DrSugar is in the house! This week she's answering a reader's question about cysts. Dear DrSugar, Recently I've been getting reoccurring, painful bumps in my armpits. I talked to my doctor about them, and she said they were most likely cysts, and as long as they go away, then I'm fine. I'm not concerned they're cancer or anything bad, but I'm just wondering if deodorants or antiperspirants can Read more

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions. Dear DrSugar, I'm 35 years old and have always had normal pap smears. The other day I went to my doctor for my annual pelvic exam. When my doctor was done she informed me that she had found a couple of cysts while performing my pelvic exam. My question is should I be worried about cancer and what kind of treatment is Read more

Cyst happens. Unfortunately for me, it happens at least twice a month: Seemingly overnight, a patch of formerly clear skin will erupt into a deep, painful, under-the-skin acne nodule that sticks around for weeks or months. It is as wonderful as you'd imagine. Some women experience this kind of acne with their menstrual cycle while others are genetically predisposed to developing it, but anyone Read more

Senior Editor Annie is embarking on Dr. Frank Lipman's two-week Cleanse to detox her system. No caffeine, sugar, bread, or booze allowed. Here's how it's going. Day one of the cleanse started out beautifully. I was motivated! I was taking control of my health! I was . . . hungry. Normally, I eat fruit and a hard-boiled egg before going to the office. On the detox, however, I was allowed only two Read more

DrSugar is in the house! This week she explains the pros and cons of using IUDs for birth control. To continue our ongoing series of gynecological topics, I have decided to write about intrauterine devices (IUDs) as a form of birth control. Even though I learned about IUDs through many outlets (sex ed in school, medical school), I decided to research them more thoroughly since the birth control Read more

Do acne treatments produce real results? The official verdict is in, and it's . . . iffy. According to a new study published in Lancet, acne treatments need better research. Researchers from the Centre of Evidence-Based Dermatology at the University of Nottingham have found that many trials of acne-battling products produce unreliable findings. "Almost half of recently published acne trials Read more

There are a lot of common beauty myths people are eager to disprove: drinking water makes your skin more moist, popping pimples makes them go away, etc. But there are some misconceptions that are just as pervasive and don't get nearly as much attention. To see if you've been deceived, just keep reading. Read more

Embracing Spring by adding some fresh fun colors into your everyday routine doesn't only apply to your workout wear, you can also extend it to your kitchen accessories! I just upgraded my standard white water filter to a bright royal blue pitcher, and I love the change — a little color goes a long way! Here are some stylish, high-rated water filters worth paying attention to. Culligan Read more

Ever since my naturopath introduced me to the wonderful world of castor oil packs, I've been hooked. Castor oil's healing properties go way back to ancient Egypt, where it was regularly taken orally as a laxative (which is now known to be toxic). Today, Chinese medicine, ayurvedic medicine, and naturopathy recommend castor oil packs because of their ability to promote healing and to reduce Read more