parents, teachers and daycare providers, in following the guidelines for keeping the flu at bay, may be unwittingly causing a bigger problem. I began to see them a few years ago. Children with red, swollen hands, littered with bleeding cracks and scales.

"We are supposed to sing Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star and not stop washing our hands until the song is over," a boy told me. "Do you think it is contagious? We've been having him wash with antibacterial soap. Several other kids in his class have the same thing," said his mother.