4 Hair Changes A Dermatologist Would Never, Ever Ignore

Posted on 22/09/2025 by Boris Clair

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about the signs lymphoma doctors and GPs would never ignore.

These include rapid weight loss, constant exhaustion, and recurring headaches – stuff many of us might disregard as “normal”.

But what about hair changes, which can be literally and figuratively brushed off as not a big deal?

Well, Dr Jonathan Richie, a dermatologist at Dermatology Specialists of McKinney shared four things he’d never ignore when it comes to his hair on YouTube Shorts.

These are:

1) An itchy scalp

“Don’t ignore” an itchy scalp, the dermatologist said.

This could be a sign of dandruff, ringworm, hives, lice, scalp psoriasis or dermatitis, an allergic reaction to your hair products, and (rarely) issues with your nerves.

And even itchiness caused by not washing your hair could point to scalp inflammation and irritation, which may, in turn, eventually contribute to hair loss.

2) Losing more than 200 hairs a day

Per the dermatologist, losing up to 200 hairs a day is completely normal.

But “if it’s more than that, you’ve got to get it checked – there may be something more serious going on”.

The 200-a-day figure is standard for thicker hair, the Cleveland Clinic writes, but for thinner strands, 50-150 hairs is more expected.

Either way, dermatologist Dr Wilma Bergfield said: “If you continue to shed long after you’ve shampooed or you suddenly find it all over your clothes, that could signal a problem”.

Issues like stress, hormonal changes, or thyroid or nutritional disorders may cause this.

3) Starting to get patches of complete baldness

New patches of complete baldness are worth solving as soon as you can, Dr Richie said, because “if it’s there too long, sometimes it can become permanent”.

These are sometimes caused by an autoimmune condition called alopecia areata, the second most common cause of hair loss.

This can often be treated with medication.

4) Changes to your hair texture

The doctor “wouldn’t ignore” changes in the texture, including the “waviness,” of hair.

This can change due to natural ageing, but it can also be down to androgenic alopecia, which leads to thinner hair with less volume.

It may also sometimes be linked to thyroid issues.

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People Are Ignoring Signs Of Pancreatic Cancer. Could You Spot Them?

Posted on 03/11/2021 by Boris Clair

A leading charity is worried by the number of people who would put off seeking help for symptoms of pancreatic cancer.

A new survey conducted by Savanta Comres on behalf of Pancreatic Cancer UK found that 31% of people would delay seeking help for longer than usual because of the pandemic.

It also revealed that 28% of people would wait for around three months before seeking help when showing common symptoms of pancreatic cancer. Another 22% said they wouldn’t feel confident recognising jaundice – one of the key symptoms.

Other symptoms for pancreatic cancer include:

Back pain
Indigestion
Stomach pain
Weight loss

The charity said anyone should seek help from a GP if these common symptoms persist for more than four weeks.

But anyone with jaundice – yellowing of the skin or eyes – should seek help from A&E as soon as possible as it is one of the “red flag” symptoms of the disease.

Around four in five people who have pancreatic cancer are diagnosed when the cancer is at a late stage which means they’ve missed out on a chance of life-saving treatment.

Half of those with the disease die within three months of diagnosis, Pancreatic Cancer UK said. Each year more than 10,000 people are diagnosed with the disease. But early detection gives people better odds of survival, so the charity is urging the public to seek care if they have any symptoms.

Diana Jupp, chief executive of Pancreatic Cancer UK, said: “It is hugely worrying to hear that so many people would put off seeking help for so long. Pancreatic cancer has not gone away because of Covid-19 and I would urge anyone with persistent, unexplained symptoms to use the NHS.

“There is no time to wait with pancreatic cancer. Thousands of people a year are told it’s too late, that nothing can be done for them. It is vital that people are diagnosed as early as possible to give them the best chance of having life-saving treatment.”

Dame Cally Palmer, director of the NHS Cancer Programme, said: “This research confirms what we know – many people could be risking their lives by putting off medical attention for symptoms that could be cancer, even though it’s vitally important that cancer is discovered at an earlier stage, when it’s easier to treat.

“The NHS is open and ready to treat people with potential cancer symptoms, and cancer referrals and diagnosis are back to pre-pandemic levels – so, whether you or a loved one has a routine appointment, or a potential cancer symptom, please don’t delay and come forward to get yourself checked.”

Grunting And Nasal Flare: 7 Symptoms Of Covid In Under 18s

Posted on 23/03/2021 by Boris Clair

Grunting, nasal flare and poor appetite have been listed as additional symptoms of Covid-19 in children and young people under the age of 18.

Throughout the pandemic, the NHS has listed the main symptoms of coronavirus in children as: a high temperature; a new, continuous cough; and a loss or change to sense of smell or taste.

But a new guideline from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) sheds more light on additional symptoms of the virus children and teens may experience.

NICE, which offers advice and information services to health, public health and social care professionals including the NHS, has published a single guideline – sort of like a ‘one-stop shop’ for Covid information – for the management of Covid-19 in both children and adults.

A NICE spokesperson tells HuffPost UK previous guidance about Covid-19 symptoms only covered adults over the age of 18, whereas the new guideline includes young people and children.

“The symptoms listed for children are not new symptoms but are recognised in peer reviewed studies,” they explain. “This evidence was examined by the guideline panel and brought into our overall guideline so that the information is all in one place for clinicians.”

They noted that, as with other areas in this guideline, it may evolve over time as additional evidence emerges.

The guideline is for health and care practitioners, and those involved in planning and delivering services. In it, NICE lists additional symptoms of Covid-19 that can present in children and young people under the age of 18.

These include:

Grunting. This sound can be heard each time they exhale and can be a sign of respiratory distress in children.
Nasal flare. In babies especially, enlargement of the nostrils during breathing can also be a sign of respiratory distress.
Nasal congestion.
Poor appetite.
Gastrointestinal symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhoea, nausea or vomiting.
Skin rash.
Conjunctivitis.

Children and young people are likely to feel much better in a week if their symptoms are mild, reads the guidance, however if their symptoms worsen, parents are advised to contact NHS 111 online.

The presence of symptoms such as fever, rash, abdominal pain, diarrhoea or vomiting may indicate paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome (PIMS), the guidance states, which is a more serious issue and requires urgent medical help.

As it stands, parents can only access PCR tests on the NHS for their children if they experience one or more of the three classic Covid symptoms. Children who are asymptomatic – meaning they have no symptoms – are able to have lateral flow tests as part of the return to school, in a bid to try and reduce the spread of Covid even more. It’s thought one in three people are silent carriers of the virus.

Dr Paul Chrisp, director of the Centre for Guidelines at NICE, said he hopes the information hub will support healthcare professionals caring for patients unwell with Covid-19.

“The pandemic has driven new collaborative and international ways of working, and by sharing high-quality evidence with our colleagues around the world we have been able to develop this guidance more quickly,” he said.

“By keeping abreast with the latest evidence, we hope to identify which guidance needs updating more efficiently.”

NICE’s new guideline also lists the key signs of severe illness in Covid patients more generally, which include:

Severe shortness of breath at rest or difficulty breathing.
Reduced oxygen saturation levels measured by pulse oximetry. Oxygen saturation levels below 94% for adults – or below 88% for adults with known type 2 respiratory failure – can help identify people who are seriously ill. In children who are resting, anything below 91% would also warrant medical help.
Coughing up blood.
Blue lips or face.
Feeling cold and clammy with pale or mottled skin.
Collapse or fainting.
New confusion.
Becoming difficult to rouse.
Reduced urine output.

Four Symptoms GPs Want People To Get Checked Immediately

Posted on 23/10/2020 by Boris Clair

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