大象传媒

Love Island鈥檚 Dr Alex may not have had the best of luck in the villa, but that hasn鈥檛 stopped him from continuing to be a fantastic A&E doctor.

We asked him to debunk some common health myths - some of them may surprise you!

  • 鈥淭he larger the surface area, the more heat loss鈥, says Dr Alex, so it鈥檚 actually a myth that you lose most of your body heat through your head.
  • An apple a day can help keep the doctor away, but 鈥渄on鈥檛 have too many apples because you鈥檙e going to rot your teeth and you鈥檒l have to see the dentist鈥, he says.
  • Don鈥檛 put toothpaste on the spot you鈥檝e just seen on your face, says Dr Alex. Not only does it not work, but toothpaste is actually bad for spots. The NHS advises you avoid using it to try and clear up acne as the chemicals in toothpaste can harm your skin.
  • The Love Island doctor insists you shouldn鈥檛 have to feel guilty for having a lazy Sunday, as lie ins are actually good for you. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to be able to have a day off every now and then. Sometimes you鈥檙e knackered and you just need to sleep.鈥
  • It is actually a myth that your muscles turn to fat when you stop exercising. Your muscles will shrink if they鈥檙e not stimulated, and fat stores will increase, but 鈥渙ne doesn鈥檛 turn into the other; they鈥檙e completely separate.鈥
  • Dr Alex says there鈥檚 no need to worry that your leg shaving routine is making your hair grow back at super-speed, as it鈥檚 a 鈥渃ommon misconception鈥 that shaving makes your hair grow faster.
  • Chicken soup can鈥檛 cure a cold. And that鈥檚 that.
  • Cracking your knuckles doesn鈥檛 cause arthritis, as it is just air bubbles popping in your synovial fluid which can be found in your joints, says Dr Alex (while cracking his knuckles).
  • Lastly, if you鈥檙e looking for cheap blonde highlights this summer, look no further than your fruit bowl, as lemon juice can help bleach your hair.

This article was published in January 2019

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