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SkinExplainer
Dark purple blotches on the backs of the hands and forearms, often from a bump you don't remember, have a name: actinic (or senile) purpura. It comes from years of sun thinning the skin's support, and it affects more than 1 in 10 people over 50. Here is why it happens, what small trials of treatments found, and which bruises need a blood test.
Odor & SweatEvidence check
Six contact-lens wearers appeared in a 16-patient case series. That finding cannot tell you your chance of an eye reaction.
HairEvidence check
Razor bumps happen when curly hair grows back into the skin after shaving, and they're most common on darker skin. Laser hair removal studies, mostly run by military dermatologists, cut bumps sharply: from about 7 to 1 in one study, and by 91% in another. Adding a prescription hair-slowing cream sped results up. The trials treated men's necks, though. Here is what they found and what it means for women.
Sleep & NighttimeEvidence check
In a Harvard sleep-lab study, people who read on an iPad for four hours before bed took about 10 minutes longer to fall asleep, made half as much melatonin and felt groggier the next morning than when they read a printed book. A later trial found the iPhone's Night Shift setting didn't improve sleep. Here is what these studies can and can't tell you about your own bedtime screen.
Intimate HealthExplainer
If you rarely feel a sudden urge for sex but often enjoy it once it's underway, you may have responsive desire. In 2000, physician Rosemary Basson proposed a model in which desire can follow arousal instead of leading it, partly so this pattern wouldn't be mistaken for a disorder. Here is what the model says, where the evidence stops, and what group mindfulness trials found for low desire.
PeriodsQ&A
FDA discourages reusable tampons and authorizes only single-use tampons.
SkinComparison
Rosacea treatments target different problems: bumps and pimples, background redness, or eye symptoms. A Cochrane review of 106 trials with more than 13,600 people found high-quality evidence for azelaic acid, ivermectin cream, brimonidine gel for redness, low-dose doxycycline and low-dose isotretinoin. Here is how they line up.
SkinEvidence check
In a survey of 1,066 people with rosacea, sun, stress and hot weather topped the list of flare triggers, with alcohol and spicy food further down. A study of 82,737 US nurses found women who drank more were more likely to develop rosacea over 14 years, with white wine and liquor showing the link. But triggers differ from face to face. Here is what the research shows and how to find yours.
Breath & MouthEvidence check
About 1 adult in 7 has dental fear, and it's more common in women. A 2024 review of 173 trials found talking therapy, especially CBT, eased long-standing dental anxiety and phobia, while music, virtual reality and aromatherapy didn't hold up. At one London clinic, 79% of people referred for CBT went on to have dental treatment without sedation, after five sessions on average. Here is what the research shows.
SkinMyth buster
FDA says even unopened ink, including ink labeled sterile, can contain microorganisms.
Intimate HealthEvidence check
Many women worry their vulva doesn't look 'normal'. Researchers measure this as genital self-image. In a survey of 1,937 women, a more positive genital self-image went with better sexual function and with having had a gynecological exam in the past year. In a small Dutch experiment, simply seeing photos of many natural vulvas made women feel better about their own, and it lasted two weeks. Here is what the research shows.
Intimate HealthExplainer
A national survey of over 3,000 U.S. adults aged 57 to 85 found that many stay sexually active, and about half of those who are have at least one bothersome problem. Low desire, dryness and trouble reaching orgasm topped the list for women, yet few had talked to a doctor about it. Here is what the numbers show and what can help.
