One of my close girlfriends had a bad case of hives last summer (had to be on antibiotics, steroids, and I forgot what else). She was under a lot of stress finshing up her law degree and studying for the bar exam.

Now, a year later, she's passed the bar, has a job, and consequently, has less stress in her life (or, at least a different type!)... and her hives have returned! She is extremely frustrated, and is wondering if anyone else has experienced this? Also, she's wondering if the hives were never really caused by "excess stress" in the first place?

thanks!

How much do looks count? I don't mean good-looks, but appearance.

Would you hire a nanny with tatoos?

Would you rent out an apartment to someone with body piercings?

Would you hire someone who didn't dress stylishly or had body hair?

Would you hire someone who is morbidly obese?

We all want to be deeper than that...but looks matter.

Right?

MONDAY, Aug. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Inadequate vitamin D could increase your risk of death by 26 percent, a new study concludes.

Yet many people are not getting enough vitamin D, which the skin makes naturally when exposed to sunlight. A nationwide survey found that 41 percent of men and 53 percent of women in the United States were not getting enough of this vital nutrient.

I've been getting hangnails (4 total) in the past couple of weeks.

These things are painful - and I don't know how to prevent them.

It's hard not to pick at them to get them off and if I do, they
hurt even more!

I'd like to know why they happen and how to stop them.

Thanks-

My family and I are planning a beach vacation, and it seems every year one of us is stung by a jellyfish or bitten by sand mites (is that even the right term?).

What should I pack as first aid treatment as a precaution?

Allow me to be your poster child for what not to do when outside.

I'm the first to advise all to wear sun screen, not to sunbathe in direct sunlight with no protectant and to generally avoid prolonged exposure to the sn.

So off I trot, out to our deck having slathered my kids in a very high factor sunscreen about 15 minutes before hand. The huge umbrella is up and I sit beneath it, watching my children splash in their little pool. A couple of hours and a nice lunch later, I put everyone down for naps and continue my day.

I have melasma, or what is sometimes called 'mask of pregnancy' or 'pregnancy mask'.

I got it in my third pregnancy and my OB/GYN told me it would probably go once I gave birth. 'Probably' being a key word! Nearly two years later it is still here.

Melasma is a tan or brown patch that women often get in pregnancy (although men can get it too) and can be made worse by sun exposure. It's usually on the face, particularly the cheekbone and forehead area. That's exactly where I have mine. Some women do not lose the melasma after birth and I'm one of them.