Skin issues to consider, Vit D, Melanoma, White patches, scalp issues

Being summer and more skin exposed and shorter hair, new braids, etc.... some skin issues may come up for our kids.  I just want to give some links and ideas about some of them.

1. Vit D.
Yes our kids need vitamin D. We all do. There are many schools of thought out there. I would say that it would be well worth your time to have your child's vit D levels checked and ask the doctor about a reasonable supplement. It is hard to get all we need just from sun. Various factors involved in that are ideas about the angle of the sun, where on the body or eyes is the most absorption, etc. Time in the sun, season, and much more. It gets complicated and even when we think we are getting sun exposure.... we end up deficient. If you are interested in this you can check out this article: Vitamin D Council.

2. Melanoma.
This goes with the vit D issue in that it is related to sunscreen, long sleeves, hats and sunglasses.... and sun exposure. While there are fewer cases of melanoma skin cancer in persons of African descent, there are fewer cases among them that have recovery stats. than those of European descent persons. So, block up.
You can read about that here: http://www.skincancerinfoline.com/skin-cancer-african-americans.html

3. Scalp issues:
OK, we know many of our kids come home with ring worm on the body and scalp. What we don't often consider is that sometimes a strep or staph infection can go along with that and persist even after the scalp ringworm is long gone, these occur when there has been scratching, lack of good hair hygiene, dirty conditions, impure water, etc. along with the tinea scalp fungus. This is usually seen in scaly patches that can be yellowish and may often ooze. Check it out: Strep follicultis, staph infections,

There is also a dermatitis of the scalp that can be seen and is itchy and annoying.  Another site that has good info on a variety of scalp issues is here at Health Hype. A whole web site dedicated to hair disease! Who knew.

4. White Patches on the face or body.
There are a lot of things that could cause this. Ring Worm, other fungus like Tinea versicolor, vitaligo or excema, or just regular old dry skin. If a great lotion or cream does not help your child then consider some of the other options. Check the links for more info. Another skin irritant causing white bumps on the skin is Psoriasis. Impetigo is a skin issue but also a hair follicle issue worth checking out. This is a great article that discusses many different skin irritants and is useful for ruling out or identifying possible irritants for the Dr. to check out.

Please post comments with more links and other ideas on these issues.
Thanks.