Can daffodils have caused my sudden blooming itching?

Is it possible to be allergic to daffodils? Recently my hands are often itchy, and I've realised it tends to start after I've been putting them in a vase. It's never happened before, but is this something that can just start out of the blue?

- Dr Rosemary Leonard

A Compared to many other flowers, daffodils are generally considered 'allergy friendly' as they produce very little pollen, so symptoms such as a runny nose and asthma aren't commonly associated with them (though can occasionally happen). However, daffodil sap, the liquid found inside the stems, contains chemicals that can irritate the skin of some people, and contact with it can lead to very itchy, inflamed skin.

Though it's the hands most often affected, if you rub your face or your eyes with sap on your fingers you can get a rash there too. Many allergies start in childhood but they can start at any age and it does sound as if you have now become sensitive to daffodil sap. The answer is to wear gloves whenever you handle them, from cutting to arranging, to throwing away the vase water, and to be on the safe side, rinse the gloves and your hands afterwards.

Q When I was younger, I plucked my as to be really thin. But now I'd like thicker brows, but despite no plucking, they remain unfashionably thin. I've been using a pencil to make them look better, but it isn't the same as the real thing. Is there any way of stimulating them to re-grow?

A Over-plucking eyebrows can and eventually the hairs may stop growing, but the good news is that there is some evidence that 3% minoxidil lotion, which is marketed for improving hair loss on the scalp, may also to promote hair growth on the eyebrows.