Common shaving myth debunked

DEAR DR. ROACH: I'm a 48-year-old, athletically fit man with excessive body hair on my back, chest and arms. I see that the younger generation of men at the gyms, pools and beaches seem to all groom (shave) their body hair for better appearance. I started trimming down but have not fully shaved. My concern is whether, when you cut hair, it grows faster. When I'm in my upper 60s or 70s and decide to stop, will my body hair grow to 4 inches long? Does your body hair continue to grow at a normal rate when you're older, or does it slow down? Please advise. – M.C.

ANSWER: No, it's a myth that cutting or shaving hair makes it grow faster. It certainly might seem to come in more coarsely, since the cut hair under the surface of the skin is thick. But there is no effect on hair growth. Hair growth rates stay roughly the same throughout adulthood.

I am aware that the current trend is for hairless-appearing skin. However, I see a lot of people with infections from shaving. If you do shave, use plenty of mild shaving cream or gel, always use a new, sharp razor, and use a soothing aftershave cream or lotion to help close the pores after shaving.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am an 86-year-old male in good health. I take a 40-mg simvastatin and a 150-mcg levothyroxine. I exercise three times a week — one hour with weights and one hour of aerobics (elliptical and treadmill). On the treadmill, I go from a speed of 3.5 for 25 seconds to 6.0 for 25 seconds. My heart rate goes from 89 to 170 (sometimes 165 to 178) but drops back to about 89 when I return to the slower speed. I have heard that your exercise heart rate should be 212 minus your age times 80 percent. That would be 101. Does my 170 for 25 seconds sound OK? – E.N.W.

ANSWER: No, that sounds too fast for an 86-year-old. The formula you mention is one frequently stated, and it isn't particularly accurate, since there is a great deal of individual variation. But 170 is very fast for an 86-year-old. I wonder if it's accurate. A pulse monitor, using electrical impulses, is the most accurate, but even these can be fooled by electrical interference. If it really is so fast, I would worry about an exercise-induced tachycardia, and a visit to your doctor or cardiologist would be a good idea, especially if you are having symptoms of chest discomfort or shortness of breath.

DEAR DR. ROACH: Do peanuts (which are not nuts, but legumes) afford the same health benefits as nuts? – A.

ANSWER: Most of the studies showing benefits of nuts included peanuts as well. Peanuts probably have the same benefits as tree nuts.

Unfortunately, many people are allergic to nuts, and many to peanuts. Those people can't get the benefits of eating nuts, as it is unsafe, even life-threatening on occasion.

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have been diagnosed with essential tremor. Propranolol 10 mg has not helped. Sometimes I can write and eat with no shaking, but other times the shaking is so bad that the food falls off the fork or I cannot read my printing or writing. If I drink a beer, it seems to relax me enough that in 5 minutes I can write or eat quite normally nearly every time. I've been told that it doesn't appear to be Parkinson's. Any suggestions will be enormously appreciated. – J.N.

ANSWER: Essential tremor, sometimes called benign familial tremor, is common. Often, one has a family history of tremor. It is not Parkinson's disease; however, it isn't always "benign" in that, for some people, it can be disabling, preventing a person from not only writing, but, as in your case, activities of daily living such as eating.

Alcohol has long been known to reduce the tremor temporarily, but it must be taken cautiously, since regular use will diminish its effectiveness, requiring higher doses for effectiveness — and, as I have written many times, excess alcohol is a major cause of many medical problems. Occasional use with meals is reasonable.

Other effective treatments for essential tremor include anti-epilepsy medications such as primidone, gabapentin and topiramate. Unfortunately, all of these can have side effects, so they are best prescribed by an expert, such as a neurologist who specializes in movement disorders.

For serious essential tremor not responsive to medications, deep brain stimulation (via electrodes placed surgically) is effective.

DEAR DR. ROACH: My mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2009, and she is taking Namenda and Aricept to help slow the advancement of the disease. I am writing because she complains of being cold all the time. She and my father keep the temperature in their house at 80 degrees, and my mother wears winter clothes, a coat and a blanket in the house. She sometimes sweats through the clothes, but we can't persuade her to remove any layers. The house is uncomfortably hot for anyone else, and yet she says she is cold.

Her general practitioner has said that this is part of her disease. Is there anything else you have heard of that could explain this? – C.L.

ANSWER: I have seen a lot of people with dementia of all kinds, but I haven't personally seen this degree of intolerance to cold. Her doctor may have more experience than I do, but I didn't find much about it written in the medical literature. Every person is different, and it's possible this is just part of how the dementia is affecting her.

However, cold intolerance to this degree suggests some alternate possibilities. The most important and likely is low thyroid levels, which can also cause a condition that looks like dementia and would certainly make dementia worse. I bet her doctor has checked for it. If not done recently, she should have her thyroid level checked.

Other, less-common causes include Addison's disease (inability to make appropriate amounts of steroid hormones), iron deficiency, anemia from any cause and severe malnutrition.

Dr. Roach regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but will incorporate them in the column whenever possible. Readers may email questions to [email protected]. To view and order health pamphlets, visit rbmamall.com, or write to Good Health, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803. (c) 2016 North America Synd., Inc. All Rights Reserved