All posts by Andrea Hernandez

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A baby’s first haircut

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Image result for baby haircut

Photo from Bounty

Andrea Hernandez

Parents may be told by their elders not to cut their baby’s hair before their first birthday in order to improve hair health. This is unhelpful advice. Genetics determines hair qualities and this is not influenced by a trim.

Genes determine specific characteristics of hair such as texture and thickness. Other factors that influence hair texture and thickness include hormones, specific medications, and chemicals like hair relaxers. Hair is also affected by chemotherapy treatment. Chemotherapy harms both cancerous and healthy cells like rapid growing cells found in hair. As the chemotherapy drugs leave our body and hair regrows, hair color, texture, and thickness can change, but these changes are not permanent.

Cultural practices regarding cutting hair vary. For instance, Mongolians believe a child’s first haircut should occur at a later age, between the ages of two and five depending on the lunar new year. Muslims believe a baby’s first haircut should occur within a week of being born to signify they are cleansed. 

There is no best time when you should cut a baby’s hair. As a parent you decide what you prefer for your child, and one of these decisions is determining when to have your child’s first haircut. 

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/traits/hairtexture

https://healthcare.utah.edu/the-scope/shows.php?shows=0_3tcvsb6o

https://youaremom.com/babies/babys-first-haircut-information/

https://www.babycenter.com/404_when-can-my-baby-get-a-haircut-at-a-salon_1368499.bc

https://www.nbcnews.com/healthmain/chemo-curls-another-kink-cancer-recovery-1C9386921

https://www.fatherly.com/health-science/first-haircut-rituals/

https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/health-beauty/the-science-of-chemo-curls

All, Summer

Sunburned with Dark Skin

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Photo from Simply SunSafe

Many believe that people with a dark complexion do not have to wear sunscreen. While it is true that people with darker skin have more protection against ultraviolet radiation (UVR), it is still recommended to wear sunscreen. 

Melanocytes produce melanin, a molecule that protects your skin by absorbing or deflecting UV rays. Melanocytes produce more melanin after exposure to the sun, in particular after skin damage in the form of a sunburn. Sunburn occurs when skin is exposed to excessive UVR from the sun or in a tanning bed. 

People with light skin are more prone to sunburn because they have less melanin. But dark skinned individuals can also get sunburned because dark pigments do not block out 100% of UV rays. 

No matter your skin color, it is recommended that you wear sunscreen for prolonged sun exposure because damaging sun exposure increases your chance of developing skin cancer.

https://www.uptodate.com/contents/sunburn-beyond-the-basics

https://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/health/summer-health-myths/

https://qsun.co/should-i-wear-sunscreen-if-i-have-dark-skin/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/eumelanin

https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-melanocyte-1069513

https://medium.com/getsundots/how-does-our-skin-protect-us-b93bdd4e00e2

All, Medicine

Jellyfish Sting

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Image from PBS

Andrea Hernandez

You might have been warned by your parents to avoid touching a jellyfish on the beach because it might sting you. And some say urine eliminates the pain. Although it is true jellyfish do sting, this method to treat the sting is incorrect.

Treating jellyfish stings with urine is a long-standing myth that even appeared on the TV Show, Friends. In the show, Monica got stung by a jellyfish and her friend, Joey, suggested that she urinate on the sting because he saw a documentary stating it would relieve the pain. It worked for Monica but in real life you may feel worse. 

The tentacles of the jellyfish have tiny stingers called nematocysts which can detach, stick to skin, and release venom. Even if the jellyfish is dead, it can still sting you because the cell structure of nematocysts is maintained long after death. Nematocysts release a thread that contains the venom when a foreign object brushes against the cell and will continue releasing venom until the cells are removed.   

Urine is made up of water, salt, and chemicals like urea and uric acid. If you consume a lot of liquid your urine becomes more diluted (meaning mostly water). Fresh water can cause a change in osmotic pressure which can activate the nematocysts to release more venom.

It is advised by physicians to carefully remove the nematocysts from the skin with tweezers and after removing the cells wash the affected area with hot water. If the pain persists or there are signs of an allergic reaction, you should consult with your doctor.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fact-or-fiction-urinating/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/jellyfish-stings/symptoms-causes/syc-20353284

https://uamshealth.com/healthlibrary2/medicalmyths/urineforjellyfishsting/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/jellyfish-stings/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353290

https://www.webmd.com/urinary-incontinence-oab/qa/what-is-urine

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1529-8019.2002.01508.x

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/77123227.pdf