Skin and Hair Archive

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Q. I am 65 and have noticed a decline in the quality of my fingernails. Should I worry about some underlying medical condition?

A. For the most part, changes in fingernail shape and appearance are simple signs of normal aging and are nothing to worry about. Fingernails naturally grow slower as we age, and their appearance may change, too. Nails can become yellowed, dull, and brittle. They may develop tiny longitudinal ridges and become thinner and more fragile. You can't do anything about these kinds of fingernail changes, but you can reduce the risk of splitting and breaking that often accompanies them. For example:

Ask the doctors

Q. Should pregnant or breastfeeding women and their children use sunscreen?

A. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that people avoid applying sunscreen to the skin of babies younger than 6 months of age, and instead shield them from the sun, keeping them in the shade as much as possible. It's also a good idea to protect them from the sun using clothing, hats, and sunglasses.

Research we're watching

The FDA is warning consumers not to buy in to the idea that a pill can protect your skin from the sun.

In a statement issued May 22, FDA officials said they've found companies selling pills that are labeled as dietary supplements and that claim to protect skin from the sun.

Rates of the two most common skin cancers have more than doubled over the past decade. Here's how to protect yourself.

When it comes to skin cancer, there's good news and bad news. First, the bad news. A report published in the June 2017 Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that cases of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) skin cancers have risen 263% and 145%, respectively, over the past decade.

The good news? BCC and SCC are rarely life-threatening and they're usually easy to treat if they're caught early. Plus, there are simple ways to prevent them.

Misinformation about sunscreen is common. Don't let myths deter you from using it to protect your skin.

 Image: © wragg/Getty Images

If you've ever searched online for information about sunscreen, what you found may have made you feel less than sunny about slathering on these lotions and creams. Sunscreen is designed to protect your skin from the sun's damaging rays, but some of the claims made about it suggest it could do more harm than good.

Assertions include everything from statements that sunscreen is ineffective to warnings that it's outright dangerous. Some writers even go as far as to state that sunscreen may cause skin cancer, thanks to a purported harmful cocktail of toxic ingredients. That's enough to darken your day.

Ask the doctors

Q. I'm very allergic to poison ivy. My spouse currently has a bad poison ivy rash that he got while trimming some bushes in our yard. I'm afraid I'm going to get a rash from him. Is it contagious?

A. Good news: poison ivy rashes are not contagious. You will get a rash from poison ivy only if you come into contact with urushiol oil, which is the plant oil in poison ivy that triggers the rash. In addition, a poison ivy rash, even one with open blisters, won't spread to other areas of the body. The rash only occurs on parts of the body that were actually exposed to the plant oil. Poison ivy rashes can appear to spread if urushiol oil is trapped under your fingernails and you scratch an itch. While you can't get a rash from coming from your spouse, you can get it from clothing or other items that have the plant oil on them. For example, the clothes your spouse was wearing that came into contact with the poison ivy plant. Poison ivy oil can cling to garden tools or even pet fur. The oil from poison ivy is known to linger. According to the FDA, it can stick around on surfaces, sometimes for years, until it is washed away using water or rubbing alcohol. So be certain that all surfaces that are potentially contaminated are cleaned thoroughly to reduce your risk.

What to do about prickly heat, poison ivy, and other uncomfortable skin reactions.

 Image: © LCOSMO/Getty Images

Sunburn is a big risk in the summer. You know the rules: seek the shade, wear protective clothing, and use a broad-spectrum sunscreen (with an SPF of at least 30). But sunburn isn't the only summer skin problem.

Plant-related rashes

Many people are allergic to urushiol, an oil found in poison ivy and poison oak. Exposure occurs when you touch the plant directly, maybe while gardening, or indirectly, by touching an object that's picked up the oil (like a shoe). You can spread the oil wherever you touch your body until the oil is washed off. Two to 10 days later, the affected skin develops a red, itchy, blistering, oozing rash. It's not contagious, though you may feel like it's spreading. "The allergic reaction continues to unfold even after you've washed off the oil," says Dr. Jason Frangos, a dermatologist at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital.