Your skin tell a lot about your health. By just looking at someone's skin, one can tell if they are sick, unhappy, or completely healthy. This is because whatever happens inside, reflects on the outside, on your skin. But there are ways to take care of your skin otherwise and it always does not mean expensive products or complicated routine. A basic skincare regimen includes cleansing, moisturizing, and sunscreen. Beyond this, good food with enough nutrition, regular exercise, sufficient sleep and stress management too is the key.

Here's all you need to know about skincare:

Who all need skincare?

Despite what social media tells you, children do not need fancy skincare products. The best approach for them is, once they start approaching the pre-puberty time, they keep their skin clean and use a non-comedogenic moisturizer if necessary. For children with eczema or other skin conditions, following a doctor-recommended routine is important.

Fighting Acne

Everyone experience acne at some point, especially during puberty. The best hack is to use oil-free products like benzoyl peroxide that can help control breakouts. If acne are causing scars, it is best to first take advise from your doctor and only then apply something else. A treatment usually takes up three-months to finally show results, therefore before considering alternatives a three-month window must be given.

When Should you start using anti aging products?

Again, social media here tells you to use it as soon as possible. But did you know that using anti aging products early will not help prevent wrinkles? A simple routine with a good sunscreen is often the best approach. Those in their mid-to-late 20s may consider introducing a mild retinol product, but factors like sun exposure and individual skin needs play a role in determining the right time to start.

What Ingredients Work?

Certain ingredients have proven beneficial, these are:

• Retinol for skin renewal
• Sunscreen for preventing premature aging

There may be many trendy ingredients like hyaluronic acid, however, not necessarily does it penetrate the skin deeply, but instead it helps retain moisture on the surface. Expensive doesn’t always mean better—affordable products often work just as well.

Do's and Dont's

Be Cautious: It is important that you be cautious when you use new products. Before introducing a new product, always take a patch test, especially for sensitive skin. For instance, retinol should be used only in small amounts a few times a week to prevent dryness. However, if it creates irritation, you can reduce usage, or switch to a milder formation.

Popping Pimples: This could lead to scarring and worsen inflammation, this is when spot treatments with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide could help. Also consider using face wash.

Use Sunscreen: Remember, sunscreen is a skincare essential! It also reduces the risk of skin cancer and prevent sun-induced aging. It is always best to apply a sunscreen with an SPF 50+. Remember to always go for a cream over spray and reapply every two hours.

Moles: Keep an eye on your moles. Though, mostly they are harmless, but if the size, shape, or color changes, then you must go see a doctors. While most moles are harmless, some could turn into cancer.

Lifestyle Changes: What really does well for your skin is when you start eating a healthy diet, rich in whole foods, healthy fats and variety of plants. Moreover if you are smoking, it accelerates aging and reduces blood flow to skin. Thus make these changes to make your skin radiant.

Cancer is often feared as a silent disease, but in many cases, the body does give early warning signs. The challenge is that these signals are either ignored, misunderstood, or detected too late.

A large number of cancer cases are diagnosed at advanced stages—not because symptoms were absent, but because they were overlooked or diagnosis was delayed.

Understanding the early signs and the reasons behind delayed detection can help save lives.

Speaking to HealthandMe, Dr Siddharth Sahai, Director & Unit Head - Medical Oncology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Dwarka, shared seven signs of cancer that should not be neglected.

1. Unexplained weight loss

Losing weight without trying—especially more than 4–5 kilos in a short time—can be an early sign of cancers such as stomach, pancreas, or lung cancer.

2. Persistent fatigue

Feeling unusually tired despite adequate rest could signal underlying issues like blood cancers or colon cancer. This kind of fatigue does not improve with sleep.

3. Changes in bowel or bladder habits

Chronic constipation, diarrhea, blood in stool, or changes in urination patterns should not be ignored. These may point toward colorectal, bladder, or prostate cancer.

4. A lump or thickening in the body

Any new lump—especially in the breast, neck, or underarms—needs medical evaluation. Not all lumps are cancerous, but it’s important to rule it out early.

5. Persistent cough or hoarseness

A cough lasting more than 2–3 weeks, or voice changes, could be early signs of lung or throat cancer, especially in smokers.

6. Unusual bleeding or discharge

Bleeding between periods, after menopause, blood in urine, or unusual discharge can be warning signs of cancers such as cervical, uterine, or bladder cancer.

7. Non-healing sores or skin changes

Sores that do not heal, changes in moles, or new skin growths could indicate skin cancer or oral cancer (especially in tobacco users).

Also read: New Breast Cancer Guidelines Recommend Mammograms Every Two Years for Women

Why Cancer Diagnosis Often Gets Delayed

Dr Sahai also mentioned six common causes of delayed cancer diagnosis

Factors that contribute to late detection include:

1. Lack of awareness

Many people are not aware that these symptoms could be linked to cancer. They often dismiss them as minor issues like acidity, infection, or weakness.

2. Ignoring symptoms due to busy lifestyles

In both urban and rural settings, people tend to delay doctor visits due to work commitments, family responsibilities, or simply hoping the problem will resolve on its own.

3. Fear and denial

The fear of being diagnosed with cancer leads many individuals to avoid medical consultation. Denial becomes a major barrier, especially when symptoms are mild initially.

4. Limited access to healthcare in some areas

In smaller towns and rural regions, access to diagnostic facilities and specialists is still limited. This leads to delays in proper testing and referrals.

5. Financial constraints

Concerns about the cost of investigations and treatment often prevent timely medical attention. Many patients wait until symptoms worsen significantly.

6. Misdiagnosis or delayed referral

In some cases, early symptoms may mimic common illnesses. Without timely screening or specialist referral, diagnosis can be delayed.

The Importance Of Early Detection

Dr Sahai stressed that early detection significantly improves cancer outcomes. Most cancers, if identified in the initial stages, are treatable and even curable. The key lies in listening to your body and acting without delay.

Simple steps like regular health check-ups, cancer screening (such as mammography, Pap smear, or oral screening), and timely consultation can make a crucial difference.

Ignoring symptoms may seem convenient in the short term—but early action can save not just time, but life itself.

Earlier this week, in shocking news, an investigative BBC report showed that more than 330 children in Pakistan have contracted HIV due to the reuse of syringes in a hospital in Pakistan’s Punjab.

The incident captured on camera was filmed over 32 hours inside THQ Taunsa Hospital in late 2025 and showcased persistent unsafe practices, including the reuse of syringes on multi-dose vials, and other unhygienic practices at the healthcare facility.

In an interview with HealthandMe, Dr Ishwar Gilada, the President Emeritus of the AIDS Society of India, spoke about how reusing needles raises health risks.

The Mumbai-based top infectious disease expert noted that the risk of HIV transmission is much less for reused syringes and that the risk is potentially higher for hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

Dr. Gilada, the only Indian serving on the International AIDS Society (IAS) Governing Council, also stressed that the probability of transmission may vary depending on factors such as viral load and the amount of blood present. However, the danger is never zero, he said, stressing the importance of safe and single-use injection practices critical in every healthcare setting.

Risks Of Reusing Syringes

Dr Gilada noted that all the transfusion-transmissible infections can be transmitted, albeit with lesser chances than blood transfusion.

Other than HIV, it can raise the risk of several infections, including:

• Hepatitis B,
• Hepatitis C,
• Syphilis,
• Malaria,
• Ebstein-Barr virus infection,
• Tetanus infection,
• Septicemia,
• Bacterial endocarditis.

Importantly, Dr. Gilada stated that even a tiny amount of infected blood can cause transmission.

However, there is a simple principle in microbiology - the chances of transmission are directly proportional to the inoculum.

"The higher the inoculum, the more the chances. Lower inoculum lowers the risks, but the odds are not zero," the expert added.

Does HIV Spread Through Reused Syringes? How?

Dr Gilada said that the chances of infections are usually through freshly used needles.

"In the needle that was used 15-20 minutes earlier, the blood clots in the bore of the needle. Usually, a drop of blood remains in used needles due to 'capillary action'.

"When the same needle is pricked in the new patient, that drop gets mixed with his/her blood by 'surface tension'. The chance of getting HIV infection through such a mix-up is around 0.1per cent if the previous person had HIV," the expert said.

However, he added that "it will also depend on the HIV viral load of the source person. Those with high viral load can lead to higher chances, but if the source person is on ART and is virally suppressed, the chances are near zero".

Also read: Why India Must Shift Towards Prophylaxis Care For Hemophilia

How Can One Prevent?

Dr. Gilada said that prevention is only through good hygiene practices, such as:

• Using spirit to wipe the body part to be injected,
• Needles should be disposed of in impervious containers.
• The containers should be disposed of in local municipal facilities
• Recycling of any type of needles should be a strict no.

Amid the growing burden of hypertension and related heart disease in India, a team of experts has suggested switching to potassium-enriched low-sodium salt substitutes (LSSS).

In India, more than 1 in 4 people have hypertension, and cumulatively, more than 90 per cent of adults with hypertension are either undiagnosed, untreated, or treated but live with uncontrolled hypertension. This burden needs to be tackled on an urgent basis

In view of this, experts from clinical medicine, public health, and nutrition released a consensus statement recommending potassium-enriched LSSS as an effective intervention to reduce hypertension and cardiovascular disease in India.

Current estimates show that Indians consume between 8 and 11 grams of salt (equivalent to 3.2–4.4 grams of sodium) per day, nearly double the WHO’s recommended limit of 5 grams (2 grams of sodium).

High sodium intake is a key driver of elevated blood pressure. At the same time, potassium plays a complementary role by helping counteract sodium’s effects—yet potassium intake in India remains below optimal levels.

With nearly 80 per cent of sodium intake in India coming from salt added during cooking at the household level, experts emphasized that interventions focused on reducing salt use at home can have the greatest impact.

“High-quality research shows India’s high sodium and low potassium intake is a key driver of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Low-sodium salt substitutes address both—cutting sodium and restoring potassium, which is key to lowering blood pressure. With no change in taste and appropriate safeguards, this is a safe, scalable solution for India’s NCD prevention strategy,” Prof. Vivekanand Jha, Executive Director of The George Institute for Global Health India.

What Is A Low-sodium Salt Substitute? How Can It Boost Heart Health?

The low-sodium salt substitutes are composed of approximately 70–75 per cent sodium chloride and 25–30 per cent potassium chloride. It reduces sodium intake while increasing potassium consumption, thereby helping to lower blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular risk.

The World Health Organization (WHO), in January 2025, released guidelines recommending potassium-enriched salt to combat hypertension and related heart risks.

The WHO's guideline suggests using K-salt or potassium chloride instead of regular table salt, rich in sodium. It may reduce noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and chronic kidney disease by lowering blood pressure.

Also read: Two Potassium-Rich Foods That Could Lower Blood Pressure Better Than Cutting Salt

It also lowers the risks of other conditions associated with high sodium intake, such as gastric cancer. As per the WHO, every year 80 Lakh people die due to poor diet. Of these, 19 lakh deaths are attributable to high sodium intake.

These alternative salts contain less sodium than regular salt and often include potassium chloride (KCl), with or without other agents, to achieve a flavor similar to regular salt.

Evidence shows potassium - enriched low-sodium salt substitutes are a practical, effective, and scalable solution. The new consensus also marks an important shift from evidence to action, aligned with the Government of India’s commitment to reduce population-level salt intake.

India has committed to a global goal of reducing the average population level sodium intake by 30 per cent by 2030 to help prevent and control non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

Is Potassium Salt Safe?

While the WHO guidelines urged people to partially replace table salt with potassium, concerns have been raised about the safety of LSSS that contain potassium, because too high a level of blood potassium (hyperkalemia) may be harmful, especially to individuals with impaired kidney function.

Experts noted that potassium is safe for most people, including many with early-stage kidney disease, but maintained that caution is primarily necessary for individuals with advanced stages of kidney disease or when potassium levels are already high.

"While we have enough scientific data supporting the benefits of Low-Sodium Salt Substitutes, the evidence-to-action gap must be closed by treating LSSS as a ' dietary vaccine' to treat hypertension. It is the 'low-hanging fruit' of cardiology, a passive intervention that provides 24/7 cardiovascular protection without requiring patients to actually sacrifice the taste of their traditional diet," said Prof. Ambuj Roy, Department of Cardiology, AIIMS, New Delhi.

Also read: Pink Salt vs White Salt: What Difference Does It Make?

Dr. Sandeep Mahajan, Professor, Nephrology, AIIMS, New Delhi, added, “The potential risks of low-sodium salt substitutes are often overstated relative to their population-level benefits. While a small subset of patients—particularly those with advanced kidney disease or on specific medications—require caution, this group is clearly identifiable and can be guided through simple screening and labelling measures".

The expert noted that "nearly 90 per cent of the population can safely benefit from this intervention".

The Consensus recommends priority actions such as:

• Policy integration: Include potassium-enriched LSSS in national sodium reduction strategies, hypertension and NCD guidelines, and update FSSAI standards to enable the safe, widespread use of potassium-enriched LSSS as edible salt.

• Focus on everyday use: Prioritise replacing regular salt with potassium-enriched LSSS in homes and in government nutrition programmes and institutional kitchens, while requiring food industry reformulation to use potassium-enriched LSSS in high salt packaged foods and restaurant meals.