The poor misunderstood skin. Many people don't think of it as a living thing. They just think of it as an external "wrapping layer" for the body that keeps the inner organs from falling out. :) Well, in fact, the skin is very much alive and it's also the largest organ of the body...accounting for a full 12% of your weight. The skin performs several essential functions. "...the three that are by far the most important are the following: Protection of deeper tissues against drying and against invasion by pathogenic organisms or their toxins through a mechanical barrier

Few years ago the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Betaseron (interferon beta-1b) as the first and only agent for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). This approval was a beacon of hope for the more than 300,000 Americans who are afflicted with this central nervous system disease which usually first appears in young adulthood and which disables by causing problems with vision, strength, coordination, speech, bladder control, sensation, or other faculties governed by the eyes, brain, or spinal cord.

Medical experts continue to track the rise of malignant melanoma -- a type of deadly skin cancer that was once rare but is now increasing faster than any other type of cancer in the United States. Last year alone, more than 600,000 cases of skin cancer were reported. The good news is that death rates from skin cancer, including melanoma, are small -- 9 out of 10 cases are cured.

How much do you know about breast cancer? The answer is probably, "not enough." Because 182,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed every year in the United States, it's a subject worth learning about. Your health, your life, or the life of a woman close to you may depend on knowing a few simple facts:

Acne is a problem affecting many millions of individuals from all walks of life. Most commonly, the problem starts in the teen years with a second peak in young woman from the early twenties to the late thirties/early forties. Hormonal factors are a primary contributing factor. Stress often seems a factor in acne, with its impact likely mediated through the body's hormone system. Diet has not been substantiated as a contributing factor despite abundant rumors.

Certain cases of skin cancer pose difficulties because they are recurrent or located in cosmetically sensitive areas with little surrounding skin, such as the upper lip, nose, eyelids or ears. These cases lend themselves to the special type of surgery known as Moh's micrographic surgery. This outpatient procedure involves the removal of a thin horizontal disc of tissue that is deemed to be the smallest amount that could possibly remove the tumor. The piece of tissue is then examined under the microscope to look for the evidence of tumor cells on the edges of the sample.

Bronchitis is acute inflamation of the tracheobronchial tree, generally self -limited and with eventual complete healing and return to function. Though commonly mild, bronchitis may be serious in debilitated patients and in those with chronic lung or heart disease. Pneumonia is a critical complication. Causes

No, LASIK surgery is not 'too risky'. In fact, almost all the operations carried out at government institutions Singapore have been safe and successful, said the Health Ministry in December 7.

LIPECTOMY means removal of fat by surgery. In liposuction, the surgeon loosens and removes the fat from an area by using metal tubes connected to a suction machine or suction syringes. The suction tubes are usually made of stainless steel. The tips are blunt. The tubes have holes near the tip. The suction machines used for this purpose create powerful negative pressures. Liposuction was started in France in late 70's and since 1981 is extensively in practice in the United States, the U.K and other parts of the world.

Cosmetic breast surgery is used to correct certain types of disfigurement and underdevelopment of the breast. This can be done with or without a silicone breast implant but the latter from the cosmetic point of view seemed to be the method of choice for most women. For sometime now there has been speculation about the association between these implants and the occurrence of connective tissue diseases (CTDs) as well as other rheumatic conditions.