Memories of the Covid pandemic to date and the outcome are still strong. As we head into the winter of 2022, there will be concerns but you can help yourself to stay healthy and contribute to wider needs.

Skin conditions choose to erupt in different places, or appear in varying forms depending on their location. Understanding the underlying reasons and structural differences is moving dermatology forward.

The importance of sound history taking and listening to patients is clear for two quite rare skin diseases. A need for better early diagnosis and the role the past plays in this does however apply to many conditions.

With early treatment so important, a life changing condition like psoriasis needs to be diagnosed as soon as possible. Research shows this is not always the case in primary care, with opportunities to increase knowledge and awareness.

Awareness of how conditions present on different skin colours has long been an issue in dermatology. See how initiatives are bringing change, from a book by a medical student, to actions from national bodies.

The British Skin Foundation worked with ITN to produce a campaign to help us to understand our skin. The changes life brings and that skin conditions are a fact of life but don’t define who we are.

Chatbots first emerged six decades ago but recent development in AI has seen them advance. Are they ready to cope with the complexity of human language and the human body, to take up medical duties.

Our skin is the basis of our thermoregulatory system but can need help during extremes, such as the temperatures we are to see in July 2022. See the steps to take and why this is an issue for people of all ages.

The Covid pandemic brought video apps to prominence but how about the reliability of apps built to diagnose skin conditions. See research to date and practical views on them replacing specialist diagnosis.

See a UV image which shows how the sun ages our skin, bringing wrinkling, blotchiness, liver spots and more. Treatment can set aside these signs, although prevention is the best answer and worth the time.