Dear Lucy: I am a woman in her twenties with fair skin and a tendency to bruise very easily. More often than not, I don’t even remember feeling any of the incidents that causes the bruises, and there are many! Could this be an indication that I am iron- or some other vitamin/mineral-deficient? —Black & Blue
Dear Lucy: I’ve heard that aluminum deposits have been found in the brains of people who have died of Alzheimer's disease. Will using underarm deodorants or antiperspirants with aluminum compounds cause aluminum to enter the body? Also, will wearing pierced earrings made of silver introduce silver into the body? —Heavy Metal
Dear Lucy: I’ve been wondering about how our skin changes as we get older, not so much in appearance—I know that all too well—but in how well it functions. For example, I don’t remember getting cracks in the skin around my fingertips during the winter when I was in my 20s and 30s (and also living in Cambridge), but now that I’m in my mid-40s, it happens every winter. It seems that something must have changed, but what? And what else do I have to look forward to? Are there things I can do to keep my skin as healthy as possible as I get older, besides moisturizing regularly and avoiding excessive sun exposure? —Wintertime Woes
Dear Lucy: I was prescribed miconazole nitrate 2% cream for ringworm on my arm. Out of curiosity, I Googled possible side effects, and one of the side effects listed was “anorexia.” I didn’t know you could become anorexic from applying cream to your skin. How is this even possible? —So Very Hungry
Dear Lucy: I found your recent question on sunscreen and SPF numbers very interesting. I particularly appreciated the reminder that we need to use a sufficient amount of sunscreen to get the full amount of protection—it’s something I know in theory but don’t always remember to do in practice. But what about spray-on sunscreen? Is it as effective as sunscreen lotions? Is there some metric for how much to use and guidelines for how to apply it properly? —Eat Spray Love
Dear Lucy: I’m a redhead and get sunburns very easily. For that reason, I always buy the highest SPF sunscreen I can find. But is a higher number really better? SPF 100 costs much more than SPF 50. Do higher numbers really provide extra protection? Or at least enough extra protection to make them worth the much higher cost? —Better Red Than Dead?
Dear Lucy: How can I tell if I am losing more hair than normal? What amount of hair loss is normal, anyway? The hair above my forehead is so much finer than the rest of my hair, and it's getting split ends, even though it's very short. What is a sensible way to take care of hair like that? Are there remedies for women with thinning hair? Hair transplants? Something else? —Bad Hair Day
Dear Lucy: I have dry skin and would like to find a moisturizer that works for me, but I am confused by the plethora of options available in the market. Is a higher (unit) price typically correlated with a greater moisturizing effect? Are there differences between products labeled “face” or “hands” and those for general use? How regularly should I be applying moisturizer to see a visible impact? —Rough Hands, Soft Heart
Dear Lucy: I have a number of plantar warts that I have treated, unsuccessfully, with over-the-counter medications. Does MIT have a podiatry or wart clinic? What should I try next? —Sole Survivor
Dear Lucy: My mom and other family members have had shingles over the years. Does this increase my chances of getting shingles myself, and should I get the vaccine? —Shingle Belle
