The sudden change in weather from winter to spring wrecked my skin. One moment, it was so clear and smooth; the next morning, my skin broke out with acne across my cheeks and forehead. The higher humidity left my skin oily, but also dry in spots. Regardless of how much I cleansed and moisturized, the acne did find a way to return. Frustrated and defeated, I went and spoke to my dermat who told me that changes in seasons disrupt the skin balance. With a few adjustments—changing to a mild cleanser, incorporating a hydrating serum, and applying SPF every day—my skin gradually adjusted. I now understand that seasonal skincare adjustments are equally crucial with your skincare routine.

As seasons change, so do your skin's requirements. Temperature changes, humidity levels, and environmental aggressors can make your skin dry, irritated, or even breakout-prone. While winter’s dry air can strip away moisture, summer’s humidity may increase oil production, making your skin feel greasy and congested. To maintain a radiant and healthy complexion year-round, adapting your skincare routine is crucial. Leading dermatologists, including Dr. Kiran Sethi, MD, an Integrative Aesthetic and Celebrity Skin Expert, emphasize the importance of seasonal skincare adjustments to keep skin balanced and glowing.

Your skin is your body's biggest organ, serving as a protective barrier against environmental elements such as extreme weather, pollution, and UV rays. Seasonal changes can interfere with this barrier, causing issues like dryness, irritation, and even long-term skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. For sensitive skin, seasonal changes can cause flare-ups, so it is even more important to adjust your skincare routine accordingly. Dermatologists are of the opinion that even people without existing skin problems can reap rewards from seasonal changes in skincare.

1. Apply a Mild Cleanser and Moisturize Daily

Cleaning is the key to any skincare regimen, but harsh cleansers can rob the skin of its vital oils, particularly when the weather becomes dry. Dr. Kiran Sethi suggests making the switch to a sulfate-free cleanser that contains moisturizing agents such as glycerin and aloe vera to wash away dirt without disrupting the skin's moisture barrier.

Hydration is also a necessity. Use a moisturizer that is packed with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and niacinamide, which all collaborate to seal in moisture, strengthen the skin barrier, and smoothen out the complexion. Moisturizing right after washing your face gives your skin an optimal absorption rate and long-lasting hydration.

2. Exfoliate and Boost with Vitamin C

Exfoliating is the key to smooth, glowing skin. Exfoliating once or twice a week using a gentle chemical exfoliant like glycolic or lactic acid can strip away dead skin cells and prevent dullness without irritating the skin. Exfoliating too much can deplete the skin's barrier function, so everything must be done in moderation.

Adding a vitamin C serum (ideally with 10–20% concentration) to your skincare routine can yield added skin-lightening benefits. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that fights free radicals and causes premature aging. Dr. Sethi recommends using those products that contain ferulic acid and vitamin E, as they increase the efficacy of vitamin C and help overall skin clarity.

3. Use Sunscreen Daily

Most individuals incorrectly assume that sunscreen is only needed in the summer. UV rays can pass through clouds and damage skin throughout the year. A broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or more, with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, is needed for everyday protection.

In colder weather, cream sunscreens provide extra hydration, keeping the skin from becoming dry and scaly. Reapply sunscreen every two hours outdoors to maintain the protection against damage from UV radiation and premature aging.

4. Advanced Skincare Treatments for Hydration and Firmness

For individuals who need a boost in their skincare regime with professional procedures, bio-remodeling treatments such as Profhilo provide intense hydration and enhanced elasticity. This new treatment makes use of ultrapure hyaluronic acid that stimulates the production of collagen and elastin and makes the skin smoother and firmer.

Another cutting-edge choice is hydrostretch therapy with Viscoderm Hydrobooster, which has stabilized hyaluronic acid to soften fine lines and deliver deep hydration from the inside out. These treatments, in conjunction with a robust daily skincare regimen, can effectively fight seasonal changes and keep skin healthy.

5. Fortify Your Skin's Barrier for Long-Term Protection

Your skin barrier is your first line of defense against cold weather, pollution, and allergens. Protecting it with the proper ingredients is key to having a robust, healthy-looking complexion.

Dr. Sethi suggests products with ceramides, peptides, cholesterol, and essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid. These ingredients synergistically strengthen the skin barrier, trapping moisture and keeping external irritants from damaging the skin. When the skin barrier is healthy, it is less prone to seasonal dryness, irritation, and breakouts.

While these tips from dermatologists are a good starting point for making your skincare routine seasonal, skincare is not a one-size-fits-all affair. Skin type, lifestyle, and local climate are factors that should affect your strategy. A dermatologist can assist you in customizing your routine to meet your individual concerns, yielding the best results year-round.

Dr Kiran Sethi, MD is a Integrative Aesthetic And Celebrity Skin Expert, Founder and Medical Director at Isya Aesthetics, New Delhi in India

Many women silently accept certain health issues as a normal part of life. However, many of these symptoms, such as painful menses and fatigue, can indicate underlying medical conditions that need attention. So, women shouldn’t neglect their health and seek timely help. Dr Payal Narang, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Motherhood Hospital, Pune, in an interview with Health and Me, spoke about the health problems that women often normalise, but that can become catastrophic in the long run.

Read more: Three Health Checks Every Woman Should Do Each Month, According To Experts

Women often juggle multiple responsibilities that include work, family, and household duties and neglect their own health. They are busy due to professional and personal life commitments and often fail to go for regular health check-ups. Moreover, they also experience menstrual problems and ignore symptoms such as painful periods, constant fatigue, heavy menstrual bleeding, and urinary leakage after childbirth. Women should consult a doctor instead of normalising these symptoms, which can delay diagnosis and treatment of important health issues. Paying attention to these signs and seeking medical advice can help women maintain better health and quality of life.

Concerning symptoms that women shouldn’t ignore at all

1. Painful menses that can interfere with the daily routine: Many women believe that severe menstrual pain is a natural part of having periods. Period pain is unavoidable. While mild cramps can be common, intense pain that interferes with daily activities may indicate conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids, or hormonal imbalance that need prompt treatment. Persistent pain should be evaluated by a doctor.
2. Fatigue: Feeling tired sometimes is normal, especially due to hectic schedules or traveling. However, constant fatigue that does not improve with rest may raise the chances of anemia, thyroid problems, nutritional deficiencies, or even stress. So, beware and pay attention to the symptoms.
3. Heavy menstrual bleeding: So, if bleeding lasts more than 7-8 days, requires frequent pad changes, or causes weakness and dizziness, it can be due to hormonal imbalance or fibroids. Heavy bleeding can also increase the risk of anemia if left untreated. So, address this problem with the help of an expert.
4. Urinary leakage after childbirth: Urinary leakage after childbirth is a concerning problem quietly accepted by women due to fear of being ridiculed, embarrassment, judgment, or shame. This can take a toll on the woman’s emotional well-being. She will avoid socializing due to the fear of leakage. It is commonly seen in a large number of women because of weakened pelvic floor muscles after childbirth. Various options, such as pelvic floor exercises, physiotherapy, and medical guidance, can help women to manage this condition and improve their quality of life.

Women, listening to the body, don’t just Google and try any remedies on your own. It is necessary to follow expert-recommended guidelines for tackling these problems.

Long considered a standard tool for assessing body weight, Body Mass Index (BMI) may not be as reliable as once believed. A new study shows that relying on BMI can incorrectly classify people as overweight or obese.

When a team of Italian researchers used the gold standard technique of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to measure body fat in the general population, they found that the traditional WHO-approved BMI classification system misidentified a significant number of people as having overweight or obesity.

How Is The BMI Wrong?

A total of 1,351 adults of mixed gender aged between 18 and 98 years were checked for their body weight using the DXA system.

The results, published in the journal Nutrients, revealed that more than one-third (34 percent) of those with obesity defined by BMI had been misclassified and should be in the overweight category.

For those with an overweight BMI, DXA showed that more than half – 53 percent – had been misclassified – three quarters of those misclassified fall into the normal weight category, while the other quarter should have been classified as having obesity.

The DXA analysis found that the prevalence of overweight and obesity across the cohort was around 37 percent overall (23.4 percent overweight, and 13.2 percent obesity, compared to 26.2 percent and 14.1 percent with BMI).

“In the past few years, there has been a lot of criticism of the BMI system due to its inability to accurately capture body fat percentage or distribution, to correctly categorise weight status based on adiposity,” said Professor Marwan El Ghoch, of the Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.

Also read: Your BMI Does Not Reflect Your Health: New Study Warns How It Misses A Key Health Aspect

Despite these concerns, BMI as a weight classification system continues to be used in the general population in primary healthcare (i.e., general practitioners) and non-clinical (i.e., policy and health insurance) settings, he added.

The researchers urged revising public health guidelines to consider combining direct body composition or their surrogate measures, such as skinfold measurement or body circumference, with the waist-to-height ratio, with BMI, while assessing weight status in the general population.

Waist-to-Height Ratio May Be More Accurate: The India Story

In January 2025, India revamped its obesity guidelines, and the new approach focused on abdominal obesity and comorbid diseases, rather than just BMI.

According to the redefining team, it was essential to move beyond BMI-only approaches to tackle the ever-growing number of people related to other major health risks. They stated that while BMI can be a screening tool, obesity must be defined by body fat.

“BMI should be used for screening purposes, but obesity should be confirmed ideally by a measure of body fat wherever feasible, or another measure such as waist circumference, WHR, or Waist-to-height ratio,” Dr. Naval Vikram, Professor of Medicine, at AIIMS, New Delhi, was quoted as saying to IANS at the time.

Also read: 41 million children aged 5-19 living with high BMI in India: Study

What Do The New Guidelines Say

It recognizes abdominal fat — closely linked to insulin resistance — as a key factor in the diagnosis. It integrates the presence of comorbidities — such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease — into the diagnostic process.

The revised guidelines also introduce a two-stage classification system, addressing both generalized and abdominal obesity.

Stage 1 Obesity: Increased adiposity (BMI > 23 kg/m²) without apparent effects on organ functions or routine daily activities.

Stage 2 Obesity: Advanced state of obesity with increased BMI more than 23 kg/2, and abdominal adiposity; excess Waist Circumference or Waist-to-Height Ratio.

Amanda Peet, the Hollywood actress known for roles in Something’s Gotta Give, The Whole Nine Yards, and Jack & Jill, recently opened up about her breast cancer diagnosis and how informing her kids about her health became the toughest part for her.

In a New Yorker essay published March 21, the 54-year-old actress announced how a routine scan in August 2025 showed an unusual ultrasound result. Later, a biopsy detected a tumor that “appeared” small.

The Dirty John star found to be in stage 1 of lobular cancer that is “hormone-receptor-positive” and “HER2-negative,” making her “happier than the pre-diagnosis” stage.

It is because Hormone-receptor-positive and HER2-negative cancer is less aggressive and often easier to treat than more aggressive forms of breast cancer.

However, informing her children, Frances, 19, Molly, 15, and Henry, 11, about the cancer was the toughest part for her, and she had to be in the right mindset before sharing the news with them.

“They've been great,” Peet told E! News.

“I definitely had to get myself together before including them. The hard part was realizing that nothing is certain and there was going to be no perfect time to tell them,” she added.

Peet stated that between her diagnosis, she had also been navigating a series of family health crises — with both of her parents' final months in hospice care.

The Your Friends & Neighbors actress, in her essay, also noted that she would “only need a lumpectomy and radiation,” not a double mastectomy.

Also read: Jane Fallon Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, This Is How She Caught It Early

What is Lobular Cancer?

Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC) the second most common form of breast cancer, representing 5 to 15 percent of breast cancer cases.

Rather than a distinct lump, it can appear as a thickening or "fullness" rather than a tumor.

It is often difficult to detect on mammograms, thus MRI or ultrasound are more effective for detection

It is usually hormone receptor-positive.

Also read: Olivia Munn’s Mom Diagnosed With Breast Cancer After Actor Urges Her To Take Risk Test; What Should You Do If Cancer Runs In Your Family?

What Is Hormone receptor-positive (HR+) and HER2-negative (HER2−) Breast Cancer

HR+ and HER2− breast cancer is the most common subtype and is seen among 60–75 per cent of cases.

It is not two different cancers, but rather specific, defining characteristics of the same cancer type (breast cancer). It grows:

• due to hormones estrogen/progesterone,
• lacks excess HER2 protein,
• it can occur in either or both breasts
• has a better prognosis
• slower growth rate
• often treated with hormone therapy and sometimes chemotherapy.

Why Early Diagnosis Matters for Breast Cancer

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), breast cancer screening is a proactive checkup used to find cancer before any physical signs or symptoms appear. While screening doesn’t prevent cancer, its goal is early detection, making the disease much easier to treat.

Since every person’s body and history are different, you and your doctor should engage in informed and shared decision-making. This means discussing the pros and cons to decide together if, and when, screening is right for you.

The US Preventive Services Task Force (a group of national medical experts) provides guidelines based on the latest research:

Average Risk

Women aged 40 to 74 should generally get a mammogram every two years.

High Risk

If you have a family history or other risk factors, your doctor may recommend a different schedule or additional tests.