Dr S'lindile Ndwalane

Raised, itchy welts that appear suddenly and then seem to move around the body can be urticaria — commonly called hives.

One of the first questions people ask is: “What did I eat?”

Sometimes there is an identifiable trigger. But urticaria can also be associated with medicines, infections and physical triggers such as heat or pressure - and sometimes the cause isn’t immediately clear.

If hives keep returning, the answer isn’t always to keep eliminating foods or changing products. Understanding the pattern is an important part of understanding what may be happening.

World Urticaria Day was officially observed on 1 October, with the 2026 theme “Take Back Control – From Itch to Understanding.” Urticaria Day

📍 Stonehill Medical Centre, Edenvale
📞 011 452 5331 | 081 476 8703
✉️ [email protected]

Starting a new dermatology treatment? Here are five things I want you to know before you begin👩🏾‍⚕️

1. Know what you’re treating.
2. Give treatment time to work.
3. Be careful what you combine.
4. Know when to contact your doctor.
5. Consistency matters.

Most importantly, ask questions. You should understand what you’re using, why you’re using it and what you can reasonably expect from it.

Save this before starting your next treatment🤎

📍 Stonehill Medical Centre, Edenvale
📞 011 452 5331 | 081 476 8703
✉️ [email protected]

Scalp flaking can have several causes, including seborrhoeic dermatitis, psoriasis, eczema, contact dermatitis and simple dryness. Fungal infection is another possibility - but it is not the explanation for every flaky scalp.

And that matters because different causes need different management.

If you have been cycling through dandruff shampoos without improvement; particularly if there is itching, inflammation, pain or hair loss - it may be time to stop guessing.

Your scalp is skin too.

📍 Stonehill Medical Centre, Edenvale
📞 011 452 5331 | 081 476 8703
✉️ [email protected]

Heritage lives in so many places.

In our names. Our languages. The food we grew up eating. The clothes we wear. The music that feels like home. The stories our families tell - and the traditions we choose to carry forward.

And perhaps one of the most beautiful things about heritage is that it is never only about looking back. It is also about what we preserve, what we teach, and what the next generation will one day call theirs.

Today, I celebrate the richness of South Africa and the many cultures, histories and traditions that make us who we are. 🇿🇦

Happy Heritage Day, South Africa.

May we always know where we come from, while making room for who we are becoming.

A woman should be able to go for a run. Drive home. Walk to her car. Go to work. Meet friends. Simply live her life - without fear being the price of her freedom.

As we grieve the women whose lives have been taken in Ekurhuleni, and hold their families and loved ones in our thoughts, we must remember that these were not simply “bodies found.” They were women. They had names, families, plans and lives that mattered. Police are currently investigating the deaths of eight women found across Ekurhuleni, while cautioning that links between the cases have not yet been established.

Women deserve safe homes, safe streets, safe workplaces and safe public spaces.

Safety is not a privilege women should have to negotiate for. It is a right.

And no woman should have to make herself smaller, more cautious or less free simply to stay alive.

For World Atopic Eczema Day, I want to acknowledge the part of eczema we don’t always see in photographs.

The restless nights. The uncomfortable days. The treatment routines. The mental load of wondering what might trigger the next flare. And for parents, watching your child struggle with an itch you can’t simply make disappear.

Eczema care is about more than getting the skin to look better.

It’s about helping someone sleep better, feel more comfortable and have more good days. 🤍
If you or your child is living with persistent or recurring eczema, you don’t have to keep figuring it out alone.

📍 Stonehill Medical Centre, Edenvale
📞 011 452 5331 | 081 476 8703
✉️ [email protected]

This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalised care.

#ᴡᴏʀʟᴅᴀᴛᴏᴘɪᴄᴇᴄᴢᴇᴍᴀᴅᴀʏ #ᴇᴄᴢᴇᴍᴀ

Sometimes the prescription isn’t the difficult part.

Starting it is.

- “What if my skin gets worse?”
- “What about side effects?”
- “How long before I see a difference?”
- “What happens if it doesn’t work?”

These are reasonable questions.

Before starting treatment, understand what you’re treating, how to use your medication, what improvement may look like, which side effects to watch for and when you should come back.

And if something isn't clear - ask again.

You should never feel embarrassed about wanting to understand what you’re putting on or into your body.

What usually makes you nervous about starting a new treatment?

📍 Stonehill Medical Centre, Edenvale
📞 011 452 5331 | 081 476 8703

“Which is better - a peel or a laser?”

Neither, without context.

Chemical peels and lasers work differently, at different depths, and can be used for different concerns. Your skin tone, diagnosis, medical history, treatment goal and risk of pigmentation all matter when deciding what is appropriate.

Particularly in melanin-rich skin, the treatment should follow the diagnosis - not the trend.

Before choosing a procedure because you saw someone else’s results, ask:
What exactly am I treating?

That question can save your skin a lot of unnecessary trial and error.

📍 Stonehill Medical Centre, Edenvale
📞 011 452 5331 | 081 476 8703
✉️ [email protected]

Never seen a dermatologist before? Save this for your first appointment.

And please don’t feel that you need to arrive knowing the medical name for what is happening.
Explaining what you’ve noticed is enough. The diagnosis is our job.

📍 Stonehill Medical Centre, Edenvale
📞 011 452 5331 | 081 476 8703
✉️ [email protected]

🌸Sometimes a skin concern doesn’t suddenly become serious; we simply become used to living with it.

- The patch that keeps returning.
- The itch you’ve had for months.
- The mole that looks slightly different.
- The pigmentation that keeps changing.
- The scalp that is always irritated.

Your skin doesn’t need to be in crisis before it deserves attention.

This September, I want us to become a little more curious about our skin, hair and nails; particularly the changes we’ve quietly learnt to live with.

What’s something you’ve been meaning to ask a dermatologist about?

📍 Stonehill Medical Centre, Edenvale
📞 011 452 5331 | 081 476 8703
✉️ [email protected]