Ask the doctor: Nail infection and male baldness
Dr Dulcy Rakumakoe shares advice on reader questions.
Picture: iStock
Dear doctor, I have constant bleeding from my ear when I pick it with an ear bud?
Firstly, you need to stop putting anything inside your ear. The ear canal and middle ear are very sensitive and prone to injury when you insert things in them. Also, if your issue is wax in the ear, which might dry up and cause abrasion and bleeding, an ear bud might push the wax further in as well and cause complications.
Dear doctor, how do you stop recurring infected nails?
Infection on nails can be mostly fungal, but you also get bacterial and viral infections. Good hand care will prevent most infections. This includes keeping the nails short regularly and always washing your hands with soap and water.
People with conditions like diabetes and HIV, which compromise the immune system, are also at risk of recurrence. Taking medication as directed will reduce the risk.
Dear doctor, is there a cure for male baldness?
There are some prescribed medications that have been shown to work. One is a lotion called Minoxidil and the other is tablets called Finasteride. They are usually used for treatment of prostate enlargement, but have been shown to promote hair growth.
They are quite expensive and unfortunately have not been shown to work in everyone. And once you stop treatment, the improvement usually reverses.
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