Q I was told my baby girl had a small hernia above her belly button when she was born and that it would go away, but I can still feel a tiny gap and she is now over a year old.

Lexie

A A hernia is a defect in the abdominal wall, which can occur on the surface of the abdomen itself or in the groins. The concern with hernias is that bowel may slip through this and then not be able to pop back into the abdomen; which then becomes an emergency. It would be worth asking your routine GP to examine your daughter, but as she is very young and if the hernia is not causing a problem, they may advise that it will disappear as her abdominal muscles develop. Certainly most surgeons would be reluctant to operate on such a young child unless the defect was large and there was concern about bowel getting caught in it.

Q My hair is a lot thinner than it used to be. What should I do?

Tarek, 45

A Unfortunately hair loss is part of the ageing process, especially in males, and may even be seen as a sign of virility in popular culture. Unless you have patches of absolute hair loss on the scalp, or you are losing your eyebrows and pubic hair, it is very unlikely that it is due to an underlying disorder. Male pattern baldness is typically seen as thinning of the hair itself, a receding hairline and a bald patch at the back of the head. You can chose to embrace this and just get on with it, or there are shampoos available over the counter that encourage hair growth.

However it can take up to a year to notice any difference and the results tend to disappear once you stop using the shampoo. Hair transplant is not funded by the NHS and is still fairly expensive at this point and with variable success.

If you have a question for Dr Zak, you can email him at askdoctorzak@gmail.com, see his website doctorzak.co.uk or find him on Twitter @AskDoctorZak.

Dr Uddin’s advice is provided in good faith and in accordance with currently accepted evidence. However, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always seek the advice of a GP, or other qualified health provider, regarding a medical condition.