Shedding light on fat cells
Fat is a difficult issue. You need it as an energy store, to keep yourself warm, to pad your bones and provide an attractive, comely shape to some of us. However, most of us constantly strive to have the least amount of body fat possible (though whether that is achieved is another thing!) For […]
Spring forward!
The clocks have just moved forward, a move welcomed by many as it heralds longer and hopefully brighter and warmer days (though I do rue the loss of that one hour of sleep!) And talking about all things to do with time and body clocks, it is interesting that the journal of Pediatric Dermatology […]
A new disease…
It’s not often that we come across a new disease entity. There has, however, been a surge in a type of hair loss that was first described in the literature in 1994 in six post-menopausal women in Australia. [Kossard S. Postmenopausal frontal fibrosing alopecia. Scarring alopecia in a pattern distribution. Arch Dermatol 1994;130:770-4.] Few […]
Feeling blue?
Blue is a funny colour; it can bring out different emotions in people depending on the context; Sadness in the Disney/Pixar movie “Inside Out” versus Luke Skywalker wielding a blue lightsaber. (I have firsthand experience of this from having purchased the latter item recently for a certain family member.) It is also interesting to […]
A bird in the hand…
Consultant dermatologists see a lot of patients with acne and there are traditionally a few options available to us in the management of acne. For mild acne, we prescribe topical anti-acne agents.; for moderate to severe papulopustular acne (red spots and pustules), we prescribe topical anti-acne agents in combination with an oral antibiotic and for […]
You can’t paint over a problem
If you’re thinking of doing house renovations or simply repainting your home, it can be a logistic nightmare; figuring out whether you have the wherewithal to do it yourself or get the professionals in, then moving furniture and arranging for it all to be done when there are no children or animals around in case […]
The beauty of a bleach bath
Though eczema can flare at any time of the year, winter is often a particularly bad time. Why? It’s often a combination of winter coughs and colds, and cold, crispy weather combined with central heating indoors. Though not all flares in eczema are infective, they can often become secondarily infected if not treated effectively […]
The rise of the “e-” generation
At the time of writing, the family have returned from our annual summer holiday on the Continent. A lovely relaxing time was had by all. What was also a pleasant surprise was the lack of cigarette smokers and the lack of the often-found detritus of cigarette butts that litter the pavements of Continental Europe. However, […]
Get on your bike!
A couple of our family members are rather keen cyclists. At the time of writing, a school holiday is looming and a cycling holiday is to be expected. It was interesting that Radio 4 broadcast an interview with Dr Jane Sterling, a Consultant dermatologist at Addenbrooke’s hospital on vulval health in female cyclists not long […]
Have your kale and eat it.
I’m lucky that we are a family that generally likes our greens though sometimes it can still be a challenging process and sometimes I’m faced with a full-on dinner table revolt! There is now evidence that certain vegetables eaten in the diet can also provide protection against sun damage. What? The May edition […]