“Though scientific evidence is lacking, gold is thought to have powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties,” says Dr. Peterson Pierre, a dermatologist with the Pierre Skin Care Institute in Westlake Village, California.

Some makers of gold beauty products claim that gold flecks warm your skin to help with circulation. But most gold skin products are made with colloidal gold. These are nanoparticles suspended in liquid that are tiny enough to penetrate your skin.

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Viral challenges showing and encouraging kids to do things like the “skull breaker challenge” (depicting people tripping someone so they hit their head) has resulted in serious injuries.

It’s also proven to be a conduit for serious misinformation, said Dr. Peterson Pierre, founder of the Pierre Skin Care Institute in Thousand Oaks, California.

“Science has largely been replaced by popular opinion for a large portion of the population,” Pierre told Healthline. “With information overload and no way to properly assess it, people are being led astray.

“Millions of voices are now easily heard and everyone fancies themselves an expert, especially if they have millions of followers,” Pierre said. “Most of these individuals are posers with no formal training or experience in anything skin related.”

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To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the CDC recommends washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or, if they are not available, using a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Following that advice is essential, but “increased contact with irritants and allergens may increase the risk of hand dermatitis or ‘eczema.’ This commonly manifests on the skin with redness, dryness, cracks, and even blisters that cause itch or pain,” Caroline Nelson, M.D. a Yale Medicine dermatologist and instructor at Yale School of Medicine, tells Eat This, Not That! Health.

The Rx: “It’s important to not overdo the sanitizer and to moisturize after every use,” advises dermatologist Peterson Pierre, M.D., of the Pierre Skin Care Institute.

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“As we age, our brains shrink in volume, particularly the frontal cortex and hippocampus, areas involved in higher cognitive function and encoding new memories,” says Peterson Pierre, MD, a dermatologist in Thousand Oaks, California, and founder of the Pierre Skin Care Institute.

The Rx: “It’s important to keep the mind stimulated, and one of the best ways to do that is with the brain training app Lumosity,” says Pierre. “This app is personalized and trains key areas of your brain. Just a few minutes a day can help your mind stay sharp and can even help you improve in certain areas.”

When you’re over 40, you can’t ignore any chance to get physical exercise. And what’s easier than move your legs rhythmically to the sound of music? “Studies show that regular physical exercise can reverse the signs of aging in the brain with dancing having the most profound effect,” says Pierre. Dancing decreases risk of dementia, improves your balance, reduces stress and helps you lose calories–and last, but not least, makes you a socially attractive person.

The Rx: Next time you hear some music, show your moves.

“We all know that cardiovascular training is good for the heart and helps keep weight off, but weight training is just as important, maybe even more so,” says Pierre. “Weight training has been shown to have similar cardiovascular benefits and can actually reverse age-related muscle loss. It burns fat, exercises all your muscles, including your heart, lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow to the brain.”

The Rx: Aim to get 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week, including two strength-training sessions weekly.

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“In the eternal quest to lose weight, this symptom may be viewed as a blessing rather than a potential warning sign,” says Peterson Pierre, MD, a dermatologist in Thousand Oaks, California. “But this can be a problem, especially if accompanied by loss of appetite or changes in bowel habits. A number of cancers can present this way, including cancers of the esophagus, liver, colon and pancreas, as well as leukemia or lymphoma.”

The Rx: “It’s important to report these changes to your doctor as soon as possible to maximize your quality of life, treatment options and survival,” says Pierre.

Any changes in a mole or freckle, or the appearance of new moles, could be a sign of skin cancer. “Performing self exams regularly and reporting changes to your board-certified dermatologist could lead to early detection and save your life,” says Pierre.

The Rx: “To help with self exams, remember the acronym ABCDE when you’re assessing changes,” says Pierre. “A stands for asymmetry; B is for border changes; C is for color changes; D is for diameter changes, increase in size; and E is for elevation, vertical growth or evolution, a growth that has changed over time.” If you observe any of those, schedule a doctor’s visit ASAP.

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