Dear Alice,

I've always wanted a keratin hair straightening/smoothing treatment, but I'm wondering if some of the health risks I've read about are worth the risk. Are some treatments better than others? Is there really an increased risk of cancer?

About six months ago, I experienced pain when urinating after having intercourse. Typically, I have pain/burning the first time I urinate after sex, but then the pain tends to go away or diminish. I am a 38-year-old male. I have no pain otherwise.

If a guy has jock itch, can it be passed on to a woman in the form of a yeast infection during sexual intercourse? I had intercourse with a guy and he had jock itch. A few days later I got a vaginal yeast infection. Could there be a connection?

I've been swimming a lot this summer and I have noticed a green tint to my blond hair. Is this caused by previous dyeing? Is it possible to remove the green tint? Thanks for your time.

I have dandruff that responds well to over-the-counter shampoo. Ergo, I have been using the stuff almost exclusively for ten years. No brand in particular, sometimes zinc pyrithione (the blue stuff!), sometimes coal tar (the smelly brown stuff!). Anytime I switch to non-dandruff shampoo for like three to four days straight, I get my dandruff back. I worry that I might be addicted to dandruff shampoo. Should I worry?