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Cancer treatments ravage your skin – these products are designed to help

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Cancer patients often experience skin complaints (Picture: Cancertology/Metro.co.uk)

Intensive cancer treatments such as chemotherapy can damage your skin, leaving it dry, blotchy and sore.

When you have cancer and every ounce of energy is being spent on getting well, the last thing you want to think about is problematic skin. This new skincare range formulated specifically for cancer patients could be the answer.

Cancertology have formulated a range of cosmetic products, RenewYou, to help alleviate itchy and painful skin reactions. Making life just that little bit easier for people with cancer.

‘We understand that patients undergoing chemotherapy, radiation and other cancer treatments experience an increase of dry skin on their face, hands and feet, blotchy patches appear, and they can suffer an acne like reaction or develop oily skin,’ it explains on the Cancertology website.

The range of products include a rehydrating moisturiser, eye serum, toner and a relaxing facial mask. And with no product more expensive than £20, it’s surprisingly affordable.

The creams and serums consist of specially formulated, vitmain rich ingredients, combined with natural products such a liquorice root, rose water and sunflower seeds.

When you’re seriously ill the little touches of self-care, such as wearing make up or looking after your skin, can go out of the window. But these small things can make a huge difference to a person’s outlook, and can help them to feel like themselves again.

(Picture: Cancertology/Metro.co.uk)

UK founder of Cancertology, Jonathan Sorell-Fleet, has a personal reason for wanting to improve the lives of cancer patients.

‘My mother died from cancer over 20 years ago,’ he tells Metro.co.uk. ‘Back then it was almost accepted that if you had cancer you would die – it was a “disease” and there was very little that could be done.

‘Cancer leaves women with a huge loss of confidence and femininity. They shouldn’t have to feel like that.

‘The medical staff in the oncology units are superb but once the patient leaves the hospital after they have had their treatment, there needs to be someone there talking to them about what is good and bad and how to feel like themselves again.

‘There are many charities doing good work in these areas, but still not educating patients in the basics of how to look and feel better in themselves.

‘It is all very good holding makeup tutorials, so they leave the session looking great, but if the products used could cause reactions later then they still haven’t been educated properly.’

(Picture: Mmuffin for Metro.co.uk)

Jonathan says the effects of cancer treatment on the skin can be horrific, but they’re often overlooked.

‘Patients sometimes experience reactions very similar to acne, but this is their skin’s reaction to the drugs, often breaking out in clusters of  whitehead-like spots,’ he explains.

‘The skin can also become very itchy and rough and it becomes very thin and fragile due to its inability to renew itself as quickly as it normally would. Radiation treatments can also leave the skin red and looking burned.

‘Normal skincare products, even those claiming to be for sensitive skin or containing natural or organic ingredients are not necessarily good for cancer patients.

‘Their skin needs to be hydrated and soothed, without any adverse reactions, by using products which only contain “clean” ingredients which will not cause them any further discomfort or reaction.’

How chemo can affect your skin

Dry skin

Dry skin is characterized by mild scaling, roughness, feeling of tightness, and possibly itching. With dry skin reactions, the skin cells at the lower layer of the epidermis (top layer of skin) are dry and flat, with no moisture.

Flushing

Flushing is a temporary redness of the face and neck caused by dilation of the blood capillaries. Flushing is due to a variety of causes such as certain chemotherapy drugs. Carcinoid tumors can also cause flushing as part of carcinoid syndrome. Other causes are alcohol and other drugs.

Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation is a darkening of the skin. This can occur as an overall darkening of the skin, or it can be localized. This may be connected to phototoxic reaction where the areas exposed to light may have a golden-brown or slate-grey color change.
Some drugs will cause changes in the nails, darkening of the tongue, gums, and over finger joints. Most skin reactions occur within two to three weeks of initiation of chemotherapy and resolve 10-12 weeks after stopping treatment.

Photosensitivity

Photosensitivity is an enhanced skin response to ultraviolet radiation (sunlight). There are three types of photosensitivity reactions phototoxic, photoallergic and UV recall reaction.

Chemocare

‘We have had an incredible response from cancer patients who have either contacted us via our website or attended our free skincare workshops. I can honestly say that since we launched the products here, back at the end of May this year, we have not had one negative response from a patient using our products.’

The workshops Jonathan runs are a way for cancer patients to indulge in some self-care and learn valuable tips about how to look after their sensitive skin.

In the build up to Christmas, the company are donating £1 to Macmillan cancer charity for every product that’s sold.

‘Our workshops are a fun environment where like-minded people can talk openly and compare notes whilst trying our products and feeling their skin improving. We also educate them on the bad ingredients to avoid,’ says Jonathan.

‘Our next step is to secure the funding we need to roll this out through oncology centres across the UK.

‘Our aim is that more women will be not only be feeling better, but they will look fabulous again as their confidence is restored! Our longer-term aim is to involve cancer patients in the running of our workshops.’

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Smartphones and tablets don’t have a huge effect on a child’s sleep, study finds

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Close-up of a child playing on a touch screen tablet.
(Picture: Getty)

New research suggests that the idea that smartphones and tablets ruin a child’s sleep is a myth.

Every hour spent staring at a screen costs a child just as little as three minutes of shut eye a night, says the study.

While there is a link that technology isn’t great for children’s sleep, researchers say the effects are too small to actually make a significant difference.

For example, the average nightly sleep of a tech-abstaining teenager would be eight hours and 51 minutes.

Someone who devotes eight hours a day to screens would still get eight hours and 21 minutes – with the overall difference inconsequential.

Other known factors, such as early starts to the school day, have a larger effect on childhood sleep.

Study author Professor Andrew Przybylski, of the Oxford Internet Institute at Oxford University, said: ‘This suggests we need to look at other variables when it comes to children and their sleep.’

Cute little boy playing with a smartphone on the bed.; Shutterstock ID 690448306; Purchase Order: -
(Picture: Shutterstock)

The results, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, cast doubts on previous studies that claim excessive use of gadgets is to blame for up to 90% of school-age children not getting enough sleep.

The theory is light from smartphones, tablets and other devices is ‘short-wavelength-enriched,’ meaning it has a higher concentration of blue light than natural light.

This affects levels of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin.

But Professor Przybylski said: ‘The findings suggest the relationship between sleep and screen use in children is extremely modest.

‘Every hour of screen time was related to 3 to 8 fewer minutes of sleep a night.

‘Focusing on bedtime routines and regular patterns of sleep, such as consistent wake-up times, are much more effective strategies for helping young people sleep than thinking screens themselves play a significant role.’

Little African kid is playing with smartphone on bed; Shutterstock ID 1079643323; Purchase Order: -
(Picture: Shutterstock)

Research indicating that between 50% to 90% of school-age children might not be getting enough sleep has prompted calls that technology use may be to blame.

But Professor Przybylski criticised the small sample sizes of previous studies which have blamed increased screen-time on poor sleep of children.

He said: ‘Because the effects of screens are so modest, it is possible that many studies with smaller sample sizes could be false positives, results that support an effect that in reality does not exist.’

His team used data from the US 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health, where parents completed surveys about sleep patterns of children in their own households.

Professor Przybylski said more research needs to be done to find out if there are any biological mechanisms that are affected by digital screens, amid claims excessive use of devices may not affect sleep patterns at all.

The aim of the study was to provide parents and practitioners with a realistic foundation for looking at screen versus the impact of other interventions on sleep.

Professor Przybylski added: ‘While a relationship between screens and sleep is there, we need to look at research from the lens of what is practically significant.

‘Because the effects of screens are so modest, it is possible that many studies with smaller sample sizes could be false positives – results that support an effect that in reality does not exist.

‘The next step from here is research on the precise mechanisms that link digital screens to sleep.

‘Though technologies and tools relating to so-called ‘blue light’ have been implicated in sleep problems, it is not clear whether play a significant causal role.

‘Screens are here to stay, so transparent, reproducible, and robust research is needed to figure out how tech effects us and how we best intervene to limit its negative effects.’

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Photographer shares her experience of overcoming unexplained infertility

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‘Infertility is hoping to find the perfect cocktail of technology and pixie dust that will allow the stars to align and give you your baby,’ says Amanda Noar, a family photographer who’s struggled with having a child with her husband for three years.

The Los Angeles native was told she and her husband were unable to conceive due to unexplained infertility, a concept she called ‘maddening’, not having a tangible reason to explain why they couldn’t start a family.

After two and a half years, numerous doctors, a failed pregnancy, four cycles of intrauterine insemination – a process to increase the number of sperms that reach the fallopian tubes – and $33,421 (£25,402) later, the husband and wife had their first child, Finn.

With Finn sleeping on her chest, Amanda tells Metro.co.uk about her own experiences and why she started a series entitled Worth the Wait to tell the stories of other couples struggling with infertility.

As part of the series, she gifts a photoshoot every month to a family who has overcome the painful route of infertility.

Amanda Noar #worththewait Infertility photography series Tell me more about your own family and your experience with unexplained fertility, how did it feel to know there wasn???t an explanation for what you were going through? Battling infertility, for whatever reason, is scary, isolating, and devastating. Through many medical professional eyes, not finding a single reason why my husband and I weren't able to get pregnant on our own felt exceptionally maddening. I almost wished sometimes we had something, anything, tangible to fight against. If we had a source of a problem, then a path could be taken as to how to overcome it. But for us, any attempt to get pregnant felt like a shot in the dark. The early interventions we tried (clomid cycles with timed intercourse and 4 IUIs) weren't "tailored" to anything specific to me or my body. The only area where I felt like I had control was that when another failed attempt would happen, I would ask to try something different. The saying of "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results", was a mantra of mine. Every new cycle, I would request a different protocol- a different amount of medication, a different medication entirely. Anything to just switch it up, and hope that we'd stumble across the right magic potion that would get me pregnant. Even when we eventually had to move onto IVF, the first cycle we did was generic protocol. At least with the exceptionally close and fine tuned monitoring that comes with IVF, I felt like finally we would have the opportunity to really see what my body was or wasn't doing. Lo and behold, I was responding beautifully to the fertility drugs and things were going perfectly to plan. We became optimistic-- this was finally going to happen for us. But as what holds true time and time again to the infertility journey- you have to expect the unexpected. Out of 21 eggs retrieved, they were only able to fertilize 5, and 3 began
(Picture: Amanda Noar Photography)

‘My hope is by reading these stories, others might be relieved from isolation and loneliness,’ says Amanda.

She explains how her body became a guinea pig to science as doctors tried different protocols to successfully make her pregnant.

‘In 2015 we decided we were ready to start a family. For 13 months straight I cried every time I got my period.

‘I learned way more about the science behind what it truly takes to make another life. More than I ever thought I would ever need to know. After a year of trying on our own, we knew we needed the help of medical intervention to get pregnant.’

Amanda Noar #worththewait Infertility photography series Tell me more about your own family and your experience with unexplained fertility, how did it feel to know there wasn???t an explanation for what you were going through? Battling infertility, for whatever reason, is scary, isolating, and devastating. Through many medical professional eyes, not finding a single reason why my husband and I weren't able to get pregnant on our own felt exceptionally maddening. I almost wished sometimes we had something, anything, tangible to fight against. If we had a source of a problem, then a path could be taken as to how to overcome it. But for us, any attempt to get pregnant felt like a shot in the dark. The early interventions we tried (clomid cycles with timed intercourse and 4 IUIs) weren't "tailored" to anything specific to me or my body. The only area where I felt like I had control was that when another failed attempt would happen, I would ask to try something different. The saying of "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results", was a mantra of mine. Every new cycle, I would request a different protocol- a different amount of medication, a different medication entirely. Anything to just switch it up, and hope that we'd stumble across the right magic potion that would get me pregnant. Even when we eventually had to move onto IVF, the first cycle we did was generic protocol. At least with the exceptionally close and fine tuned monitoring that comes with IVF, I felt like finally we would have the opportunity to really see what my body was or wasn't doing. Lo and behold, I was responding beautifully to the fertility drugs and things were going perfectly to plan. We became optimistic-- this was finally going to happen for us. But as what holds true time and time again to the infertility journey- you have to expect the unexpected. Out of 21 eggs retrieved, they were only able to fertilize 5, and 3 began
She has started a series called #Worththewait to celebrate other couples who were finally able to have children ((Picture: Amanda Noar Photography)

A year later, Amanda got pregnant, but two weeks after that, she had internal bleeding and the pregnancy, which developed in her right fallopian tube, ended.

After four rounds of intrauterine inseminations, the couple decided on IVF which left them in a lot of debt, but all of it was worth it for Finn, she says.

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She now shares images of couples with a similar story to her.

‘I share their story, I celebrate the family they so desperately fought to create, and honour the incredibly painful route it took to get there. These stories, along with my own, are my way to show other women that they aren’t alone.

‘I became very passionate about breaking the taboo of not discussing the fact that sometimes couples go through hell to get pregnant and stay pregnant.

‘All we see is the beautiful belly bump, ooh and aww at tiny socks, and smell the top of the baby’s head once they are born. Yet behind the scenes there was years of tears, pills, shots, doctor’s visits, tests, procedures, and even more tears.

Amanda Noar #worththewait Infertility photography series Tell me more about your own family and your experience with unexplained fertility, how did it feel to know there wasn???t an explanation for what you were going through? Battling infertility, for whatever reason, is scary, isolating, and devastating. Through many medical professional eyes, not finding a single reason why my husband and I weren't able to get pregnant on our own felt exceptionally maddening. I almost wished sometimes we had something, anything, tangible to fight against. If we had a source of a problem, then a path could be taken as to how to overcome it. But for us, any attempt to get pregnant felt like a shot in the dark. The early interventions we tried (clomid cycles with timed intercourse and 4 IUIs) weren't "tailored" to anything specific to me or my body. The only area where I felt like I had control was that when another failed attempt would happen, I would ask to try something different. The saying of "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results", was a mantra of mine. Every new cycle, I would request a different protocol- a different amount of medication, a different medication entirely. Anything to just switch it up, and hope that we'd stumble across the right magic potion that would get me pregnant. Even when we eventually had to move onto IVF, the first cycle we did was generic protocol. At least with the exceptionally close and fine tuned monitoring that comes with IVF, I felt like finally we would have the opportunity to really see what my body was or wasn't doing. Lo and behold, I was responding beautifully to the fertility drugs and things were going perfectly to plan. We became optimistic-- this was finally going to happen for us. But as what holds true time and time again to the infertility journey- you have to expect the unexpected. Out of 21 eggs retrieved, they were only able to fertilize 5, and 3 began
After two and a half years of trying different treatments, they welcomed their son Finn (Picture: Amanda Noar Photography)

‘Infertility is such an incredible, emotional roller coaster. It feels isolating. It feels unfair. It feels like mother nature and your body are betraying you. It is expensive. It is painful. It is full of fear. And couples silently suffer.

‘I truly couldn’t have endured the fight to become a mother if it wasn’t for the infertility community I found and immersed myself in. I’m not sure there is anything more beautiful and more bittersweet. I have never felt so instantaneously connected to strangers.

‘I have never felt so supported, encouraged, and uplifted by women I may never meet face to face. And as much as I sometimes hated that this is our lives, I almost couldn’t imagine it any other way.

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‘There’s a connection and bond that is like no other- and you need that connection and support to endure on the hard and scary days. But the only way that happens is by opening up, speaking out, looking for that support.

‘As much as this series is to inspire and give hope to others – I also desperately want to be able to give professional photos to the families who might not be able to afford such services after going through infertility treatments.

‘When one has spent thousands and thousands of dollars fighting infertility, newborn photos often don’t become a priority because of financial strain. But when you have fought so hard, that baby deserves to be celebrated.

‘My DNA was destined to be a mother. I yearned for it. I ached for it. I fought ever so painfully for it. It’s all I ever wanted, and I thank Finn everyday for making me the person I was meant to be.

‘I truly have never felt more complete. I photograph and celebrate the moments in my world now that make my heart explode with joy and gratitude, but I also continue to talk about messy, complicated, painful, real life too. Because no one, in any stage of their own journey to or in motherhood, should ever feel alone.’

You can find the full #Worththewait gallery here.

Here are some images from Amanda’s journey to having a child:

Amanda Noar #worththewait Infertility photography series Tell me more about your own family and your experience with unexplained fertility, how did it feel to know there wasn???t an explanation for what you were going through? Battling infertility, for whatever reason, is scary, isolating, and devastating. Through many medical professional eyes, not finding a single reason why my husband and I weren't able to get pregnant on our own felt exceptionally maddening. I almost wished sometimes we had something, anything, tangible to fight against. If we had a source of a problem, then a path could be taken as to how to overcome it. But for us, any attempt to get pregnant felt like a shot in the dark. The early interventions we tried (clomid cycles with timed intercourse and 4 IUIs) weren't "tailored" to anything specific to me or my body. The only area where I felt like I had control was that when another failed attempt would happen, I would ask to try something different. The saying of "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results", was a mantra of mine. Every new cycle, I would request a different protocol- a different amount of medication, a different medication entirely. Anything to just switch it up, and hope that we'd stumble across the right magic potion that would get me pregnant. Even when we eventually had to move onto IVF, the first cycle we did was generic protocol. At least with the exceptionally close and fine tuned monitoring that comes with IVF, I felt like finally we would have the opportunity to really see what my body was or wasn't doing. Lo and behold, I was responding beautifully to the fertility drugs and things were going perfectly to plan. We became optimistic-- this was finally going to happen for us. But as what holds true time and time again to the infertility journey- you have to expect the unexpected. Out of 21 eggs retrieved, they were only able to fertilize 5, and 3 began
(Picture: Amanda Noar Photography)
Amanda Noar #worththewait Infertility photography series Tell me more about your own family and your experience with unexplained fertility, how did it feel to know there wasn???t an explanation for what you were going through? Battling infertility, for whatever reason, is scary, isolating, and devastating. Through many medical professional eyes, not finding a single reason why my husband and I weren't able to get pregnant on our own felt exceptionally maddening. I almost wished sometimes we had something, anything, tangible to fight against. If we had a source of a problem, then a path could be taken as to how to overcome it. But for us, any attempt to get pregnant felt like a shot in the dark. The early interventions we tried (clomid cycles with timed intercourse and 4 IUIs) weren't "tailored" to anything specific to me or my body. The only area where I felt like I had control was that when another failed attempt would happen, I would ask to try something different. The saying of "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results", was a mantra of mine. Every new cycle, I would request a different protocol- a different amount of medication, a different medication entirely. Anything to just switch it up, and hope that we'd stumble across the right magic potion that would get me pregnant. Even when we eventually had to move onto IVF, the first cycle we did was generic protocol. At least with the exceptionally close and fine tuned monitoring that comes with IVF, I felt like finally we would have the opportunity to really see what my body was or wasn't doing. Lo and behold, I was responding beautifully to the fertility drugs and things were going perfectly to plan. We became optimistic-- this was finally going to happen for us. But as what holds true time and time again to the infertility journey- you have to expect the unexpected. Out of 21 eggs retrieved, they were only able to fertilize 5, and 3 began
(Picture: Amanda Noar Photography)
Amanda Noar #worththewait Infertility photography series Tell me more about your own family and your experience with unexplained fertility, how did it feel to know there wasn???t an explanation for what you were going through? Battling infertility, for whatever reason, is scary, isolating, and devastating. Through many medical professional eyes, not finding a single reason why my husband and I weren't able to get pregnant on our own felt exceptionally maddening. I almost wished sometimes we had something, anything, tangible to fight against. If we had a source of a problem, then a path could be taken as to how to overcome it. But for us, any attempt to get pregnant felt like a shot in the dark. The early interventions we tried (clomid cycles with timed intercourse and 4 IUIs) weren't "tailored" to anything specific to me or my body. The only area where I felt like I had control was that when another failed attempt would happen, I would ask to try something different. The saying of "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results", was a mantra of mine. Every new cycle, I would request a different protocol- a different amount of medication, a different medication entirely. Anything to just switch it up, and hope that we'd stumble across the right magic potion that would get me pregnant. Even when we eventually had to move onto IVF, the first cycle we did was generic protocol. At least with the exceptionally close and fine tuned monitoring that comes with IVF, I felt like finally we would have the opportunity to really see what my body was or wasn't doing. Lo and behold, I was responding beautifully to the fertility drugs and things were going perfectly to plan. We became optimistic-- this was finally going to happen for us. But as what holds true time and time again to the infertility journey- you have to expect the unexpected. Out of 21 eggs retrieved, they were only able to fertilize 5, and 3 began
(Picture: Amanda Noar Photography)
Amanda Noar #worththewait Infertility photography series Tell me more about your own family and your experience with unexplained fertility, how did it feel to know there wasn???t an explanation for what you were going through? Battling infertility, for whatever reason, is scary, isolating, and devastating. Through many medical professional eyes, not finding a single reason why my husband and I weren't able to get pregnant on our own felt exceptionally maddening. I almost wished sometimes we had something, anything, tangible to fight against. If we had a source of a problem, then a path could be taken as to how to overcome it. But for us, any attempt to get pregnant felt like a shot in the dark. The early interventions we tried (clomid cycles with timed intercourse and 4 IUIs) weren't "tailored" to anything specific to me or my body. The only area where I felt like I had control was that when another failed attempt would happen, I would ask to try something different. The saying of "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results", was a mantra of mine. Every new cycle, I would request a different protocol- a different amount of medication, a different medication entirely. Anything to just switch it up, and hope that we'd stumble across the right magic potion that would get me pregnant. Even when we eventually had to move onto IVF, the first cycle we did was generic protocol. At least with the exceptionally close and fine tuned monitoring that comes with IVF, I felt like finally we would have the opportunity to really see what my body was or wasn't doing. Lo and behold, I was responding beautifully to the fertility drugs and things were going perfectly to plan. We became optimistic-- this was finally going to happen for us. But as what holds true time and time again to the infertility journey- you have to expect the unexpected. Out of 21 eggs retrieved, they were only able to fertilize 5, and 3 began
(Picture: Amanda Noar Photography)
Amanda Noar #worththewait Infertility photography series Tell me more about your own family and your experience with unexplained fertility, how did it feel to know there wasn???t an explanation for what you were going through? Battling infertility, for whatever reason, is scary, isolating, and devastating. Through many medical professional eyes, not finding a single reason why my husband and I weren't able to get pregnant on our own felt exceptionally maddening. I almost wished sometimes we had something, anything, tangible to fight against. If we had a source of a problem, then a path could be taken as to how to overcome it. But for us, any attempt to get pregnant felt like a shot in the dark. The early interventions we tried (clomid cycles with timed intercourse and 4 IUIs) weren't "tailored" to anything specific to me or my body. The only area where I felt like I had control was that when another failed attempt would happen, I would ask to try something different. The saying of "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results", was a mantra of mine. Every new cycle, I would request a different protocol- a different amount of medication, a different medication entirely. Anything to just switch it up, and hope that we'd stumble across the right magic potion that would get me pregnant. Even when we eventually had to move onto IVF, the first cycle we did was generic protocol. At least with the exceptionally close and fine tuned monitoring that comes with IVF, I felt like finally we would have the opportunity to really see what my body was or wasn't doing. Lo and behold, I was responding beautifully to the fertility drugs and things were going perfectly to plan. We became optimistic-- this was finally going to happen for us. But as what holds true time and time again to the infertility journey- you have to expect the unexpected. Out of 21 eggs retrieved, they were only able to fertilize 5, and 3 began
(Picture: Amanda Noar Photography)
Amanda Noar #worththewait Infertility photography series Tell me more about your own family and your experience with unexplained fertility, how did it feel to know there wasn???t an explanation for what you were going through? Battling infertility, for whatever reason, is scary, isolating, and devastating. Through many medical professional eyes, not finding a single reason why my husband and I weren't able to get pregnant on our own felt exceptionally maddening. I almost wished sometimes we had something, anything, tangible to fight against. If we had a source of a problem, then a path could be taken as to how to overcome it. But for us, any attempt to get pregnant felt like a shot in the dark. The early interventions we tried (clomid cycles with timed intercourse and 4 IUIs) weren't "tailored" to anything specific to me or my body. The only area where I felt like I had control was that when another failed attempt would happen, I would ask to try something different. The saying of "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results", was a mantra of mine. Every new cycle, I would request a different protocol- a different amount of medication, a different medication entirely. Anything to just switch it up, and hope that we'd stumble across the right magic potion that would get me pregnant. Even when we eventually had to move onto IVF, the first cycle we did was generic protocol. At least with the exceptionally close and fine tuned monitoring that comes with IVF, I felt like finally we would have the opportunity to really see what my body was or wasn't doing. Lo and behold, I was responding beautifully to the fertility drugs and things were going perfectly to plan. We became optimistic-- this was finally going to happen for us. But as what holds true time and time again to the infertility journey- you have to expect the unexpected. Out of 21 eggs retrieved, they were only able to fertilize 5, and 3 began
(Picture: Amanda Noar Photography)
Amanda Noar #worththewait Infertility photography series Tell me more about your own family and your experience with unexplained fertility, how did it feel to know there wasn???t an explanation for what you were going through? Battling infertility, for whatever reason, is scary, isolating, and devastating. Through many medical professional eyes, not finding a single reason why my husband and I weren't able to get pregnant on our own felt exceptionally maddening. I almost wished sometimes we had something, anything, tangible to fight against. If we had a source of a problem, then a path could be taken as to how to overcome it. But for us, any attempt to get pregnant felt like a shot in the dark. The early interventions we tried (clomid cycles with timed intercourse and 4 IUIs) weren't "tailored" to anything specific to me or my body. The only area where I felt like I had control was that when another failed attempt would happen, I would ask to try something different. The saying of "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results", was a mantra of mine. Every new cycle, I would request a different protocol- a different amount of medication, a different medication entirely. Anything to just switch it up, and hope that we'd stumble across the right magic potion that would get me pregnant. Even when we eventually had to move onto IVF, the first cycle we did was generic protocol. At least with the exceptionally close and fine tuned monitoring that comes with IVF, I felt like finally we would have the opportunity to really see what my body was or wasn't doing. Lo and behold, I was responding beautifully to the fertility drugs and things were going perfectly to plan. We became optimistic-- this was finally going to happen for us. But as what holds true time and time again to the infertility journey- you have to expect the unexpected. Out of 21 eggs retrieved, they were only able to fertilize 5, and 3 began
(Picture: Amanda Noar Photography)
Amanda Noar #worththewait Infertility photography series Tell me more about your own family and your experience with unexplained fertility, how did it feel to know there wasn???t an explanation for what you were going through? Battling infertility, for whatever reason, is scary, isolating, and devastating. Through many medical professional eyes, not finding a single reason why my husband and I weren't able to get pregnant on our own felt exceptionally maddening. I almost wished sometimes we had something, anything, tangible to fight against. If we had a source of a problem, then a path could be taken as to how to overcome it. But for us, any attempt to get pregnant felt like a shot in the dark. The early interventions we tried (clomid cycles with timed intercourse and 4 IUIs) weren't "tailored" to anything specific to me or my body. The only area where I felt like I had control was that when another failed attempt would happen, I would ask to try something different. The saying of "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results", was a mantra of mine. Every new cycle, I would request a different protocol- a different amount of medication, a different medication entirely. Anything to just switch it up, and hope that we'd stumble across the right magic potion that would get me pregnant. Even when we eventually had to move onto IVF, the first cycle we did was generic protocol. At least with the exceptionally close and fine tuned monitoring that comes with IVF, I felt like finally we would have the opportunity to really see what my body was or wasn't doing. Lo and behold, I was responding beautifully to the fertility drugs and things were going perfectly to plan. We became optimistic-- this was finally going to happen for us. But as what holds true time and time again to the infertility journey- you have to expect the unexpected. Out of 21 eggs retrieved, they were only able to fertilize 5, and 3 began
(Picture: Amanda Noar Photography)

Fertility Month

This story is part of Fertility Month, a month-long series covering all aspects of fertility.

For the next four weeks, we will be speaking to people at all stages of the fertility journey as well as doctors, lawyers and fertility experts who can shed light on the most important issues.

If you have a story to tell or a question to ask, please do get in touch at fertilitystories@metro.co.uk.

Here is a selection of the stories from Fertility Month so far - and you can find all Fertility Month content here.

MORE: Fertility Month: Why we are talking about fertility this month

MORE: I found the perfect sperm donor - but I never got my happy ending

MORE: Plastic could be affecting your fertility – here’s how and why

 

MORE: Women like me are freezing their eggs to increase fertility options. Our health should not suffer

MORE: Does your ‘child status’ affect your love life?

MORE: Male fertility stories: I had lazy sperm and no one to talk to about it

Diesel is facing criticism for selling a £350 jacket covered with a homophobic slur

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METRO GRAB YOUTUBE Diesel under fire for using homophobic slur on a jacket Diesel Published on 18 Sep 2018 SUBSCRIBE 42K Online hate is inevitable, but caring about it is optional. Introducing #DieselHateCouture feat. Nicki Minaj, Gucci Mane, Tommy Dorfman, Miles Heizer, Barbie Ferreira, Bella Thorne, Yoo Ah-In, Bria Vinaite, Yovanna Ventura and Jonathan Bellini. The more hate you wear, the less you care. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=67&v=lUJtUojXY1k
(Picture: Diesel/YouTube)

Fashion brand Diesel is facing criticism for selling a £350 bomber jacket covered in a homophobic slur.

The ‘satin bomber jacket with all-over print’ features the word ‘faggot’ stitched on the front pocket area and painted all over the back.

The product description lists the jacket as part of the label’s ‘the more hate you wear, the less you care’ Ha(u)te Couture collection, which includes hoodies, T-shirts, and jackets emblazoned with hateful comments people have received. The line includes jackets with ‘not cool’ and ‘imposter’, T-shirts that read ‘slut’ and ‘the bad guy’, and hoodies covered in ‘Diesel is dead’.

The idea behind the collection is that by wearing hateful comments, you can take away their power to hurt.

The campaign reads: ‘Haters gonna hate? Ok. We got haters. You got haters. Everybody does.

‘Do we care? No we don’t. We actually….wear.

‘Discover the Diesel Haute Couture Collection because the more hate you wear, the less you care.’

But some argue that a homophobic slur is not the kind of ‘hate’ that should be reclaimed and commercialised.

On Twitter people have described the jacket as ‘disgusting’, ‘horrific’, and ‘homophobic’.

This jacket was worn by actor Tommy Dorfman in Diesel’s campaign, when celebrities and influencers were asked to choose the worst online comments they had ever received so they could wear it. Dorfman chose to wear the word ‘faggot’.

At the time of the campaign’s release in September the brand also listed the option to create your own Ha(u)te Couture items in store. Customers could print the insults they’d faced on items in 42 stores around the world, with a portion of the proceeds going to anti-bullying charity the Only the Brave Foundation.

When the campaign debuted there was backlash around selling the ‘faggot’ jacket, to which Diesel responded by tweeting: ‘It’s worth repeating: you don’t make online hate disappear by hiding it.’

‘The main thing is not to hide,’ said Bruno Bertelli, the creative officer behind the campaign. ‘Hate comments are based on the fact that people are hiding themselves.

‘If you keep [hate] inside, it grows and hurts and becomes bigger and bigger.’

When criticism first arose, Diesel released the following statement: ‘Our aim has always been to disempower those that create the hate and manifest negativity.

‘Every individual cast within the campaign relates personally to the issue itself. To bring awareness to the wider issue, each chose a phrase that they wanted to wear proudly with the goal of empowering others to take a stance.

‘Together, Diesel and Tommy Dorfman use this as a platform to disempower the haters and show the more hate you wear, the less you care.’

Months after its release, the jacket is still causing controversy.

We’ve contacted Diesel and OTB, the group Diesel is a part of, for comment, and will update this story when we hear back.

MORE: Jimmy Choo launches heated boots to keep your toes warm this winter

MORE: Cardi B is called out for lying about Diesel offer as Nicki Minaj suggests Fashion Nova deal came to her first

MORE: Asics using Elite models in their latest campaign is a monumental step back for women’s sports

My Label and Me: Infertile

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For every living organism, life is a competition; a battle to exist.

As humans at the top of the food chain, we’ve evolved such that our daily battles are not usually physical ones as we fight off our prey; those primitive methods have been replaced with more advanced ways of measuring our place within the hierarchy of our species.

From the moment of conception (or even before in the case of assisted reproduction, when the ‘best’ egg and sperm can be pre-selected; cherry-picked for quality) we are competing, then classified by our characteristics.

Labelled.

Regular pre-natal scans tell anxious parents if their child is in line with ‘the average’ as their growth statistics are entered into databases for comparison.

Sam Walsh is a blogger from Sevenoaks Kent. Metro article about labelling people, infertile, bisexual. Sam is in her 40's and infertile and blogs about this and how her life style revolves around close friends with children and the headache of not being able to have her own children. By GRANT MELTON PHOTOGRAPHY
Growing up, Sam took no mind of labels (Picture: Grant Melton/Metro.co.uk)

At birth, we’re given a number by the NHS; measured, weighed and categorised by a percentile calculator, as created by the World Health Organisation.

We are labelled by date of birth, sex, race, religion. We are given a name, a moniker used to distinguish us from others.

We use labels to show our belonging, and labels to tell us apart. At school, we’re graded by intelligence and sporting ability.

We seem to have an innate need to put people into boxes.

At almost six feet tall, I’ve always stood head and shoulders above my peers, so my labels at school were often height-related: lanky, Legs eleven, Olive Oyl (Popeye’s statuesque love-interest, remember?).

Sam Walsh is a blogger from Sevenoaks Kent. Metro article about labelling people, infertile, bisexual. Sam is in her 40's and infertile and blogs about this and how her life style revolves around close friends with children and the headache of not being able to have her own children. By GRANT MELTON PHOTOGRAPHY
It was only when she was told she was infertile that she started to care how others saw her (Picture: Grant Melton/Metro.co.uk)

Being naturally very fair-haired with blue eyes, I was sometimes branded ‘bimbo’ or ‘airhead.’ I’ve been on the receiving end of many a terrible blonde joke (despite being in the top sets during my time at a grammar school, having been filtered and categorised once again by the system).

I was unfazed. Fun-loving and extroverted, with a good sense of humour and a large circle of friends, those labels didn’t bother me.

At 31, following a series of tests, I acquired a new label: infertile.

Overnight, my previously buoyant ego was deflated. My perception of self and that of others towards me changed.

Up until that point I knew I was privileged (Caucasian, above-average IQ, below-average BMI). Now I was suddenly inferior.

Faulty. A dud. My family line would soon be extinct.

Sam Walsh is a blogger from Sevenoaks Kent. Metro article about labelling people, infertile, bisexual. Sam is in her 40's and infertile and blogs about this and how her life style revolves around close friends with children and the headache of not being able to have her own children. By GRANT MELTON PHOTOGRAPHY
‘Being infertile means feeling case out from social circles.’ (Picture: Grant Melton/Metro.co.uk)

According to Darwin’s Theory, my substandard make-up needed to be expunged from the gene pool; there would be no mini-me.

I was suddenly part of a minority group: one of the 10% of women with fertility issues.

Despite my best efforts to fight my infertile label, including three failed IVF attempts, I am now one of the 18% of UK women who will never have children. Of course, those stats mean that almost all of my female friends, relatives and colleagues continue to produce a steady stream of offspring.

Being infertile means feeling cast out from social circles; an outsider. Despite previously being accepted, I was suddenly ‘different.’

It’s a Peter Pan existence: everyone around you enters a new stage in their lives but you’re stuck – a perpetual daughter, sister, friend but never anyone’s mother.

Sam Walsh is a blogger from Sevenoaks Kent. Metro article about labelling people, infertile, bisexual. Sam is in her 40's and infertile and blogs about this and how her life style revolves around close friends with children and the headache of not being able to have her own children. By GRANT MELTON PHOTOGRAPHY
‘I have salvaged some positives from my status.’ (Picture: Grant Melton/Metro.co.uk)

I am mid 40s now. Soon many of my peers will become grandparents, and the sense of being ‘left behind’ will be exacerbated.

As humans, we crave a sense of belonging. That carefully-crafted network falters when you go against the grain – by choice or otherwise.

My status as a childless divorcee sets me apart, however much I try to fit in.

A decade after receiving my infertile stamp, unwittingly cast as a non-conformist by society, I have salvaged some positives from my status: I can do what I want, when I want, unshackled by the responsibilities of parenthood.

I travel often. I’ve volunteered and raised money for disadvantaged children in Costa Rica, a highly rewarding experience, and intend to do more charity work.

I campaign, write a blog and articles like this one to support other ‘infertiles.’ I support The Eve Appeal, to help educate women around gynae cancers and the importance of smear tests (which is related to my own infertility diagnosis). I run a Facebook group called The Non-Mum Network.

I’ve discovered that there are other ways to feel connected to society without being a mother.

I cannot reproduce, but I am still worthy (despite being lambasted by many a Twitter troll).

The ‘infertile’ tag may be the one I’ve struggled most with in my life – it’s the label which has tested my character, sense of self-worth and relationships more than any other – but it’s also the one that has made me stronger than I ever thought possible.

Labels

Labels is an exclusive series that hears from individuals who have been labelled – whether that be by society, a job title, or a diagnosis. Throughout the project, writers will share how having these words ascribed to them shaped their identity  positively or negatively  and what the label means to them.

If you would like to get involved please email jess.austin@metro.co.uk

Fertility Month

This story is part of Fertility Month, a month-long series covering all aspects of fertility.

For the next four weeks, we will be speaking to people at all stages of the fertility journey as well as doctors, lawyers and fertility experts who can shed light on the most important issues.

If you have a story to tell or a question to ask, please do get in touch at fertilitystories@metro.co.uk.

Here is a selection of the stories from Fertility Month so far - and you can find all Fertility Month content here.

MORE: Fertility Month: Why we are talking about fertility this month

MORE: I found the perfect sperm donor - but I never got my happy ending

MORE: Plastic could be affecting your fertility – here’s how and why

 

MORE: My Label and Me: Vegan

MORE: My Label and Me: Snowflake

MORE: My Label and Me: Bald

PrettyLittleThing is getting praised for showing clothes on different sized models

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(Picture: Pretty Little Thing/Getty)

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that online shopping can be an absolute nightmare.

What looks good on a model will often look completely different on you – not just thanks to creative styling and Photoshop, but because we usually only get to see clothes on one specific body type: slim.

PrettyLittleThing is finally answering our calls to give us a better depiction of what clothes will actually look like on different bodies.

For the retailer’s collection with Hailey Baldwin, PrettyLittleThing’s product pages show two models wearing the same item of clothing. One model is standard size, while the other is plus-size.

And people are big fans of the move.

Some have noted that more could be done to give a better representation of clothing on all body types.

Brands could show items worn by all different sizes, rather than just on standard model size and plus-size (in-between types would like to know how their dress might look off the hanger, too).

Customers are asking for brands to show clothing worn by models of different skin tones, too.

But the decision is a start, and we applaud PrettyLittleThing for doing something outside the norm.

The more diversity in the fashion retail space, the better. More, please.

MORE: Diesel is facing criticism for selling a £350 jacket covered with a homophobic slur

MORE: Jimmy Choo launches heated boots to keep your toes warm this winter

MORE: Pole dancing taught me to love and value myself

Mums who give birth to boys are more likely to experience postnatal depression, say scientists

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ILLUSTRATION REQUEST: How soon after birth can I have sex? And will you want to? (Violet)
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Women who give birth to boys increase their risk of postnatal depression by 79% over those who have a girl, suggests new research

Researchers from Kent University in Canterbury have found that male babies cause more inflammation during pregnancy, an immune response that has been linked to postnatal depression.

The study involved looking at the reproductive histories of 296 women, tracking their experience of birth and mental health issues after pregnancy.

They found that the increased inflammatory response to male foetuses was linked to an increased likelihood of developing depressive symptoms.

More research is needed to figure out why that may be, but scientists hope that their findings will encourage mothers at a greater risk of postnatal depression to get help quickly.

Regardless of the baby’s gender, going through a complicated birth also increases a mother’s chances of experiencing postnatal depression.

Those who had birth complications were nearly three times more prone to PND than those whose labours were smooth-sailing.

Study co-author Dr Sarah Johns said: ‘PND is a condition that is avoidable.

Symptoms of postnatal depression:

  • a persistent feeling of sadness and low mood
  • loss of interest in the world around you and no longer enjoying things that used to give you pleasure
  • lack of energy and feeling tired all the time
  • trouble sleeping at night and feeling sleepy during the day
  • feeling that you’re unable to look after your baby
  • problems concentrating and making decisions
  • loss of appetite or an increased appetite (comfort eating)
  • feeling agitated, irritable or very apathetic (you “can’t be bothered”)
  • feelings of guilt, hopelessness and self-blame
  • difficulty bonding with your baby with a feeling of indifference and no sense of enjoyment in his or her company
  • frightening thoughts – for example, about hurting your baby; these can be scary, but they’re very rarely acted upon
  • thinking about suicide and self-harm

NHS

‘It has been shown giving women at risk extra help and support can make it less likely to develop.

‘This might also be the reason why the study found women already experiencing depression or anxiety were at a lesser risk than their peers – because they already had support systems in place.

‘The finding that having a baby boy or a difficult birth increases a woman’s risk gives health practitioners two new and easy ways to identify women who would particularly benefit from additional support in the first few weeks and months.

‘Many known risk factors for depressive symptoms are associated with activation of inflammatory pathways – opening up the potential for identifying novel risk factors based on their inflammation causing effects.

‘Both the gestation of male foetuses and the experience of birth complications have documented associations with increased inflammation, yet their relationships with PND) are currently unclear.

‘These results highlight two novel PND risk factors, male infants and birth complications, which can be easily assessed by health professionals. “

‘It’s important to seek help as soon as possible if you think you might be depressed, as your symptoms could last months or get worse.’

Need support? Contact the Samaritans

For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.

MORE: Climate change is causing ecoanxiety and damaging our mental health – what can we do?

MORE: Becoming a mother has meant accepting a lifetime of anxiety

MORE: How the fear of passing on our mental illness is making us question having children

My mental health was triggered by hiding my sexuality. LGBT people need to be able to speak out

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‘Intrinsically, I felt being gay was something I didn’t want to be. This feeling of resentment clung to every part of me.’ (Picture: Mmuffin for Metro.co.uk)

When I was 17 I was diagnosed with anorexia. After receiving that news, I remember feeling a weird sense of numbness.

I wasn’t really scared or worried. Part of me just didn’t care anymore. I was tired. Drained of thinking. Exhausted from feeling. I wanted someone, anyone, to step in and tell me what to do. Looking back, I could have died in those blackest of days, and I would never have known there was a shining life still ahead of me.

As a young adult, I began to struggle with my sexuality and a distinct feeling of being different from my friends. I developed feelings for female friends that I was ashamed and unsure of.

Surely, I couldn’t be gay? I didn’t know anyone who was lesbian, gay, bi or trans. There were no role models in my school, no teachers or pupils who visibly identified as LGBT. We never really learnt about same-sex relationships and I didn’t even learn the acronym LGBT until I was much older.

Intrinsically, I felt being gay was something I didn’t want to be. This feeling of resentment clung to every part of me.

I needed something to control, in a world that I felt I’d lost control of. We can’t control who we are and who we love, but I could control my weight.

I was ashamed, nervous and terrified that the news would get back to my family.

Fortunately, I got through this bleak time. I received support from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAHMS) as an outpatient initially, and then I was referred by my healthcare professionals to a Priory Hospital within days of being told my condition required serious intervention. I received treatment there for three months.

Despite knowing deep-down that the problems I was experiencing with my mental health may have been caused by confusion around my sexuality, I never spoke openly about this to my therapist. Not even once in the three months of daily therapy sessions.

It took me another six years to finally be honest with myself and come out to family and friends.

Why didn’t I say anything?

I feared discrimination. I was worried my therapist would look at me and think I was abnormal. I was ashamed, nervous and terrified that the news would get back to my family. I physically could not get those words out.

New research from Stonewall shows that I’m not alone. One in five LGBT people (19%) aren’t out to anyone about their sexual orientation when seeking general medical care. This rises to 40% of bi men and 29% of bi women

It also highlights that one in seven LGBT people, including more than a third of trans people, avoided treatment for fear of discrimination because they are LGBT.

If LGBT people don’t feel like they can be honest and open about who they are with healthcare providers, who are we meant to turn to in a crisis? How can we be treated effectively?

Thankfully, I received excellent medical care which helped me back to a normal and healthy weight. I am also proud to identify as a gay woman. However, I still face ongoing difficulties with my mental health and suffer from both depression and anxiety.

Poor mental health is something that continues to affect the wider LGBT community at alarmingly high rates. In the last year alone, half of LGBT people reported that they had experienced depression in the last year, while 61% had episodes of anxiety.

Simply being lesbian, gay, bi or trans shouldn’t automatically mean you have poorer mental health, but the findings of the Stonewall report show that for many of us, it still does.

I strongly believe that my mental health problems derive from years of suppressing my sexuality as a young person. LGBT people need to be able to speak openly and honestly with their healthcare professionals about who they are, so they can get the care they need.

There’s so many committed individuals and organisations who have made great efforts to better meet the needs of LGBT patients. But more still needs to be done to create a world where every person has the support they need to be happy and healthy.

MORE: In unsurprising news, a poor night’s sleep increases anxiety the next day

MORE: Emma Watson praised for being LGBTQ+ ally by wearing ‘trans rights are human rights’ t-shirt

MORE: Cis lesbians must support our trans friends’ right to self-identify


Men are injecting fillers into their scrotums to get bigger balls

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Scrotal enlargement and why people do it. Metro Illustrations Virgin Miri/ Metro.co.uk
(Picture: Virgin Miri/ Metro.co.uk)

It’s not too surprising that men are getting surgical treatments to increase the length and girth of their penises.

Penis size has been used a stick with which to beat men for ages. Telling someone they have a small dick is an oversized insult. Porn shows eight-inch schlongs that would make anyone feel inferior.

Despite repeated cries that size doesn’t matter (it really, really doesn’t), the ‘bigger is better’ message has been hammered home harder than those massively endowed porn stars pound their onscreen partners.

So it makes sense that men would react to that pressure and comparison by taking action to make their penis bigger.

But what about their balls?

At first glance, balls don’t seem to face the same scrutiny as a man’s penis.

Yes, ‘big balls’ are used to denote courage and strength, but does the actual size of a man’s testicles hold any significance?

To some, clearly it does, as there are men around the world opting to have fillers injected into their balls.

This is not to be confused with saline testicle injections, which are something men do to inflate their ballsacks as part of the BDSM scene. This practice recently led to a man’s death at 28.

This article is also not about prosthetic testicles used for those who have lost a ball due to surgery, injury, or infection.

No, we’re talking about fillers – the same as you’d use in your lips or to add height to your cheekbones – injected into the testicles for the explicit purpose of making the testicles bigger.

The procedure isn’t common, but some mainstream clinics do offer the service.

What is 'sacking' and how can you deal with it during sex?
(Picture: metro.co.uk)

Mr Giulio Garaffa, a uro-andrologist at International Andrology and an honorary lecturer at University college Hospital, explains to Metro.co.uk that injecting filler into the testicles is fairly simple.

‘The principle is the same as described for penile girth enlargement and would involve injecting a filler in the soft Dartos layer underneath the scrotal skin, so as to cause a visible increase in scrotal volume.’

International Andrology’s clinic does offer scrotal fillers, but say that requests for them aren’t common. They’re more likely to offer testicular prosthesis implantation ‘in patients who have an empty scrotal sac, either because the testicles are absent or very small.’

Worryingly, scrotal fillers are often unregulated and performed by unlicensed practitioners. The shame around getting a cosmetic procedure on the balls means men are pushed to take risky routes to achieve their desired appearance, opting to get silicone implants from unqualified individuals keen to make quick cash without concerning themselves with health and safety.

As with all cosmetic procedures, there’s a serious risk of infection, but when it comes to testicular enlargement experts have concerns about the substances unlicensed practitioners will inject into men’s scrotums.

Regulated doctors will use fillers such as hyaluronic acid, collagen, or autologous fat (fat taken from another area of the body and then injected back in). Backstreet procedures may use anything from saline to silicone, or even cement and tire sealant.

Because these unlicensed procedures are illegal, those considering them may be unwilling to ask for expertise from medical professionals, and those whose procedures have gone wrong may delay getting treatment out of fear and shame.

Even with professionally performed scrotal fillers it’s crucial to be aware of the risks and get help quickly if there are any worrying symptoms.

‘When performed in a high volume medical center by an experienced surgeon, penile enlargement is safe and yields good results,’ says Dr Garaffa. ‘Infection is the most severe complication that can be experienced and the rate of that occurring stands at less than 1%.

‘It is paramount to adequately counsel patients preoperatively to make sure they are perfectly informed of what to expect from surgery and that their expectations are realistic.

‘We examine around 150 patients a month in our clinic, but only around 10-20% of them will undergo surgery as the most important aspect of this process is to make sure that patients that opt for this type of operation are fully informed and know what to expect in terms of the risks and also the functional and aesthetic results of these types of operations.’

Scrotal fillers join ‘scrotox’ (Botox used to reduce wrinkles on the scrotum) as increasingly common methods of testicular enhancement. Both beg the question: Are men secretly deeply self-conscious about their balls?

(Picture: Ella BYworth for Metro.co.uk)

For James, 31, the answer is no. ‘I’ve never given [the size of my balls] a moment’s thought,’ he told Metro.co.uk. James said he wouldn’t consider getting fillers ‘in a million years’.

Tim, 35, however, has long worried that his testicles were smaller than average.

‘It sounds sort of dumb, but they gave us these rubber sacks with testes in them to practise self-exam in school, I think I was 13 or 14,’ he tells us. ‘They were way bigger than mine.

‘When no one else made that observation I began to assume mine were on the small side.

‘Seeing other men naked in locker rooms, other men’s have always looked bigger. But no one has ever said anything to me about them.’

Years later Tim discovered he had low levels of testosterone, which caused smaller testicles. But while he is conscious that they’re smaller, he wouldn’t consider getting fillers, and doesn’t think sexual partners would be bothered by the size of his balls.

Rohan, 30, feels that having any cosmetic treatments done to his scrotum simply isn’t worth any risk, but says he feels worried about the size of his balls, too.

‘We don’t get to see balls of guys around us so only source is porn,’ he explains. ‘Like any young guy, you do wonder if cocks are supposed to be that big and thick and balls are supposed to be hanging like that.

‘That did make me a little self-conscious.

‘I got more concerned when a partner mentioned that my balls were small despite being so hung. I didn’t know if it was compliment on my dick or comment on balls.

‘Girls do notice it and some do comment. Like one partner, she was into porn and wanted to feel balls slapping against her pussy on every thrust, Like in porn.

‘One day she told me, if I wasn’t good otherwise, she would have dumped me because my balls didn’t do that thing.

‘I am someone who would never play around with my equipment only for aesthetics. If there was something actually wrong, I would have looked at options.

‘But fillers for balls? Too precious to play around.’

As with any cosmetic enhancement, what you do with your body is entirely up to you – including making the decision to have a substance injected into your ballsack. But it’s crucial to do it safely.

Think through why you’d like to increase the size of your balls, and question whether you’re overinflating their importance. An emotional problem and low self-esteem will not magically be fixed by a load of collagen, and if you find that you’re obsessively worrying about the size of your testicles, it’s worth talking to a doctor about counselling before you hit up a surgeon.

If you do decide to go ahead, please do go to a licensed practitioner qualified to inject fillers, and make sure all the safety precautions are taken. Only have fillers injected in a clean, medical setting – never at a party or in your mate’s room with collagen he ordered online.

Dr Kirk Kremer of London’s Harley Street Aesthetics recently warned of the dangers of getting fillers in non-medical settings, telling Metro.co.uk: ‘Even though Botox and filler treatments are considered non-surgical, they are in fact invasive and can cause more damage than the layman thinks.

‘When undergoing these so-called “blind” procedures, needles or canulas are penetrated through the patient’s skin and muscles to place the Botox or filler in the right places

‘You can imagine that if the needles are inserted in the wrong place, nerve damage can be caused, leading to skin necrosis, blindness or paralysis of the muscled causing deformation.

‘This might be temporary but it can also be permanent.

‘An infection is one of the complications that can occur after having one of these procedures, and as a clinician I place a great deal of importance on having a sterile setting to work in.’

And remember that just like penises, there’s no ‘right’ size for your scrotum. The health of your testicles is what’s important, not their size. Never let your self-worth lie in the size of your bulge.

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People queued overnight to get their hands on the H&M x Moschino line

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If you’re desperately trying to get your hands on ther H&M x Moschino collab online, you’re not alone.

The site is currently down due to the number of people visiting, which was probably to be expected if previous designer collabs from the high street brand are anything to go by.

Those that pre-empted the online rush took to the streets to get some Jeremy Scott goodness IRL, with many people waiting overnight in the cold.

We spoke to some of the hardline queuing fashionistas at the High Street Kensington to find out what they were coveting from the collection.

Moschino launches at H&M store on High Street Kensington, London
People were ready to spend big and small at High Street Kensington (Picture: Metro.co.uk)

Some had been there from 10.30pm last night, with camping chairs and massive jackets to stay comfortable.

Plenty weren’t keen to be pictured with us, as they’d called in ‘sick’ to get some sweet, sweet garms.

Others had made the trip for family and friends, and some only wanted a single tee from the collaboration: This is how the hype becomes real.

Given that a standard t-shirt from Moschino might set you back around £350, the fact that this line was priced between £18 and £210 would have been a big pull.

Moschino X H&M lookbook
Mickey and Minnie feature heavily in the collab (Picture: Moschino X H&M)

There are also plenty of nods to Jeremy Scott’s pop culture inspired past, so customers know they’re getting something that’s iconic and uniquely Moschino.

In 2015, H&M were forced to close their flagship Oxford Street store after so many people turned up to shop the Balmain collaboration that it caused health and safety fears.

Although there weren’t any riots at High Street Ken, there was dedication to the cause of shopping in droves.

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How would you feel if your neighbour wanted a home birth in your communal garden?

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Plans for natural birth on the roof Getty
(Picture: Annette Birkenfeld/Getty)

Loads of buildings have communal spaces. Using them without bothering your neighbours can get awkward.

One apartment block’s shared rooftop, in Queensland, was ‘booked up’ by a resident in the building. Only, instead of having a party or a barbecue which the area is usually used for, a woman wanted to use it to give birth.

After seeing the family’s request to use the space for a whole day to accommodate the birth, a neighbour uploaded an image online of the note attached to the lift, warning residents about the day. She wasn’t happy with the whole thing.

‘Dear lovely neighbours, just wanting to inform you that my partner and I have booked the rooftop for our natural home birth from approximately 1pm till late on the 10th of this month,’ said the note, adding: ‘We will do our best to keep the noise levels down and will of course clean up after ourselves. Any issues please feel free to contact me.’

woman who has decided to have her home birth on a rooftop
(Picture: Facebook)

But the neighbour who was outraged at seeing the casual note stuck to the lift felt it wasn’t the kind of thing the space should be used for.

‘I’m about five seconds from flipping a desk and writing an angry email to our building manager,’ she said.

‘Like most city apartments we have a communal rooftop barbecue area.’

‘You can’t “book” it as such but most people will leave notes in the lift and let the building manager know if they are using the space for a party.

‘But I think this is ridiculous.’

Plans for natural birth on the roof Getty
(Picture: Lauren Bates/Getty Images)

Other neighbours felt that a live birth may also disturb the peace and quiet of the building. The woman then checked the legislation surrounding public births in the building.

She found that the bylaws of the building state the area can be used as long as they ‘do not impede on the peace and recreational use of other residents’.

Some people commented on the woman’s post raising safety concerns, in case the lift broke down and the family needed to make a quick getaway to the hospital.

One person said the whole thing sounded like a prank. ‘I think someone is having you on, to be honest. Unless she’s being induced there’s no way to predict a natural birth to that degree. Sounds like a joke. And if not, is it really that bad? A bit icky and unhygienic and not particularly private though,’ they wrote.

The note was then taken down, so we’ll never know if it was a prank or if the backlash made the mother-to-be change her mind.

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Company makes underwear that doesn’t have to be washed for weeks at a time

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(Picture: Getty)

In the battle to save the planet we all want to do our bit. Bringing our own bags to the supermarket, ditching plastic from our homes, cycling to work – but we never thought we might have to stop washing our knickers.

This is exactly what new company Organic Basics are suggesting, with their range of eco-friendly underwear, the SilverTech 2.0 range.

The company say the pieces are self-washing, kill 99.9% of bacteria and can go weeks at a time without needing to be washed. We really don’t know how we feel about this.

On the one hand, we’re definitely up for doing everything we can to live sustainably and prevent the planet dying a slow death, but on the other hand… ew?

Whacking on your favourite granny-pants inside-out when you’ve forgotten to do a wash is one thing, but are we really going to get on board with wearing the same pair of knickers for days or weeks?

Organic Basics assures customers that hygiene and smell won’t be an issue. The products are made from 100% sustainable material and are able to kill bacteria to prevent odour developing.

According to the company’s Kickstarter page, the collection is wrinkle resistant, heat regulating and durable – the aim is for the products to last longer so you don’t have to buy new pants quite as frequently.

This underwear doesn't need to be washed for weeks at a time organicbasics
(Picture: Organic Basics)

Organic Basics say that reducing washing can make a big difference in terms of environmental sustainability.

‘So much of the waste and pollution within the fashion industry is in your hands to improve. Being more sustainable is just as simple as turning off the water when you brush your teeth,’ they explain on their website.

‘Not only will you save water, electricity and detergent, but your clothes will also last longer, too. For most people, washing is more of a habit than a necessity.

‘So next time you don’t do laundry in a while, you’re not being lazy, you’re just being a super chill environmentalist.’

This underwear doesn't need to be washed for weeks at a time organicbasics
(Picture: Organic Basics)

But the amount of time you can go without washing does depend on the individual.

‘The effect of silver can vary from person to person, depending on how much and how strong our body odours are. Technically, you can wear our SilverTech 2.0 products for over one week without washing.

‘However body hygiene is a very personal matter. So where one person can wear SilverTech for a month without having the need to wash, others might feel that need after just a few days. Less washing will save the environment a lot of water and CO2.’

So really, it comes down to a bit of a toss-up – personal hygiene vs the environment. And while it’s not technically that black-and-white, it does suggest that eco-warriors should think more carefully about how often they’re washing their clothes.

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Subway launches baubles filled with its most popular sauces

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(Picture: Subway)

Baubles filled with stuff aren’t a new thing, we’ve already seen gin and cocktail filled baubles.

But now, Subway sauce baubles are a thing, and they’re… interesting, to say the least.

The Subway baubles come in celebration of the launch of Subway’s new Christmas menu.

(Picture: Subway)

The range of tree decorations includes baubles filled with Chipotle Southwest, Sweet Onion and Red Chilli sauce – the three most popular Subway sauces.

While you might be wanting to get your hands on the baubles, you will have to be patient and they’re currently only being tested and won’t actually come out until next year.

(Picture: Subway)

Colin Hughes, Country Director, UK at Subway says: ‘Fans on social rave about our sauces, and especially our signature Chipotle Southwest.

‘So we are working on ways to give them what we know they want – the chance to get their hands on the Subway range of condiments. We predict the Subway Bauble Collection will be must-have Christmas decorations for sauce fans!’

(Picture: Subway)

If you are a fan of Subway and want to get into the Christmas spirit now, however, the new festive menu is out now. It includes a new Six-inch Christmas Cracker Sub, which comes with turkey, bacon, cranberry sauce, orange chutney, pork and sage stuffing and gravy, and a new chocolate and orange cookie.

Yum.

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Cat lives his best life paddleboarding on some of Canada’s most beautiful lakes

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Meet Logan - a stereotype smashing cat which spends its days PADDLEBOARDING on some of Canada's most beautiful lakes. See SWNS story SWNYpaddle; The two-year-old Bengal cat fell in love with the water sport after his owner JD Batbatan, 34, brought him on a paddle boarding trip to their local lake. JD, a critical care nurse, had read that Logan?s breed sometimes enjoyed water and decided to put his research to the test on Kalamalka Lake in March 2017. The daring cat, then five months old, loved the experience so much that JD, of Vernon, British Columbia, Canada now brings him on all of his paddle boarding adventures. JD says Logan isn?t the only animal to fall in love with the hobby as the cat often is joined by Yoda, a four-year-old pygmy goat, owned by the nurse?s pal Shanda Hill. JD said: "When he was about five months old I took him with me paddle boarding."He really enjoyed the water and the trees. "It felt like a really natural thing so I kept on bringing him. "I never thought it wasn?t normal until people started looking at me and taking photos. They can?t believe he loves paddle boarding.
(Picture: @supingcat / SWNS.com)

You might struggle to get your cat to have a bath but some kitties really don’t mind the water.

Logan, a two-year-old Bengal, spends his time paddleboarding on some of the most breathtaking lakes in Canada.

He made a hobby of it after being introduced to paddleboarding by his owner JD Batbatan.

The daring cat loved the experience so much that JD, from Vernon, Canada now brings him on all of his paddleboarding adventures.

Meet Logan - a stereotype smashing cat which spends its days PADDLEBOARDING on some of Canada's most beautiful lakes. See SWNS story SWNYpaddle; The two-year-old Bengal cat fell in love with the water sport after his owner JD Batbatan, 34, brought him on a paddle boarding trip to their local lake. JD, a critical care nurse, had read that Logan?s breed sometimes enjoyed water and decided to put his research to the test on Kalamalka Lake in March 2017. The daring cat, then five months old, loved the experience so much that JD, of Vernon, British Columbia, Canada now brings him on all of his paddle boarding adventures. JD says Logan isn?t the only animal to fall in love with the hobby as the cat often is joined by Yoda, a four-year-old pygmy goat, owned by the nurse?s pal Shanda Hill. JD said: "When he was about five months old I took him with me paddle boarding."He really enjoyed the water and the trees. "It felt like a really natural thing so I kept on bringing him. "I never thought it wasn?t normal until people started looking at me and taking photos. They can?t believe he loves paddle boarding.
Anyone else feeling Life of Pi vibes? (Picture: @supingcat / SWNS.com)

JD, a critical care nurse, had read that Logan’s breed sometimes enjoyed water and decided to put his research to the test on Kalamalka Lake last year.

‘When he was about five months old I took him with me paddleboarding,’ explained JD.

‘He really enjoyed the water and the trees. It felt like a really natural thing so I kept on bringing him.

‘I never thought it wasn’t normal until people started looking at me and taking photos. They can’t believe he loves paddle boarding.

‘In the summertime, we go twice a week, and if it’s not too cold in the winter I’ll still take him with me. He has a few different coats.

‘Everyone is really amazed when they see him.’

Meet Logan - a stereotype smashing cat which spends its days PADDLEBOARDING on some of Canada's most beautiful lakes. See SWNS story SWNYpaddle; The two-year-old Bengal cat fell in love with the water sport after his owner JD Batbatan, 34, brought him on a paddle boarding trip to their local lake. JD, a critical care nurse, had read that Logan?s breed sometimes enjoyed water and decided to put his research to the test on Kalamalka Lake in March 2017. The daring cat, then five months old, loved the experience so much that JD, of Vernon, British Columbia, Canada now brings him on all of his paddle boarding adventures. JD says Logan isn?t the only animal to fall in love with the hobby as the cat often is joined by Yoda, a four-year-old pygmy goat, owned by the nurse?s pal Shanda Hill. JD said: "When he was about five months old I took him with me paddle boarding."He really enjoyed the water and the trees. "It felt like a really natural thing so I kept on bringing him. "I never thought it wasn?t normal until people started looking at me and taking photos. They can?t believe he loves paddle boarding.
(Picture: @supingcat / SWNS.com)

They don’t enjoy their adventures alone. Sometimes they’ll bring a goat, borrowed from JD’s work colleague.

The pygmy goat not only joins the duo on the lake but takes part in their hikes too.

JD and Logan now have their sights set on sailing on American waters.

Meet Logan - a stereotype smashing cat which spends its days PADDLEBOARDING on some of Canada's most beautiful lakes. See SWNS story SWNYpaddle; The two-year-old Bengal cat fell in love with the water sport after his owner JD Batbatan, 34, brought him on a paddle boarding trip to their local lake. JD, a critical care nurse, had read that Logan?s breed sometimes enjoyed water and decided to put his research to the test on Kalamalka Lake in March 2017. The daring cat, then five months old, loved the experience so much that JD, of Vernon, British Columbia, Canada now brings him on all of his paddle boarding adventures. JD says Logan isn?t the only animal to fall in love with the hobby as the cat often is joined by Yoda, a four-year-old pygmy goat, owned by the nurse?s pal Shanda Hill. JD said: "When he was about five months old I took him with me paddle boarding."He really enjoyed the water and the trees. "It felt like a really natural thing so I kept on bringing him. "I never thought it wasn?t normal until people started looking at me and taking photos. They can?t believe he loves paddle boarding.
We don’t have pictures of the goat but please enjoy Logan’s pics (Picture: @supingcat / SWNS.com)

‘We have traveled to Alberta which is four hours away to go paddle boarding. I would love to go further afield and visit Lake Louise or even go to the States with Logan.

‘I feel like Logan really enjoys paddle boarding. He’s great company and he doesn’t complain like humans.

‘Sometimes he falls into the water chasing dragon flies but he’s a good swimmer so I’m not afraid. And once I dry him off he’s fine.

‘Pets shouldn’t stay in the home anyway. They need to be free sometimes.’

Meet Logan - a stereotype smashing cat which spends its days PADDLEBOARDING on some of Canada's most beautiful lakes. See SWNS story SWNYpaddle; The two-year-old Bengal cat fell in love with the water sport after his owner JD Batbatan, 34, brought him on a paddle boarding trip to their local lake. JD, a critical care nurse, had read that Logan?s breed sometimes enjoyed water and decided to put his research to the test on Kalamalka Lake in March 2017. The daring cat, then five months old, loved the experience so much that JD, of Vernon, British Columbia, Canada now brings him on all of his paddle boarding adventures. JD says Logan isn?t the only animal to fall in love with the hobby as the cat often is joined by Yoda, a four-year-old pygmy goat, owned by the nurse?s pal Shanda Hill. JD said: "When he was about five months old I took him with me paddle boarding."He really enjoyed the water and the trees. "It felt like a really natural thing so I kept on bringing him. "I never thought it wasn?t normal until people started looking at me and taking photos. They can?t believe he loves paddle boarding.
Who’s a good cat? (Picture: @supingcat / SWNS.com)

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Vegan chef shortages, overnight oats, and Tube takeovers: A week in vegan news

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The vegan world has continued to be rocked by the ranty-Waitrose-editor-gate fiasco, with everyone giving their two cents worth.

Some are outraged that such ‘hilarious’ free speech has been met with a good resignation, while others are simply perplexed as to why an editor for a supermarket would poke fun at a consumer group their company is actively trying to court.

Urgh.

But let’s not allow William Sitwell et al to p*ss all over our bonfire, because there have been lots of good things this week in other vegan news…

Ironically, Waitrose is named best UK supermarket for vegan food

BRISTOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 18: (EDITORS NOTE: This image was created using digital filters) The Waitrose sign is displayed outside a branch of the supermarket on November 18, 2015 in Bristol, England. As the crucial Christmas retail period approaches, all the major supermarkets are becoming increasingly competitive to retain and increase their share of the market. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
Ahh, a vegan paradise (Picture: Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Waitrose and Ocado have been named the best supermarkets for consumers looking to buy vegan food online, a new study has found.

According to eCommerce analytics platform, E Fundamentals, the Waitrose group has the widest offering of plant-based food products, as well as a website that’s most user-friendly for vegans.

They topped a list which also included Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Iceland, Asda, and Amazon Prime.

In terms of product ranges across retailers, vegan options account for 4% of online retail listings, with vegan milk the highest at 12%. Ocado leads as the retailer with the widest variety of vegan and plant-based ranges on sale, with Sainsbury’s and Tesco also delivering a higher than average proportion of vegan ranges.

The plant-based Gods move in mysterious ways.

PETA takes over the Tube

PETA is taking over Clapham (Picture: PETA)

Sure, PETA isn’t everyone’s favourite charity but they sure do know a thing or two about shock tactics and effective advertising.

This week, the group has blitzed the crustation-chomping commuter belt of Clapham Common with a stack of posters featuring crabs, fish, lobsters and octopuses.

In each ad, an animal appears next to the words, ‘I’m ME, Not MEAT. See the individual. Go Vegan.’ or ‘Sea Life, Not Sea Food’.

‘Just like humans, fish, crabs, lobsters, and octopuses feel pain and fear, have unique personalities, and value their own lives,’ says PETA Director Elisa Allen.

‘PETA’s tube takeover asks everyone to spare these sensitive animals the agony of being boiled to death, eaten alive, or crushed in fishing nets simply by choosing vegan meals. See animals, not ‘seafood’.’

A PETA US investigation of a crustacean abattoir revealed that live lobsters and crabs were impaled, torn apart, and decapitated – even as their legs continued to move.

Chefs typically place live lobsters in pots of boiling water while they’re still conscious – a cruel practice that has been banned in Switzerland – and some cut off live octopuses’ limbs and serve them still writhing to customers. Fish may slowly suffocate or be crushed to death when they’re dragged out of the ocean in huge nets, and the throats and stomachs of those who survive are cut open on the decks of fishing boats.

But increasingly alternative fishy products are becoming popular. Just last month, renowned London fish and chip shop Sutton and Sons converted its Hackney location to an all-vegan menu offering ‘fish’ and chips, ‘scampi’, and ‘prawn cocktail’.

So, over to you, Clapham.

Vegans are accused of causing the world’s suffering

Motivbeschreibung: Avocado, Halbe Avocado, Avocado-Kern, Kern, Gr?n, Green, half avacado Ort: Studio Thema: Avocado
Are our avos really causing the world to burn? (Picture: Getty)

Journo Yasmin Alibhai-Brown accused vegans this week of causing ‘huge amounts of pain around the world’.

She said that demand for soy, quinoa, and avocados was tearing the world apart due to deforestation.

‘Soy has caused deforestation in huge areas,’ she said on the BBC. ‘In parts of India, because the West has now got onto chickpeas, they cost more than chicken, and quinoa and avocados are causing such disruption among the poorest’.

In the case of soy, the Union of Concerned Scientists say that 70-75% of the world’s soy ends up as feed for chickens, pigs, cows, and farmed fish.

So I think us tofu eaters can rest easy in our beds with that one.

Cafe Rouge launches a new vegan menu

Instagram Photo

French cuisine might not be known for being vegan-friendly, but that’s not stopped Cafe Rouge from jumping on the plant-based bandwagon.

The chain says it’s seen a 44% increase in demand in their new vegan autumn dishes in the last month alone.

So it’s now bringing out a special one for Christmas too.

It’ll be offering up a mushroom filo parcel or vegetable Parmentier alongside their existing vegan and gluten-free options such as mushroom and spelt risotto, butternut squash soup and chocolate and chestnut torte.

Vevolution launches this week

(Picture: Sarah Koury / Entirety Labs)

The annual Vevolution fest is back at the BFI this week on 10 November, and is set to be the biggest and best yet.

King Cook Daily, BOSH! Naturally Stefanie, Rachel Ama – all the vegan royalty will be there to deliver up some tasty bites and a whole load of inspo.

‘Around the world, plant-powered people are playing a huge role in shaping culture. Vevolution Festival 2018 is the gathering for the plant-powered generation – it’s all about coming together to help shape a more positive outlook for the future of the planet,’ says co-founder Damien.

Tickets are priced between £45 adn £103.50, which does seem a bit dear but you know, that’s the price you pay for supporting small businesses.

Vegan breakfast company Bexfast is crowdfunding for a new HQ

(Picture: Bex Walker/Instagram)

A while ago, we interviewed Bex Walker who founded an overnight oats company in her kitchen with her young daughter.

Bex came to veganism after being diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

She’s always been clear that while eating plant-based doesn’t cure CFS, she’s found it to dramatically reduce the symptoms. And like many of us who perhaps come to the movement for health reasons, Bex says that the longer she’s involved in veganism, the more she’s got on board with the ethical side of things.

Her business, thanks largely to Instagram, has gone from strength to strength – so much so that she now desperately needs to move premises if she’s to continue the enterprise.

Bex and her daughter Tyler do everything for Bexfast, from cooking up the batches to oats to sticking the labels on and delivering the pots. And let me tell you, they’re ridiculously delicious (particularly the unicorn flavour).

They’re looking to raise £20,000 by Christmas so that the business can keep growing amid a booming plant-based industry.

The UK is running out of vegan chefs as demand continues to rise

5 common myths about nutrition (and the truths) Ella Byworth
(Picture: Ella Byworth/ Metro.co.uk)

As if the editor of the Waitrose magazine making all the headlines for a cheap jibe at vegans wasn’t proof we’re well mainstream these days, the Guardian reported this weekend that restaurants cannot keep up with the demand for vegan grub.

A new vegan cookery school (the Vegan Chef Institute) opened in London last week, launching a fast-track course to train more people in the art of plant-based cookery.

Chantal Di Donato, co-founder of the Vegan Chef Institute, told the paper that the scheme was in response to restaurateurs who have to train their own staff.

‘There’s a lot of really good chefs in the industry, but it’s really hard to find enough of them because it’s so new.

‘A lot of the food on offer was uninspired. But vegan food can be more than just a salad or a roasted cauliflower – that’s why we think this is important.’

Oh and ICYMI, one in eight of us are now plant-based

5 common myths about nutrition (and the truths) Ella Byworth
(Picture: Ella Byworth/ Metro.co.uk)

Waitrose (again?!) published a report last week claiming that one in eight Brits are now vegan or veggie, with a further 21% claiming to be flexitarian.

The report also found that nine in 10 people who saw BBC’s Blue Planet II have changed their behaviour since to be more eco-friendly.

Waitrose managing director Rob Collins says: “Being mindful of how we live and eat has become a priority in today’s world.

‘As we become increasingly mindful of our own health, the wellbeing of our family and that of the planet, we’re reshaping how we shop, cook and eat.

‘Welcome to the era of the mindful consumer.’

Oh, there really is something so gloriously ironic about all of this.

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Charlotte Tilbury reveals how to get a look of an angel ahead of tonight’s Victoria’s Secret Show

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Victoria’s Secret Show 2017 (Picture: Getty Images)

Tonight, British makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury will be painting the faces of this years Angels for the legendary 2018 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

From her fittingly named products to her signature makeup looks, including the Golden Goddess, Uptown Girl and Dolce Vita, we couldn’t think of anyone better for the job.

And as if we weren’t already excited enough to watch the models work the runway in their magnificent custom-designed outfits and those famous VS wings, Charlotte has announced that she’s bringing back her sell-out sensation Exagger-Eyes Luxury Palette, part of Charlotte’s Beauty Filters collection and Eyes to Mesmerise in Rose Gold in a limited run.

She will be using both tonight to create the ultimate dreamy supermodel eyes.

Instagram Photo

‘This look is all about enhancing the most beautiful, dreamy angel version of YOU. I designed the look to act like a glowing, angelic filter for the face and body, and to enhance what nature naturally blessed you with… so they can light up the runway and casts a spell on the world!’

‘One of my inspirations for the look was inspired by the healthy, happy, naturally flawless beauty look of Gisele – she embodies that signature fresh, glowing ANGEL gorgeousness!’ Charlotte said in a press statement.

Of course, we don’t think we’ll ever reach Charlotte’s makeup skill level, but she’s given us the inside scoop on how to recreate the glamourous eye look for the Victoria’s Secret Show 2018 – a.k.a. how to look like a goddess.

And it’s easier than you think.

Here is the step-by-step guide to how Tilbury will be using all her beauty faves:

How to get the eyes of an 'angel'

1. To start, Charlotte curled the eyelashes for definition using her Life-Changing Lashes curler.

2.  Then using a blender brush, Charlotte washed the enhance shade from her Exagger-Eyes Luxury Palette forwards and backwards across the eyelid like a windscreen wiper. And used the smoke shade along the lash line to add definition.

3. To enhance the Angel eye look, Charlotte used a second best-selling favourite Eyes to Mesmerise in Rose Gold. Using a smudger brush, Charlotte applied the metallic rose gold shade underneath the lower lash line to make the eyes naturally pop.

4. To elongate the eyes and create a seductive, sexy lifted shape Charlotte lined the eyes with an Angel Wing using her chocolatey powder pencil eyeliner in The Sophia.

5. For extra richness and depth, Charlotte applied her Colour Chameleon pencil in Amber Haze along the lash line.

6. To complete the Supermodel eye filter look, Charlotte used Victoria’s Secret Major Lash to give a dreamy Angel flutter in seconds.

All Charlotte Tilbury products used in the official Victoria’s Secret 2018 Makeup Look are available on charlottetilbury.com.

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Getting Freaky: How dangerous is masturbating with a vacuum cleaner?

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How dangerous is masturbating with a vacuum cleaner?
(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

As with many a morbid urban legend, the story starts off with someone’s madcap MacGyver masturbation technique.

Next thing the story’s protagonist knows, they’re ankle-deep in spermy blood and one limb lighter.

One morbid tale you may have heard of is the boy who masturbated with a vacuum cleaner.

He was always someone’s gran’s neighbour or a mate of someone the storyteller met at the pool table on holiday in Benidorm.

So, instead of trusting these shady/non-existent people, let Getting Freaky tell you all about it, and let you know if it’s fact or fiction.

The story goes like this:

Teenage boy is full of raging hormones and has exhausted the list of household items to put his penis inside. Teenage boy decides the suction pipe of the vacuum would be the ideal next step.

Teenage boy’s sexy machine-BJ dreams are then shattered by a feature in the vaccum to keep it unclogged; a spinning blade just inside the pipe.

The likelihood is this story was an urban legend which was re-popularised when Chuck Palahnuik’s 2001 book Choke came out.

Early on in the novel, the narrator speaks of urban legends, saying:

‘In the 1950s, a leading vacuum cleaner tried a little design improvement. It added a spinning propeller, a razor-sharp blade mounted a few inches inside the end of the vacuum hose.

‘Inrushing air would spin the blade, and the blade would chop up any lint or string or pet hair that might clog the hose. At least that was the plan.

‘What happened is a lot of these men raced to the hospital emergency room with their dicks mangled.’

The reality is that these vacuum cleaners did exist, and one German doctor did his PhD thesis on this very topic, presenting cases of men whose penises had been mangled by a certain brand of cleaner.

One article in the British Medical Journal in 1985 listed five men who’d found themselves inside a vacuum cleaner, all with disastrous consequences.

The particular model that seemed to be a common denominator in this entry had blades 15cm inside the hose, which is what caused the damage.

You may notice from your current model that – while present – the blades are much further inside the appliance than any penis would be able to go.

That is if you exclude handheld models, which may have a propeller placed closer to the pipe opening (but usually have safety features that make if very hard for an appendage to get in there).

Unless you’re doctoring household cleaners with blades, or you’re misusing the Wayne’s World Suck-Kut contraption, you shouldn’t be able to find anything that sharp in your suction device.

That doesn’t mean sticking your wang into a vacuum is anywhere near a good idea, though.

Depending on the level of suction your cleaner provides, it could leave you with blood blisters on your penis (or clitoris/labia if you’re using it to get the succ without inserting anything inside).

It could create so much friction that you actually tear your genitals.

Plus, if you have any sort of shock or sudden movement with your shaft inside the solid hose, there’s a risk of a penile fracture.

PLUS, if you do manage to ejaculate during, the wet liquid could be sucked up into the vacuum (electricals and water are not buddies).

Even those who’ve spoken online about ‘successfully’ masturbating with a vacuum hose say that it leaves your foreskin pucked and inflamed for a while afterwards.

Don’t do it. Please.

There’s no truly positive outcome, and plenty of negative ones.

Also, try to refrain from using any other add-ons that attach to your vacuum to allow for easier and safer masturbation.

These products can reduce the amount of air getting into the vacuum, and cause the motor to overheat and potentially catch fire.

If you have a penis, why not try a Tenga Vacuum Cup Masturbator instead? It mimics the sucking feeling, comes pre-lubed, and won’t lop your dick off.

For those with clits, there are plenty of ways to use light suction or sonic pulsation on the clitoris to masturbate without the intensity, hygiene problems, and dangers of a vacuum.

The Lelo Sona Cruise or Satisfyer Pro2 stimulate and suck, and are approved for masturbatory use.

Failing that, just do a Marilyn Manson, get a few ribs removed surgically, and give yourself a blow job.

It’s oddly somehow less dangerous than using your vacuum.

Until next week, freaks.

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Man lives with bathmophobia – a fear of stairs – for over 40 years

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Pic by Pete Goddard/Caters News (Pictured: Richard Smith, 52 who suffered from bathmophobia, the specific fear of stairs.) - A man with a 40-year-old phobia of STAIRS said his fear was so intense he missed holidays, skipped school classes and even prolonged losing his virginity. Richard Smith, 52, first became terrified of heights as a child but was not diagnosed with bathmophobia, the specific fear of stairs, until he was in his forties. The writer, from Lincolnshire, eventually came to terms with his condition after flying in a hot air balloon but said he was ashamed of the fear, which nearly ruined his life, for decades. Now able to live a normal life, married Richard spent years avoiding any events where he knew he would have to scale heights and even hid the condition from his wife. Richard, who now lives in Oxford, said: My phobia of stairs dictated my day-to-day for quite a large portion of my life. It was very restrictive. SEE CATERS COPY.
(Picture: Pete Goddard/Caters News)

A man has finally overcome his 40 year phobia of the stairs after claiming his fear was so intense he missed holidays, skipped school classes and even put off having sex for the first time.

52-year-old Richard O. Smith first became terrified of heights as a child but was not diagnosed with bathmophobia – the fear of stairs – until he was in his forties.

However, the writer, from Lincolnshire, has finally come to terms with his phobia after years of feeling ashamed of it for so long.

Now able to live a normal life, Richard spent years avoiding any events where he knew he would have to scale heights. He even hid the condition from his wife.

Richard, who now lives in Oxford, said: ‘My phobia of unfamiliar stairs dictated my day-to-day for quite a large portion of my life. It was very restrictive.

‘I kept it secret from people because I was too embarrassed about it, there was an overriding sense of shame.

‘I was aware that it wasn’t beneficial to me but I was ashamed of it and reluctant to get help.’

Richard said that his fear began as a child after he fell down the stairs at home when he was three years old.

But it wasn’t until a school trip to a castle aged eight that he realised how bad his condition was.

Richard said: ‘I had absolutely loved castles, but on this trip I kept trying to walk up the stairs but I just couldn’t bring myself to go up.

‘I realised I was physically unable to go up the stairs, I couldn’t move my feet and became very agitated. I realised then that I was terrified of stairs.

Pic by Pete Goddard/Caters News (Pictured: Richard Smith, 52 who suffered from bathmophobia, the specific fear of stairs.) - A man with a 40-year-old phobia of STAIRS said his fear was so intense he missed holidays, skipped school classes and even prolonged losing his virginity. Richard Smith, 52, first became terrified of heights as a child but was not diagnosed with bathmophobia, the specific fear of stairs, until he was in his forties. The writer, from Lincolnshire, eventually came to terms with his condition after flying in a hot air balloon but said he was ashamed of the fear, which nearly ruined his life, for decades. Now able to live a normal life, married Richard spent years avoiding any events where he knew he would have to scale heights and even hid the condition from his wife. Richard, who now lives in Oxford, said: My phobia of stairs dictated my day-to-day for quite a large portion of my life. It was very restrictive. SEE CATERS COPY.
(Picture: Pete Goddard/Caters News)

‘Eventually, a teacher pulled me aside to ask what was wrong and I became very upset and emotional.’

At school, Richard was taunted by other children and frequently ducked out of any lesson that would involve heights.

He even turned down the opportunity of losing his virginity as a teenager after a girl tried to lure him up a tower but he was unable to climb the ladder.

And on the day he finally struck up a conversation with the girl he fancied, his heart sank as she climbed the stairs of the school bus

Richard said: ‘I couldn’t stand on a stool or step ladder or climbing frames.

‘I remember getting out of doing PE when it was going to be gym based on the gym walls. It was very difficult and humiliating for me.

‘I was always avoiding things like swimming and jumping, I never did any of that.

‘I had safety strategies. If we went to the seaside I wouldn’t go and see the view from the clifftops.

‘Once when I was 15, a girl told me to follow her up to the top of a water tower. But I couldn’t make it up the tower’s ladder, so nothing happened.

‘One day the girl I fancied sat downstairs on the bus. I tried to speak to her but she just got up and looked at me.

‘She surveyed me in silent undisguised contempt. She said nothing and walked upstairs to the top of the bus.

Pic by Pete Goddard/Caters News (Pictured: Richard Smith, 52 who suffered from bathmophobia, the specific fear of stairs.) - A man with a 40-year-old phobia of STAIRS said his fear was so intense he missed holidays, skipped school classes and even prolonged losing his virginity. Richard Smith, 52, first became terrified of heights as a child but was not diagnosed with bathmophobia, the specific fear of stairs, until he was in his forties. The writer, from Lincolnshire, eventually came to terms with his condition after flying in a hot air balloon but said he was ashamed of the fear, which nearly ruined his life, for decades. Now able to live a normal life, married Richard spent years avoiding any events where he knew he would have to scale heights and even hid the condition from his wife. Richard, who now lives in Oxford, said: My phobia of stairs dictated my day-to-day for quite a large portion of my life. It was very restrictive. SEE CATERS COPY.
(Picture: Pete Goddard/Caters News)

‘I’d still go out with her if she asked, though. Obviously.’

Although Richard has had a successful career as a writer and comedian, he was unable to face up to his condition and didn’t even tell his wife, Catherine – despite summoning the courage to propose to her on a church roof while on Holiday in Holland.

He didn’t actually tell her anything about his phobia until she noticed it.

He said: ‘I didn’t explain it to Catherine.

‘When I proposed, I wanted to summon the courage to do it but a passer-by said I looked absolutely terrified.

‘Eventually Catherine worked it out by seeing how much of a mess as I was whenever she asked if we could go up high places while on holiday.’

It was only in 2014 that Richard decided to tackle his phobia head on, by undergoing therapy from experts across the globe after he began writing a book on James Sadler, the first English balloonist.

He was then diagnosed with acrophobia, an extreme fear of heights, and bathmophobia, fear of stairs or slopes.

Now, he is able to climb stairs.

Richard said: ‘I didn’t start having therapy until my mid 40s because I just thought I couldn’t do it anymore.

‘I got a commission for work to go up in hot air balloon so I thought I really had to overcome the fear.

Pic by Pete Goddard/Caters News (Pictured: Richard Smith, 52 who suffered from bathmophobia, the specific fear of stairs.) - A man with a 40-year-old phobia of STAIRS said his fear was so intense he missed holidays, skipped school classes and even prolonged losing his virginity. Richard Smith, 52, first became terrified of heights as a child but was not diagnosed with bathmophobia, the specific fear of stairs, until he was in his forties. The writer, from Lincolnshire, eventually came to terms with his condition after flying in a hot air balloon but said he was ashamed of the fear, which nearly ruined his life, for decades. Now able to live a normal life, married Richard spent years avoiding any events where he knew he would have to scale heights and even hid the condition from his wife. Richard, who now lives in Oxford, said: My phobia of stairs dictated my day-to-day for quite a large portion of my life. It was very restrictive. SEE CATERS COPY.
(Picture: Pete Goddard/Caters News)

‘I’d been to see a clinical psychologist at Oxford University, and found that being educated about my phobia helped a lot.

‘It was interesting to see how my brain was tricking me.

‘A professor from Holland took me up to a tower in Oxford and made me lean over the hand rail. That did the trick.

‘I was able to start going up stairs remarkably quickly.

‘When I finally got up in the hot air balloon, it was very cathartic.

‘For the first ten minutes I thought it was a dream and didn’t wasnt to peer over the basket.

‘I went up a church tower for the first time since I proposed to my wife this year and saw the view. I spent a huge part of my life missing out on views.’

Now, Richard has strong advice for anyone with a similar phobia.

He said: ‘Intervention tends to work, efficiently and relatively quickly. So admit it, reject the shame, suspend your safety strategies and seek some help!’

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Experts say you should never microneedle at home

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(Picture: Getty)

Microneedling is a popular and bloody beauty technique that has sprung to fame in recent years thanks to YouTube and a little nudge from the Kardashians.

It’s essentially repeatedly stabbing yourself in the face to look younger. The patriarchy strikes again.

The dermaroller procedure uses tiny needles to prick the skin, and claims to create new collagen and skin cells for firmer, smoother skin.

The process has become so popular that you can now buy dermarollers online and carry out the procedure at home, but experts are warning that this could be incredibly dangerous.

Experts say the tiny needles can snap and become embedded in the skin (Picture: Getty)

Skincare specialists are warning against people dermarolling at home. They say microneedling could cause significant damage if it isn’t carried out by experts.

The worry is that the boom of seductively affordable at-home products are convincing more and more people to try microneedling on themselves, without taking any of the proper precautions.

What does microneedling actually do?

When used correctly, dermaroller treatments help freshen and smooth the complexion, boosting collagen production by using microneedles to create tiny pinpricks on the dermis layer which provoke a restorative response from the body.

The technique has been recommended to treat all kinds of different skin complaints, including enlarged pores, hyperpigmentation and scars – and scientific studies have helped to back up the effectiveness of the treatment when administered by skilled practitioners.

‘Buying a cheap dermaroller online can really damage your skin, rather than improve it. Dermarollers and micro-needle treatments need to be done professionally by someone who has trained extensively in this area, and we strongly advise people to not be drawn in by the cheap price points and accessibility,’ says Farzila Allarakha, an aesthetic practitioner at Neo Elegance.

‘Microneedling is a form of controlled wounding that is designed to initiate healing within the skin,’ Farzila explains.

‘It is a long term, in clinic, treatment and it can take up to a year to see a difference. This is not a quick fix treatment at all.

‘It involves the insertion of tiny needles into the skin, they need to be sterile and technique is key. If there is a failure to administer the treatment effectively, it can result in many serious skin and health issues, including necrotising fasciitis.’

What is necrotising fasciitis?

Necrotising fasciitis is a rare but serious bacterial infection that affects the tissue beneath the skin, and surrounding muscles and organs (fascia).

It’s sometimes called the “flesh-eating disease”, although the bacteria that cause it don’t “eat” flesh – they release toxins that damage nearby tissue.

Necrotising fasciitis can start from a relatively minor injury, such as a small cut, but gets worse very quickly and can be life threatening if it’s not recognised and treated early on.

Early symptoms can include:

  • A small but painful cut or scratch on the skin
  • Intense pain that’s out of proportion to any damage to the skin
  • A high temperature (fever) and other flu-like symptoms

After a few hours to days, you may develop:

  • Swelling and redness in the painful area – the swelling will usually feel firm to the touch
  • Diarrhoea and vomiting
  • Dark blotches on the skin that turn into fluid-filled blisters

NHS

Microneedling works by encouraging the skin to make more collagen. The pinpricks from the roller cause a slight injury to the skin and that in response, the skin makes new collagen-rich tissue.

This new skin tissue is then smoother and more even. The extra collagen can also help the skin to look and feel firmer and more bouncy. And the short-term results are all pretty immediate.

Dermarolling at home is attractive because it’s cheap and convenient (Picture: Getty)

With so many benefits it isn’t surprising that women are jumping on the microneedling trend – and if you can do it without making an expensive appointment at a fancy clinic, then all the better.

But without the regulation and expertise of a dermatologist, the procedure can easily lead to scarring and complications – and when it comes to your face, you really don’t want to get this one wrong.

‘Given the nature of the treatment, a sterile, professional environment is required to avoid infection while a numbing agent is often beneficial to ensure a pain-free application for the patient,’ Dr. Aarti Narayan-Denning tells Metro.co.uk.

Dr. Dr Aarti Narayan-Denning, from Reverse Time clinic has some pretty scary warnings for people tempted by at-home options.

‘The home user is more likely to miss the contraindications, such as a breakout of herpes (cold sores), rosacea, acne, skin cancer, or thin skin from steroid use – and end up with infection and scarring,’ she explains.

‘The FDA is expected to soon regulate home microneedling devices. Many devices bought online are not of surgical grade.

‘Studies have shown that such needles cause tiny tears in skin rather than the finely controlled injury that triggers healthy healing. There is also the risk of flimsy needles breaking off and getting embedded into skin – major risk for scarring and infection.’

And aside from the dangers, Dr. Narayan-Denning says the at-home microneedling options don’t produce the best results for your skin.

‘Not only this but professionals often offer combination therapies such as radio frequency and PRP to amplify and extend the results along with a medically-proven skincare regime.

‘Over the counter derma rollers are also generally insufficient when it comes to impairing the barrier function of the skin and therefore having a substantial, visible result for the patient – so the risks certainly outweighs the benefits.’

So if you do want to emulate the Kardashians, it might be best to leave this one to the experts. It’s really not worth messing up your face for the sake of a temporary facial boost.

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What are the success rates for IVF and how much does it cost?

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(Picture: Getty)

As part of our focus on fertility this month, there have been stories of people who have had babies, and plenty of stories from people who couldn’t for whatever reason.

IVF has become an important part of the fertility conversation, with over 8 million babies born since its introduction in 1978.

It’s a way for people to have more control over their own fertility, but can be costly, take a lot of time, and it doesn’t always work.

We’ve compiled a rundown of costs and success rates involved in IVF, so you can go to your doctor informed.

How to get IVF on the NHS

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence – also known as NICE have guidelines on who is eligible for IVF.

Essentially, if you’re a woman aged under 43 and have been trying for a baby (either by having regular unprotected sex for two years or 12 artificial insemination attempts) you meet their criteria.

However, on a local level, there are Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) who also have a say. Their specific criteria may differ to NICE, and could mean you’re more or less likely to receive treatment on the NHS.

What is IVF?

IVF stands for In Vitro Fertilisation, and refers to the process whereby an egg is fertilised using sperm outside the body.

You can do this using sperm and egg from a male and female partner, or with a donor sperm or donor egg.

Once an embryo has been created, it’s implanted back into the woman’s uterus to hopefully grow.

There are usually several steps to a course of treatment, including hormone therapy, egg collection, fertilisation, incubation, and transfer into the uterus.

A staff member at a clinic in Nice, France, transferring the embryos to the vial. (Picture: BSIP/UIG via Getty Images)

CCGs may also look at things such as whether you already have children, whether you smoke, and how ‘healthily’ you eat. Some CCGs also discount women over 35 altogether, so it’s important to speak to your GP about the situation in your area.

According to NICE, women under 40 can be offered up to three IVF cycles, whereas those between 40 and 42 can be offered only one as long as they’ve never had IVF treatment before, show no evidence of low ovarian reserve, and have been informed of the additional implications of IVF and pregnancy at this age.

Since the provision of IVF varies so much between CCGs, it’s worth finding your local one and finding out what you’re entitled to.

How much is private IVF?

It’s estimated that private IVF can cost between £3,000 and £5,000 per cycle.

R esearch by Opinium found that the average price for a single cycle of IVF is £3,348. The highest UK price was £4,195 and the lowest £2,650.

However, some places may also charge you for initial consultations and tests, as well as aftercare and drugs, which takes this cost up.

Those who travel abroad for treatment can reduce costs by up to 75%, but there are dangers associated with this, including a higher risk of multiple births (which can be dangerous for the mother) and differing standards.

In general, you should ensure if you’re going abroad that the clinic is registered with an appropriate body, and check online reviews.

IVF success rates

According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the chances differ based on your age.

Chances of IVF success based on age

Under 35: 29%

35-37: 23%

38-39: 15%

40-42: 9%

43-44: 3%

Over 44: 2%.

These figures are for women using their own eggs and their partner’s sperm and use the per embryo transferred measure.

Clinics tend to report different results of their own, but it’s important to take these statistics with a pinch of salt unless they’ve been independently verified by a public body (such as HFEA here in the UK).

Many hopeful parents who visit other countries for treatment are swayed by individual success rates. Although not all of these will be false, some clinics have claimed that 9 out of 10 couples who come to them for treatment will have a successful pregnancy. These figures are not verified, and are vastly different to the averages which can be found elsewhere.

Your individual circumstances will also affect the success rate of any course of IVF, and your healthcare professional should give you a more specific outlook for you personally.

Worried about starting fertility treatment?

Contact HFEA on 020 7291 8200 for more information on the options available to you. (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm)

Alternatively, you can speak to Infertility Network UK on 0121 323 5025 (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 10am to 4pm)

Fertility Month

This story is part of Fertility Month, a month-long series covering all aspects of fertility.

For the next four weeks, we will be speaking to people at all stages of the fertility journey as well as doctors, lawyers and fertility experts who can shed light on the most important issues.

If you have a story to tell or a question to ask, please do get in touch at fertilitystories@metro.co.uk.

Here is a selection of the stories from Fertility Month so far - and you can find all Fertility Month content here.

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