Q. I just read the question posed to you about removing petroleum jelly from hair and have a solution. As a child, my mom and her best friend convinced me to let them put huge quantities of Vaseline in my hair. After all, I was being a monster for Halloween and I’d be scarier with crazy hair!
I spent the next two days in tears while they shampooed my hair with everything from dish soap to Boraxo. Finally someone suggested “GOOP,” the garage mechanics’ hand soap. It may not have been the best hair treatment in the world, but it finally broke through the inch-thick layer of grease! Who says mother knows best?
A. Other families have reported that Goop or mineral oil will help work petroleum jelly out of hair. Most of them had put Vaseline on their children’s heads overnight (under a shower cap) as a last-resort treatment to smother lice.
Q. I am 46 years old and recently started to have erratic periods. My ob-gyn says that I’m nearing menopause and recommended a low-dose birth control pill.
Are oral contraceptives safer than hormone replacement therapy? I am concerned about blood clots and breast cancer. I occasionally suffer from menstrual migraines and worry that hormones might make them worse.
A. Most birth control pills contain estrogen and progestin, similar to the ingredients in hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Even a low dose oral contraceptive has more of these hormones than HRT, so it’s hard to say they are safer.
Women who suffer from migraines around the time of their periods may find that these become worse when they take birth control pills. The risks of breast cancer and blood clots are small but real.
For more information on the benefits and risks of hormones we are sending you our Guide to Estrogen. Anyone who would like a copy, please send $2 in check or money order with a long (no. 10) stamped (63 cents), self-addressed envelope: Graedons’ The People’s Pharmacy®, No. W-49, P. O. Box 52027, Durham, NC 27717-2027. It can also be downloaded for $2 from the Website: www.peoplespharmacy.com.
Q. Do any over-the-counter drugs raise blood pressure so that people with hypertension should avoid them?
A. There are some OTC medicines with this side effect. The best way to spot them is by reading labels carefully. There are warnings against taking oral decongestants (phenylephrine, pseudoephedrine) if you have high blood pressure. Pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen can interfere with the effectiveness of blood pressure medicine and should also be avoided (American Journal of Cardiology, Supplement 1, May 8, 2006).
Q. I am approaching my 60s and have worked outside most of my adult life. Every time I visit my dermatologist she burns many pre-cancerous spots from my face. She always advises me to use sunscreen.
I have an extremely oily face though the rest of my body is very dry. Can you recommend a sunscreen that will not feel greasy or make my face oilier?
A. With your history, you need a sunscreen every time you go outside. A gel or alcohol-based formulation should not feel oily. Some brands for you to consider include Coppertone Sport Gel, LifeGuard Sunscreen or PreSun Ultra Gel.
Even with sunscreen you should stay out of the sun between 10 am and 2 pm. Also wear a broad-brimmed hat to shield your face from ultraviolet radiation.
The People's Perspective on Medicine