Shaving does not cause hair to grow back faster, darker or coarser. It is just a method of cutting the hair at the skin’s surface, according to the Dermatology Clinic at UAMS. Shaving has no effect on the part of the hair shaft below the skin surface, which is where growth and pigmentation occur. Although the […]
Medical Myths
Is Taking Fish Oil Tablets Good for Your Heart?
The belief that taking fish oil will protect you from heart disease and arthritis may just be a fish tale, according to Dr. J. L. Mehta, Stebbins Chair of Cardiology at UAMS. “There is experimental data showing that large amounts of fish oil constituents may reduce the chance of sudden cardiac death but evidence for […]
Is it Safe to Smoke Prior to Having Surgery, As Long As You Don’t Have More Than One Cigarette?
According to the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at UAMS, there is no safe minimum amount of smoking prior to surgery. Research shows patients that smoke have 10 times more surgical complications than a non-smoker. In addition, smokers that smoke between three to nine cigarettes a day have the same risk as those who who […]
Can a Sudden Shock, Such as a Sleeping Person Being Abruptly Awakened, Lead to Diabetes?
There is no evidence that any kind of shock, including being awakened from a sound sleep, can cause diabetes. “We have enough understanding of the means by which both type 1 and type 2 diabetes develop to know that a single episode of stress or fright cannot cause diabetes,” says Dr. Stephen Elbein, a professor […]
Can Sitting in Hot Water Have an Effect on a Man’s Ability to Reproduce?
You might want to rethink buying that hot tub if you’re planning to have children in the near future. According to Dr. Graham Greene, an associate professor in the UAMS Department of Urology, elevated water temperature can effect spermatogenesis, or the process of sperm formation. “I advise any male interested in fathering a child to […]