Leah is a highly experienced writer for magazines and national newspapers. Her specialist areas are health and wellbeing, family, education, psychology and lifestyle. She is also an effective copywriter and editor.
From late January, pharmacists will be allowed to treat new conditions, saving patients hours on the phone - and allowing GPs more time
Could testosterone therapy be the answer to reinvigorating your libido? Here's everything you need to know
Cancer waiting times are now among the worst on record in the UK. Here's what can you do if your diagnosis or treatment is delayed
Learn more about urinary incontinence & ways to help manage bladder leaks. Find more health advice on boots.com
30 years after her first diagnosis, Olivia Newton-John has died of breast cancer - but there is hope new research could save lives of women Olivia Newton-John died of breast cancer this week, almost exactly 30 years since she was first diagnosed, and after more than 20 years of radiant, apparently cancer-free good health.
Not unsurprisingly, if you can only give over a couple of hours to exercise every week, you need to make it count. The World Health Organisation recommends running, riding a bike up hills, playing football or netball or doing aerobics.
There are growing numbers of private GP surgeries offering help online or in person, often on the same day, for example through Boots, Superdrug or Bupa. According to the British Medical Association, provided the GP is fully registered, they can also refer you to the NHS for further diagnosis, tests, treatment or to a hospital consultant.
You may not feel particularly blessed by your large bottom or full thighs but, if you are a woman, this is the healthiest place to store fat, as long as it's the cellulite kind just under your skin and not buried deep in your muscles. Why?
The wife of Foreign Secretary James Cleverly discusses breast cancer, the perils of raising teenagers and meeting the King On a brisk November morning in 2021, Susie Cleverly, then 48, was standing in the bathroom of the Essex constituency home she shares with husband James, waiting for the shower to warm up.
With so much overlap, how can you tell the difference between symptoms of Covid and a cold? "While sneezing is more common in colds than Covid, testing is the only way to distinguish between them," says Spector. "Covid is still worse and less predictable than a cold.
Last week Michael Freeman fell out of bed. At 78, the retired professor of law remains a fiercely intelligent man who cherishes his independence. He also has severe Parkinson's disease, which means his body won't always cooperate with his brain. Freeman was unhurt, but unable to get up - even with the help of his wife Vivien.
Once a bug becomes impervious to many - or even all - antibiotics, then all of us are in very serious trouble Imagine a world without antibiotics. A world in which a simple cat scratch or urinary tract infection could kill you.
A growing number of people in midlife now suffer from strokes. Here's what you can do to lessen your chances of having one It had been a perfect start to 2022. Alexa Connolly, a language teacher from London, was on holiday in Spain with her husband and two adult sons.
And now, instead of dwelling on her own predicament, Patricia is pouring her remaining energies into working with Breast Cancer Now to educate patients and doctors to recognise the symptoms of secondary breast cancer. She says that joined up systems between specialists and GPs are essential.
We've all taken antibiotics at some point. The miracle drugs have saved many millions of lives since the pills were developed in the 1940s, and helped countless others with troubling infections. Recent concern has been (rightly) been about their overuse - which can lead to less effectiveness or "resistance" from harmful new bacteria.
Judy Perkins was dying of 'incurable' cancer until a revolutionary treatment saved her In 2003, Judy Perkins, now 56, was diagnosed with a small, early-stage breast cancer and had a mastectomy. And that, she thought, was that. However, a decade later, she had devastating news. Her cancer was back.
Type 2 diabetes is skyrocketing, with 5.5 million people in the UK predicted to be living with it by the end of the decade Until recently, a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes was considered a one-way street. It meant a lifetime of medication and declining health.
If this news drives you to drink, brace yourself. In January, The World Health Organization issued a statement that alcohol causes at least seven types of cancer, including the most common types, such as bowel cancer and female breast cancer. Most alcohol-attributable deaths are due to cancer and not only amongst heavy drinkers.
Our passion for carbohydrates has become a diabetes-ticking time bomb - but there's still time to reverse it What's for dinner tonight? Maybe you've opted for a ready-made pizza - nice and easy. Or a big pile of pasta or noodles. A burger in a brioche bun with fries?
Dr McPherson, a consultant dermatologist in Oxford, says: "A shingles rash can affect any part of the body but is most likely on the trunk. It appears in a defined area with a distinct edge and on one side of the body only.
The truth behind experts' and celebrities' endorsement of the latest 'injectables' Five years ago, Yasmin Shaheen-Zaffar was determined to lose weight. She had been struggling ever since hitting her 40s, and then, after the loss of her grandmother, to whom Yasmin, 51, was extremely close, grief triggered comfort-eating.
"In our study, weight regain, on average, took at least five years, and sometimes up to 14 years to regain," says Jebb. During the time your weight is lower, your blood pressure, blood glucose and cholesterol levels are lower.
A high-protein diet can boost fitness as well as help us maintain muscle in later life I'm a late-life gym bunny. At the age of 59, you'll find me at Pilates, barre, yoga or using the weight machines at my gym most days.
This means that moving house often means losing a dentist, as happened to Katie Leaning, 34, who lives in Staffordshire. "My previous NHS dentist passed away in 2011, and when I moved, I couldn't find a new one," says Leaning.
With a new study suggesting that abandoning butter and cheese may have caused the obesity epidemic, here's the truth about fat in your food Do you feel virtuous when you order a "slimming" skinny latte? Have you swapped oozy brie for reduced-fat cheddar to protect your heart?
But do you really need to do 10,000 steps a day to see the benefits of walking?
My GP is unlikely to offer me a prescription any time soon, though. In the UK, the NHS defines ideal blood pressure as anything between 90/60 and 120/80 and only those with a reading of 140 or more are eligible for blood pressure-lowering drugs.
A recent study at University College London looked at a cohort of 129 healthcare workers at high risk of an infection for 16 weeks. Of these, 57 never tested positive for the virus. The scientists discovered the healthy workers had mounted a "robust" T-cell response to Covid.
Take Hardt, who always eats breakfast, but usually muesli and fruit with oat milk "as I'm lactose-intolerant". Lunch is a Caesar salad with shrimp or a salad nicoise, or just an apple, a handful of olives, and some hummus with carrots. "It depends on how much time I have.
30 years after her first diagnosis, Olivia Newton-John has died of breast cancer - but there is hope new research could save lives of women Olivia Newton-John died of breast cancer this week, almost exactly 30 years since she was first diagnosed, and after more than 20 years of radiant, apparently cancer-free good health.
Not unsurprisingly, if you can only give over a couple of hours to exercise every week, you need to make it count. The World Health Organisation recommends running, riding a bike up hills, playing football or netball or doing aerobics.
There are growing numbers of private GP surgeries offering help online or in person, often on the same day, for example through Boots, Superdrug or Bupa. According to the British Medical Association, provided the GP is fully registered, they can also refer you to the NHS for further diagnosis, tests, treatment or to a hospital consultant.
You may not feel particularly blessed by your large bottom or full thighs but, if you are a woman, this is the healthiest place to store fat, as long as it's the cellulite kind just under your skin and not buried deep in your muscles. Why?
The wife of Foreign Secretary James Cleverly discusses breast cancer, the perils of raising teenagers and meeting the King On a brisk November morning in 2021, Susie Cleverly, then 48, was standing in the bathroom of the Essex constituency home she shares with husband James, waiting for the shower to warm up.
With so much overlap, how can you tell the difference between symptoms of Covid and a cold? "While sneezing is more common in colds than Covid, testing is the only way to distinguish between them," says Spector. "Covid is still worse and less predictable than a cold.
Last week Michael Freeman fell out of bed. At 78, the retired professor of law remains a fiercely intelligent man who cherishes his independence. He also has severe Parkinson's disease, which means his body won't always cooperate with his brain. Freeman was unhurt, but unable to get up - even with the help of his wife Vivien.
Once a bug becomes impervious to many - or even all - antibiotics, then all of us are in very serious trouble Imagine a world without antibiotics. A world in which a simple cat scratch or urinary tract infection could kill you.
As a new study suggests exercise plus chemotherapy may double the chance of tumours shrinking, Leah Hardy explains how it helped her The day I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was, ironically, at the age of 58, in the best shape I'd been in for years.
Last September, to my immense shock, I was diagnosed with a highly aggressive form of breast cancer. My right breast was riddled with 11cm of fast-growing tumours and the cancer had already infected the lymph nodes under my arm. My first reactions were panic, terror and despair.
Last September, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer A few weeks ago I was discharged from the clinic and told 'go and live your life' My story is not unusual - scientific advances have transformed breast cancer By Leah Hardy Just over a year has passed since I became part of the club no woman wants to join.
Leah Hardy was diagnosed with highly aggressive, grade-3 cancer at age 58 She will need eight sessions of chemotherapy involving five drugs and surgery She is grateful for the heroic NHS staff at London's King's College Hospital Beauty writer says women are often expected to cheerfully wave bye to hair Says caring about hair may seem like vanity, but reflects longing for normality The first weeks of any cancer diagnosis are a steep learning curve.
Since my daughter Cecily was born nearly a year ago, I had not had a single uninterrupted night's sleep. She howled whenever she was put in her cot and woke at all hours, usually ending up in bed with us, or my husband was relegated to the spare room.
As a new £50 antibody test comes to market, Leah Hardy asks how well they predict your level of protection
Reports from the US suggest that some people may experience more pronounced side-effects after a second vaccination with the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines. However, for those of us who have had the first dose of our home-grown AstraZeneca vaccine, which is not yet approved in the US, the story is likely to be different.
Lockdown has left midlifers feeling they look 'at least' five years older - so what are the best non-surgical treatments? Actress turned wellbeing guru Gwyneth Paltrow is probably best known for treatments that aren't - ahem - confined to her face.
Until last year, Anna Robertson never had problems with her skin. But in October, with the strain of lockdown culminating in the end of her marriage, the mother-of-three from Wiltshire, 47, noticed patches of rough, scaly, itchy skin. "They started on my nose and spread to my eyelids," she says.
Once homework kicked off at secondary school, and there was a special name for parental involvement - cheating. Now things are very different. Government targets mean that children as young as 5 are given homework, and more is being deliberately targeted not at our children, but at we parents.
In January, the Office for National Statistics data found that a staggering one in 33 secondary school children had Covid, yet, perhaps because social distancing from young pupils is harder than with older children, primary teachers are not safe.
Last night I dreamt I was watching athletes take part in a high-stakes race. With moments to go, the lead sprinter collapsed, unable to crawl even the few inches to the finish line. When I recalled the dream this morning, I burst out laughing.
When we went into lockdown many of the community-based volunteering activities such as visiting elderly people in care homes or working in a library weren't possible. But young people have been incredibly creative in finding alternatives. Some took it upon themselves to make PPE, setting themselves up at their kitchen tables with sewing machines to produce masks and gowns.
Autumn heralds the traditional start of the cold and flu season. This year is a little different as we continue to deal with COVID-19. LEAH HARDY looks at why viruses are generally more prevalent in winter and what we can do to defend ourselves
From that dress that no longer fits to a grudge you can’t forget, why is it so hard to let go? LEAH HARDY finds out why we cling to our physical and emotional baggage and learns how decluttering can liberate us...
"I miss my colleagues," my friend tells me. "My husband puts on a good show, but I know he's not really interested in my work dramas. Plus, there's nobody to make in-jokes with or comment on my new shoes." "I am desperate to meet my best friend and put the world to rights over a Pizza Express margherita," says another.
But problems with standards at our universities long predate the pandemic. A pervasive lack of transparency about outcomes means students struggle to pick the courses that will most enhance their futures. Employers can find it almost impossible to know which of two applicants with degrees will have superior education and skills.
Last week, education charity the Driver Youth Trust (DYT) released a report showing that while over £6 million has been spent on training specialist teachers to help children with dyslexia, almost none of them now work in state schools. Sarah Driver is the founder of the DYT.
McConville says schools could use a balanced score card to tell parents more about a school than GCSE rankings. 'They could tell parents how many children complete the Duke of Edinburgh Awards,' he says. 'Or how many different courses they offer and where children go to when they leave school.'
When the second of her two children left for university in 2017, businesswoman Afsaneh Parvizi-Wayne, 54, was left rattling around her five-bedroom home in north London with her husband Chris, a consultant gynaecologist. You might have expected a little sadness - maybe the odd tear - from this empty nester.
What does science say about the matter? In 2004, a review from The National Research and Development Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy poured cold water on the idea that dyslexics have unique gifts. It concluded, 'The belief that 'difficulty in learning to read is.... often accompanied by great talents' may seem attractive.
Last night I woke up at 3am, gasping for breath, my heart racing. A confusing dream in which I faced a terrifying but faceless threat left me so unsettled I had to get up and pace the house until my adrenalin subsided.
When Elizabeth* walked into a divorce lawyer's office seven years ago, her case looked straightforward. After 20 years of marriage and two children, she and her husband, Mark* had simply fallen out of love. Fortunately, the couple had already agreed on a financial settlement over a glass of wine at the kitchen table, and Elizabeth was confident they could manage an amicable split.
Another alarming aspect of the return to school is the gulf that has developed between the most and least disadvantaged students. One teacher describes it as a "chasm". Natalie Perera is Executive Director and Head of Research at the Education Policy Institute.
We must take a hard look at what needs to be done if next year's exam cohorts are not to be punished for this year's chaos
When my daughter was six, I'd schlepp her to Saturday morning music lessons. I'd be clutching a coffee, she'd be toting her adorably tiny instrument in a little pink case. To be frank, despite many hours of sawing away at Twinkle Twinkle, it was soon obvious that bshe'd never become a virtuoso.
2. Plug in your earbuds and cue up some upbeat music A 2013 study in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that people who played positive music for just 12 minutes felt happier. The secret? You have to want to feel cheerier while you listen, otherwise, it doesn't work.
Going to university is a time of great transition. And while those first moments at university can be very exciting, transitions are also times when young people face an increased risk of mental health difficulties. We also know that the years between 16 and 25 are when people are most likely to experience mental health difficulties for the first time.
We've all heard about the children struggling with anxiety and depression during lockdown. Just last week in the Telegraph, Anna Maxted wrote about how boys in particular have struggled over the past few months due to too little activity, too much gaming and too many snacks.
After months with no school and a long summer ahead, many parents are concerned that their children are falling behind in the basics. This comes on top of a national failure in children's literacy. Only 53% of pupils in the UK currently reach the expected standard in reading and writing.
At the age of 24, Libbla Kelly was delighted to be asked to be godmother to the baby daughter of a family friend. But as she made her promises at the font, she had no idea that this was just the start of something big.
Classic signs of teen depression such as changes to sleep patterns or losing interest in their appearance and interests can be tricky to spot now that pyjamas are acceptable daywear and many of our routines have vanished, says Rudkin.
It's not surprising that getting children back into school and childcare is the number one issue for just about every parent I know. Via Facebook, texts and in anguished doorstep conversations, we fizz with frustration and anger that opening zoos, theme parks, shops and even pubs seem have been prioritised by the government over a generation of children's futures.
The internet, born in 1990, is definitely a millennial: agile, fast-moving and complex. I, however, grew up in the less nimble analogue age - a time incomprehensible to my teenage children, when Tipp-Ex-splattered typewriters dominated offices, phones were resolutely immobile and battered copies of Encyclopedia Britannica were our Google.
With up to 40% of us suffering from loneliness, Leah Hardy asks what we can do to feel more connected.
From that dress that no longer fits to a grudge you can’t forget, why is it so hard to let go? LEAH HARDY finds out why we cling to our physical and emotional baggage and learns how decluttering can liberate us...
LEAH HARDY reveals why we all need to help keep Britain tidy, one small step at a time
When was the last time you chatted to friends about vaginal dryness? Or talked about your favourite lubricants? How about, um... never? We might be happy to swap hot-flush horror stories over a glass of picpoul, but when it comes to the effect of the menopause on our vaginas - well, that's quite a different matter.
When I heard that Thomas Markle doesn't expect to see his daughter again before he dies, I couldn't help wondering if my own father had once thought the same thing. Like Meghan, I was estranged from my father. For all of my twenties and most of my thirties, I barely saw him - apart from at my grandfather's funeral.
Lean, lithe, beautiful and effortlessly cool, Polly Kemp teaches yoga at the hip hotel and members' club Babington House in Somerset. She's addicted to Instagram and loves fashion and travelling. But no, she's not the woman on the left - that's her 19-year-old daughter Iggy, a model who lives in London.
It's time to stop worrying about your age and enjoy every minute
As London's specialist gum disease clinic opens, is it time to rethink your oral health regime? At least 80 per cent of us suffer from the most common disease on earth. It can have catastrophic effects on our physical and even mental health, yet can be easily and cheaply treated at home.
As Harry Dunn’s parents left the US on Friday, at the end of a five-day trip pleading with authorities to send Anne Sacoolas, the driver who killed their 19-year-old son, back to Britain to face justice, the pair were open about their dismay at President Trump’s attempt to ‘ambush’ them into meeting her at the White House - presumably in search of a reality TV-style reconciliatory embrace.
Kate Beckinsale was Hollywood's quintessential brunette bombshell - until she unveiled a new and startlingly blonde, long bob on her Instagram. The look, created for her upcoming film Jolt, has divided opinion. The 46-year-old's bouncy curls get a thumbs up, the yellow-blonde shade, not so much.
Scroll through Victoria Beckham's Instagram, and you'll see she's showing off this season's ultimate accessory. Not a bag or shoe, but a perfectly proportioned profile. At 44, she boasts an elegantly pointed chin, a razor-sharp jawline untroubled by jowls and a crisply defined angle to her jawbone. All very Audrey Hepburn.
Last year's Google searches found women obsessing about their lashes - with 'how to apply magnetic lashes' and 'what is a lash lift?' both featuring in the top ten beauty searches of the year. Pinterest searches for 'lashes' also rose by 152%.
I'd just taken a cute picture of my dachshund, Merlin so, like any besotted owner with a social media addiction, I decided to pop it onto my Instagram. I'm no Kylie Jenner (134m followers) but Instagram, full of dogs and interiors, frocks and skincare, was my happy place.
Worried about thinning, dry, fragile hair? Leah Hardy has solutions to an age-old problem.
Gwyneth Paltrow,as you of course know, is a Hollywood A lister and Instagram oracle on everything from conscious uncoupling and vaginal steaming. At 46, she's also newly arrived on the front-line of teen daughter parenting.
Chris Wild is one of the first people in Britain undergo the stem cells procedure The £2000 treatment is being hailed as the first-ever 'cure' for baldness Dr Ioannis Liakas said it has the potential to restore growth and hair colour Chris Wild is no slave to vanity.
I was in the kitchen making supper when my daughter Cecily cornered me for a ticking off. My crime? Posting a photo of her on Facebook. I was rumbled when a friend, who is Cecily's classmate's mother, showed the picture to her daughter - who innocently snitched on me.
It's the detox clinic that says yes to potatoes, no to phones, and is adored by the A-list. Now Vivamayr in Austria wants to help you get through the menopause unscathed.
The end of summer may be a little unpredictable this year, but the season's warm, humid conditions can have one significant side effect on your skin - more cavernous pores. "In warmer weather, skin around the pores may swell and dilate," says Dr Parisha Acharya, aesthetic doctor at London's Waterhouse Young Clinic.
Worrying that you're showing your age? There's no longer any need to go under the knife - nine out of ten cosmetic procedures carried out today are non-surgical treatments that don't involve stiches and scalpels. Such 'tweakments' include lasers and peels, though the biggest demand is for injectables such as wrinkle-relaxing Botox and fillers to restore volume.
Leah Hardy rounds up the best, most accessible salon treatments to jump-start your beauty regime
It used to be a dreaded sign of ageing, but as celebs, actresses and Instagram influencers are now surfing the silver wave with enthusiasm and style, it could be time to ditch the dye and go natural, says Leah Hardy
The menopause doesn't have to take the gloss off your looks
When it comes to your beauty routine, sleep could be a fountain of youth
It can hit with no warning, and affect your relationships, career and day-to-day life. As studies show that up to 70 per cent of us experience low mood in the run-up to the menopause, Leah Hardy goes in search of a cure It should have been a perfect holiday.
Leah Hardy tried out a face lift with no sedation, bruising, swelling or bandages There was a 44 per cent drop in the number of women getting face lifts last year Surgeons say T-lift is a minimally invasive new treatment aimed at women 40+ Lying on a bed, wide awake, I'm fully aware that my eyelids are being sliced open.
Why do you think you're fat? It might not just be because you eat too much and exercise too little. Try this excuse for size: according to research, if you're trying to stay in shape, you might want to avoid certain friends because scientists have discovered that your figure is connected to the company you keep.
Procrastination costs us time, money and even our health. So why, asks Leah Hardy, do we keep putting things off?
Does your relationship need an MOT? Leah Hardy reveals the latest research.
Our throwaway society harms our pockets and the environment. Leah Hardy reports how fixing things is back in fashion.
The value of looks to a man's career was highlighted by a study this year at the University of Messina in Italy. It found that when attractive men sent in a photograph with job applications, 47 per cent were called for an interview, compared to just 26 per cent of "unattractive" men.
Facelifts and liposuction may grab the headlines, but the real boom in aesthetic medicine is in treatments that don't involve scalpels and stitches. These non-surgical procedures include lasers, hair removal, peels, micro-needling, fat loss, and skin tightening via heat, sound and light waves. But by far the biggest demand is for injectables.
Cosmetic surgery can be expensive and, with prices in places like Prague and Turkey around half of those in the UK, it is no wonder that more and more people are cutting costs by going abroad.
Cosmetic surgery can be expensive and, with prices in places like Prague and Turkey around half of those in the UK, it is no wonder that more and more people are cutting costs by going abroad.
Beauty
Friends are vital for happiness and health. But which friends will be there in the autumn of our lives?
Jenifer Aniston and Courtney Cox were pictured together last week in Malibu The pair shot to fame during the 1990s hit feelgood comedy show Friends Jenifer, 49, and Courtney, 53, have both work very hard on their appearance Age, it would appear, cannot wither A-list actresses Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston, famous for their roles as Monica Geller and Rachel Green in hit 1990s US sitcom Friends.
As Elle Macpherson stretched out by a dazzling infinity pool overlooking a turquoise ocean, it must have seemed the perfect spot to take an envy-inducing Instagram 'footsie' - the sun-lounger selfie beloved by influencers. But after posting the snap, her followers' attention was focused less on the glittering view and more on her unexpectedly knobbly, fifty-something feet.
The lips that launched a thousand snips are deflated. But how did Kylie Jenner get rid of her lip filler, and what are the risks of reversing cosmetic procedures? Leah Hardy finds out Kylie Jenner's lip fillers are over. Officially. Earlier this month, she told one of her 111m Instagram followers: "I got rid of all my filler."
Family
Why having fun outdoors as a family is a recipe for health
On a glorious afternoon in May, my just-turned-11 daughter Cecily burst into the hallway, dumped her school bag and said, 'My friends are going to the park, can I go?' She'd never asked before, but by the front gate, a cluster of classmates awaited my decision. I felt a sudden spark of panic.
Health
The make up of bacteria in our guts is unique to all of us, like a fingerprint They can influence the risk of problems, from heart disease to diabetes Seven volunteers agreed to have their guts tested in the name of science All of us have trillions of different bacteria living in our guts and amazingly our precise bacterial mix is unique - like fingerprints, no two people's combinations of gut bacteria are exactly the same.
Around 25,000 Britons a year develop Bell's palsy, where the muscles of one side of the face become paralysed. Most recover, but up to 30 per cent are left with some paralysis. Wilma Whitelaw, 63, from Livingstone, Scotland, had a new treatment for it, as she tells LEAH HARDY.
Veganism, or plant-based eating, is the fastest-growing lifestyle trend in the UK It has attracted celebrity endorsements from Lewis Hamilton and Andy Murray But, here, journalist Leah Hardy reveals the harsh reality of the popular diet Outside, frost was glistening on the grass, but inside the low-beamed country pub, a log fire blazed and, as a bottle of wine was poured, waiters delivered plates piled high with roast beef, chicken and pork, all topped with giant Yorkshire puddings.
Edited, wrote and commissioned this annual supplement for Waitrose
Caroline has a mane of shiny, dirty blonde hair, great skin, firm cheeks, a gleaming smile, a leather jacket and lean limbs. At first glance, it's very difficult to place her age. And that's just how she likes it. Caroline, who works in finance at a senior level, recently celebrated her 50th birthday.
Leah Hardy reveals all you need to know about Intense Pulsed Light
Peels not only leave skin glowing, they can deliver skin benefits such as reversing melasma and breakouts better – and more cheaply – than high-tech devices. So, if you want to tackle a serious problem, or just reveal brighter skin for a special event, there’s a peel for you, says LEAH HARDY
With a rising number of women (and some men) resorting to cosmetic surgery to avoid ageism in the workplace, career and personal brand specialist Debbie Smith shares her top tips for giving your career a lift without going under the knife:
From actress Helen Mirren, 72, to model Elle Macpherson, 52, today's active, energetic older celebrities present a very different image to the stereotype of the homey, grey-haired granny. But then, in recent years, our idea of what it means to grow - and look - old has changed radically.
Health and beauty expert LEAH HARDY reveals the facts about plumping, line-erasing, skin- boosting facial fillers
Had enough of unnecessary chemicals and products that harm the planet? Leah Hardy takes a look at the hottest trends in natural beauty
This woman has spent years battling devastating symptoms only to be told they were ‘all in her mind’. What does the future hold for those suffering from the mysterious but debilitating illness known as ME?
Leah Hardy asks dermatologists the secrets of keeping skin soft and radiant
There's a truism that most of us Brits agree on: nobody likes a big-head. We are famous the world over for our slightly bumbling, self-deprecating personas, forever blushing at compliments and playing down our achievements. 'This shabby thing? Oh, just my silly old Olympic gold medal...' But suppose we're wrong?
These may be times of global uncertainty, but when events get ugly, the beauty industry is able to sit pretty. Analysts at Research and Markets predict global cosmetics sales will reach $675 billion by 2020. While in the UK, according to the Cosmetic and Perfumery Retailers Association (COPRA), sales have topped the £4 billion mark for the first time, overtaking the French market.
In the past few years, tooth grinding, or sleep bruxism, has become an epidemic The habit has been cited by dentists as a key cause of cracked and broken teeth Now, a U.S. study has found that mouthguards and botox jabs are often pointless Tooth grinding at night is on the rise, and it's wearing down our teeth and causing jaw pain.
Over the last two decades, there has been a revolution in beauty. Treatments involving needles, sound waves, lasers and lights to rejuvenate skin and remove hair have become available in high-street clinics and salons, creating a billion-pound industry. So it's not surprising that manufacturers have responded by marketing high-tech gadgets for home use that claim to offer clinic-style results.
In a discreet London clinic, 32-year-old Emma is lying on a couch, naked from the waist down, nervously waiting for a white-coated therapist to start work. The last time she was in this position, 10 years ago, she was spending £2,000 on laser hair removal designed to deforest her lady garden for good.
The number of candles on your birthday cake may not reflect your real age GlycanAge helps people track how lifestyle changes improve their ageing The test analyses the levels of tiny sugar molecules (glycans) in the blood How old are you?
One woman in five over the age of 45 doesn't have children, but often it's not through infertility or choice but because the man in her life isn't keen They'd been together for 18 years. They were photographed with arms entwined on many a red carpet and gushingly described each other as the love of their life.
The new filler this doctor (I later discovered) had been paid to promote was whipped off the market faster than Kate Moss heading for the airport bar, but not before it had formed tiny hard lumps on my cheekbones that lasted for nearly a year.
Around 25,000 Britons a year develop Bell's palsy, where the muscles of one side of the face become paralysed. Most recover, but up to 30 per cent are left with some paralysis. Wilma Whitelaw, 63, from Livingstone, Scotland, had a new treatment for it, as she tells LEAH HARDY.
"Wherever there is number, there is beauty." So wrote the Greek philosopher Proclus. But can an ancient mathematical formula really help make today's faces more attractive? A number of doctors insist it can. So how can phi - the golden ratio - play a role in contemporary aesthetic medicine?
Blood transfusions to treat specific complaints are an emerging field in medicine From healing scars to fixing broken bones, it has some unusual health benefits But are these vampire therapies as miraculous as scientists claim them to be?
Did you know that non-surgical cosmetic treatments, such as Botox and dermal fillers, are regularly being administered by non-medics with no training whatsoever? Dermal fillers, which are not regulated, can be bought and injected by anyone. Although Botox is a prescription-only medicine and so needs to be prescribed by a supervising doctor, it is often injected by people with no medical qualifications at all.
I am the late Leah Hardy. I am always, invariably late. And far from thinking it's some cute and quirky character trait, I hate it. It's horrible, stressful and upsetting. It eats me up with guilt and makes my friends and family extremely cross with me. I've been late all my life.
Botox is widely used to prevent tooth grinding, and to slim the lower face Reduces size of masseter muscles, the large chewing muscles on the jaw Evidence is emerging that the treatment may trigger loss of bone density Botox jabs in the jaw are big business: the paralysing effect is widely used to prevent tooth grinding, and by cosmetic doctors to slim the lower face.
Of the many horrors of modern life, the moment when a misjudged swipe unexpectedly turns the iPad on your lap into a camera is one of the most traumatising. Who knew you had so many chins? And what's with all the sagging skin?
With a rising number of women (and some men) resorting to cosmetic surgery to avoid ageism in the workplace, career and personal brand specialist Debbie Smith shares her top tips for giving your career a lift without going under the knife:
By , / Posted in on January 16, 2017 Leah Hardy and William H. George present a novel new chocolate based nutraceutical to complement the post-procedure regeneration process. Nutricosmetics are foods and supplements designed to improve appearance.
I had my first child when I was 38 and my second - my 15-month-old daughter - at 41. Though I am, by most people's criteria, an older mother, like many of my friends who also had their children in...
Treatment - known only by its experimental name of XAF5 - has been shown to significantly reduce bags under the eyes It was tested on 90 patients who applied cream once a day for ten weeks Its makers say it could even be employed on the body, particularly on stomach fat An ointment that painlessly melts away fat has been hailed as 'an eye-lift in a bottle' by experts.
I adored my father when I was small. He was, to me, an impossibly glamorous figure. A musician, he was dark, green-eyed and handsome. He would travel abroad and bring me thrillingly mad presents. I was the only child in my suburban 70s primary school who owned a genuine Afghan coat, for example.
Could a nip and tuck help keep your brain as youthful as the new features? It sounds absurd, but that's what a leading plastic surgeon is suggesting This is based on studies saying negative attitudes increase Alzheimer's risk Could a nip and tuck help keep your brain as youthful as your newly rearranged face?
"I think I'll wear my army clothes", announced my nine-year-old daughter, Cecily, one morning. She was preparing for her first day at her new, non-uniform, primary school, and wanted to look her best. Her outfit of camouflage trousers and T-shirt, cap and dog tag chain, a much-begged-for birthday gift, consisted of, in her eyes, the coolest possible option.
Peering sleepily into a hand-mirror one morning, as I took a moment between meetings to refresh my mascara, I felt a jolt of panic. Around the pupil of my once green and gold eyes, there was a faint, but to me noticeable, murky brown ring. I was horrified. Was I imagining it?
The arrival of a new baby means big changes to your life, and your body. Visit Nuffield Health for more details.
When considering lip fillers, many women worry about the risks of developing a so-called 'trout pout'. Visit Nuffield Health for more details.
We all love to smile, but so-called 'smile lines' can make us look sad and tired. Find out the best ways to treat them with Nuffield Health.
By , / Posted in on January 16, 2017 Leah Hardy and William H. George present a novel new chocolate based nutraceutical to complement the post-procedure regeneration process. Nutricosmetics are foods and supplements designed to improve appearance.
Many people find they start to develop a sagging jawline as they get older. Visit Nuffield Health for information on potential treatments.
Facelifts and liposuction may grab the headlines, but the real boom in aesthetic medicine is in treatments that don't involve scalpels and stitches. These non-surgical procedures include lasers, hair removal, peels, micro-needling, fat loss, and skin tightening via heat, sound and light waves. But by far the biggest demand is for injectables.
The film star's designer sister poses coquettishly as the paparazzi go crazy. There is scarlet lipstick on her wide smile and thick black liner rings her eyes. She is dressed provocatively in a perilously short, tight dress, fishnet tights and high-heeled PVC dominatrix boots. So far, so predictable. Except for one thing.
What are the risks and benefits, and is there a perfect age for a facelift? Visit Nuffield Health for more details.
Over half of UK Botox sales in 2013 were for non-cosmetic uses Botulinum toxins are being investigated for more than 20 medical uses This month, it was revealed that Botox may combat stomach cancer Botox is 25 this year - that's how many years since it was first approved for medical use.