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Known as the “The Middle-age Spread”, STIs in the over 50s has become a topic garnering increasing attention in both the medical community and the press. In the last decade, cases of Chlamydia in those aged 45-64 have risen by three quarters. While almost a fifth of the same age group admitted to having unprotected sex in the last five years with someone other than their long-term partner. But why is an age range with typically low rates of STIs seeing a rise?

One reason lies in divorce. While the overall divorce rate has begun to decline, it is actually increasing in those of retirement age. On reaching retirement many older couples are finding their increased amounts of free time actually detrimental to their marriage. Quite literally, they’re realising they don’t like each enough to spend the whole day together. Indeed, this rise in over 50s divorce has even created some cultural attention, being labelled “silver separations”. Instead of staying in, the aging population are travelling widely, experimenting with new cultural experiences, and more importantly, embarking on casual relationships. In that sense, the rise of STI rates isn’t too surprising; over 50s are having more casual sex now than ever.

Ironically, the wealth of safe-sex advertising aimed at today’s youth is also having a diverse effect on the over 50s. Returning to the world of casual sex, none of the advice or guidance provided by the government is targeted at the older ages. This means that they are finding themselves unaware of many of the modern problems with STIs and how easy the solutions can be. Without the reminder, it’s unlikely to be something on their mind when embarking on their new life. Only now are we beginning to see a growth in over 50s aimed sexual health advertising, but it still too little too late to stem the rise of STIs.

Another factor is likely the lower use of condoms in the over 50s, thanks to the prevalence of erectile dysfunction in men of older age. If an over 50 finds it hard to maintain an erection, the wearing of a condom will likely make it much worse as it restricts the blood flow to the penis. And whilst prescription drugs and other remedies are available to help with erectile dysfunction, its influence will still lead to reduced condom usage and therefore higher rates of STIs.

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Scars are a natural part of the way our body heals itself. Whenever the dermis is damaged new collagen, which is the fibrous protein that gives skin its strength and elasticity, is formed by the skin to repair the damage. Sometimes the body produces an excess amount of collagen and the result is what we would consider “scarring”; the raised or discoloured marks that are left after we injure ourselves. Acne scars, on the other hand, are most likely to be depressed rather than raised on the skin. This is known medically as atrophic scarring, rather than hypertrophic (raised) scarring. But what damage does Acne cause on skin to produce scarring in the first place?

Acne itself is a common skin disease that is made up by a variety of skin-based symptoms, ranging from pimples, black heads & white heads, seborrhoea (scaly, discoloured skin), up to boils and cysts in severe cases; known as cystic acne. Not all of the symptoms of acne cause scarring; it is most often caused by pustules, papules or cysts, which we could collectively describe as inflamed lesions. And it is this inflammation which is the root of why acne causes swelling.

Inflammation is caused by dead skin cells, bacteria and oil collecting in the follicle or pore. This causes swelling and often results in breaks or tears in the follicle wall. If this takes place near the surface of the skin, the damage is normally quite minor and quick to heal. The real problem arises if the break is deep in the follicle wall, which takes much longer for the body to heal. All the infected material that has collected; the bacteria and dead cells & oil; spills out destroying healthy skin tissue and damaging the dermis. It is this dermis damage that causes acne to scar.

In addition to scarring, many of those suffering from the disease will notice dark pink or brownish spots appearing on the skin where acne has healed in the past. This is known as Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH) and is simply the natural discoloration that follows damage to the skin by inflammation. Thankfully, the effects of PIH fade over time, often between 3 months up to 2 years. For those who wish to get rid of the discoloration sooner, over-the-counter skin lightening treatments are available, as well as more serious options which can be recommended by your doctor.

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In recent years, more and more men are choosing to have cosmetic surgery procedures. Statistics show that male cosmetic procedures now make up almost a tenth of the total performed; that’s almost double the percentage from a decade ago. While in mainstream culture the stigma that men should not care about their looks has been lifted, and society has become increasingly fixated on men appearing youthful for longer. It’s understandable then, that men are increasingly open to ways to reverse the signs of aging through cosmetic producers. And for the treatment of wrinkles, skin revitalisation and face contouring, Restylane is a popular choice among both medical professionals and potential patients.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a substance naturally found in our skin; it acts as a binding agent to water which keeps skin looking hydrated, firmer and more healthy. Unfortunately, as our body ages, HA becomes less and less efficient: As men get older they’ll find their skin feels less firm and lines and wrinkles will inevitably begin to appear. Their skin will also begin to look and feel rougher and drier. Restylane works to counter these effects of ageing by directly injecting HA into the skin which acts to support and enhance the body’s own natural supply.

Following a treatment of Restylane, men will find the treated areas appearing more youthful. Restylane restores skin’s support, which reduces sagging as well as refilling wrinkles and lines: Signs of ageing will be lessened and shape and definition will be restored. The treatment also works to restore hydrobalance in the skin, meaning a smoother more hydrated look and feel.

Key to Restylane’s appeal to men is the natural quality of the treatment. Restylane works with the bodies natural processes not against them, so results appear much more natural. For men looking to revitalise their skin but don’t want people to know they’ve undergone a cosmetic procedure, Restylane is a great choice. The changes work at reducing the signs of aging naturally, not by overriding them artificially. And with long-lasting but not non-permanent results, the treatment gives the patient flexibility which many men will desire. Restylane gives you control over your skin, but won’t take away future choices from you as many other treatments can with permanent changes to your body. That’s why Restylane is a recommended choice for men looking to gently reverse the signs of aging in a natural and flexible way.

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Often referred to as the ‘silent disease’ because many people who contract it don’t experience any symptoms, Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the UK.

Untreated, the disease can lead to infertility and other complications in both men and women. Even if you don’t experience any symptoms yourself, you can still pass on the disease to your partner so regular screening is important if you are sexually active or have multiple partners. All sexually active women up to the age of 25 should be screened annually for Chlamydia.

Chlamydia is passed on through unprotected sex and can easily be passed back and forth. Symptoms usually start one to three weeks after getting the infection, but they may take longer to develop. However, around 50% of men and 70% of women with Chlamydia don’t experience any symptoms at all.

In women, the symptoms include an increased or unusual amount of discharge from the vagina. This is caused by an inflamed cervix. You may feel the need to urinate more frequently or experience pain when passing urine.

You may experience pain, and even bleeding, during or after sex. Your periods may become irregular or particularly heavy and you may also experience pain in the lower abdomen or the pelvis area.

If left untreated, the infection can spread to your womb and cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) which is a major cause of infertility, ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage.

Men with Chlamydia may notice a milky discharge from their penis, which may stain your underwear.

You may experience a burning sensation or pain when passing urine, and your testicles could become swollen and painful.

If left untreated, you are at risk from complications such as inflamed or swollen testicles, reactive arthritis and infertility.

Very rarely the infection can affect other areas of the body including the rectum (anus), eyes or throat.

If you are infected in the rectum, you may experience a discharge or bleeding and may feel discomfort. Chlamydia infection in the throat is unlikely to give you any symptoms but if your eyes are infected, they can become irritated and weepy (conjunctivitis).

If you suspect you have symptoms of Chlamydia, it is important to get tested as soon as possible to ensure you don’t pass it on or develop complications. Testing for Chlamydia is very simple and can even be done at home using a confidential test kit. The usual treatment is a short course of antibiotics.

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The medicines you take with you when travelling abroad will of course depend on where you are going, how long for, what type of activities you will be doing and your general health before you go.

Even when travelling to countries with high standards of healthcare and pharmacy, it is best to carry some basic medicines with you. If you need them in an emergency, you can’t always guarantee you will find a local pharmacy near your hotel or in the middle of the jungle!

It is a good idea to take blister packs of paracetamol or ibuprofen to treat mild headaches, toothache, muscular or menstrual pain. Antiseptic wipes are useful for treating cuts and grazes to avoid infection, and it might be worth taking a basic first aid kit with you, complete with bandages and plasters.

If you are travelling to a hot country, take sun cream and insect repellent. If insect bites particularly affect you, and you know you might need adrenaline, take your epipen or equivalent.

Travelling can cause problems with constipation or diarrhoea. It is worth taking both laxatives and diarrhoea treatments, including rehydration solutions, which can easily be bought at your local chemist and can be used to alleviate short-term problems. Antacid is also a useful thing to carry if you suffer from heartburn or stomach acid after eating particularly hot or unusual foods.

You should always remember to take medicines and equipment for pre-existing conditions with you. Speak to your doctor in advance of your trip and ask them to prescribe your regular medication for the time you are abroad. They are allowed to prescribe you three months’ supply of your medicine for travel within Europe.

If you are carrying needles, syringes or prescription-only medicine it is a good idea to ask your doctor to provide you with a statement explaining your condition and treatment, particularly if you are going further afield than Europe where there may be tough restrictions on what you can take in to the country. Check before you leave what you are allowed to take with you otherwise you could face problems when you reach customs.

You may find it helpful to have the statement from your doctor translated if you are travelling to a country where English is not the first language. Make sure the people you are travelling with are aware of your condition and how it should be treated in an emergency.

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Hyperhidrosis means, literally, ‘excessive sweating’. It can be a highly distressing condition for its sufferers, sometimes affecting the whole body, and sometimes just part of it. Around 1% of the population are thought to suffer from it. For those people, it can cause significant problems in their work life and relationships. It can lead to isolation and depression in some cases, as it can make people feel they cannot live a normal life.

What causes it?

Hyperhidrosis is caused by the body’s temperature regulation system not working properly. Sweating is our bodies’ way of keeping cool and making sure we don’t overheat. In people with hyperhidrosis, the temperature regulation goes into overdrive, causing far more sweating than is necessary to keep the body cool.

What are the consequences?

Having hyperhidrosis can affect a person’s interactions with the world in many different ways. It can make it very difficult to form and maintain relationships or even shake someone’s hand. Many people with hyperhidrosis feel very embarrassed about physical contact with others and as a result avoid it. As well as causing the skin to become wet and clammy, excessive sweat can have an unpleasant smell, leading to more embarrassment. It can also cause problems with handling objects. For example, someone with hyperhidrosis might find using a keyboard difficult, or picking up certain objects.

Can it be treated?

Hyperhidrosis is difficult to treat. Since sufferers tend to develop the condition in childhood or adolescence, and it is lifelong, this can add to the distress of having the condition. However, in recent years there have been some advances in treatment which offer hope. There is no single treatment which will help all sufferers, but there are a number of different options which can be tried and, in many cases, lead to a significant improvement. New types of antiperspirants, containing aluminium chloride, have come on the market and they can often help considerably when compared to standard anti-personnel. Iontophoresis treatment, which involes using electric currents on affected areas on a regular basis is often highly effective. Botox injections can help some people, as can certain medications including beta blockers and anti-hypertensives. If all these treatments fail, then surgery may help.

Hyperhidrosis is clearly a difficult condition for its sufferers, and can cause major problems. However, with modern treatments most people can be helped on the NHS. If you have hyperhidrosis, don’t sit and suffer: speak to your doctor

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Pellevé is an easy way to achieve tighter skin and a reduction in the appearance of wrinkles. It’s a great way to have a quick and painless facelift, without resorting to the surgeon’s knife, with all the expense, pain and recovery time that entails.

Pellevé uses radio waves. The energy produced by them is applied gradually to problem areas by a therapist using a specially designed gun. There is no discomfort during the application process. If anything, it can be quite a pleasant sensation – many people report feeling a lovely, warm glow as the treatment is applied. If there is any discomfort, that means that the treatment is too intense – and you should tell the therapist to reduce the intensity. Unlike some treatments, which are applied by a therapist with no interaction, Pellevé works with your own instincts to get the right results.

The radio waves that are applied during a Pellevé treatment get deep inside the skin and encourage it to produce its own natural tightener: collagen. Pellevé does not introduce foreign or un-natural substances into the skin as some treatments do. After the treatment, the results can take a little time to appear, although some will see them almost straight away. Others may need multiple treatments. How well and how quickly Pellevé works really depends on how deep the wrinkles being treated are. After a treatment, it is normal to experience a degree of irritation or swelling, but this soon fades (and is nothing compared to the after-effects of invasive facial surgery!).

Pellevé can be used to treat any area of the face. Delicate areas are especially suitable. Wrinkles around the eyes, lips and neck are often treated with Pellevé. Although deeper wrinkles may not respond well to Pellevé, mild to medium depth wrinkles should receive a significant improvement. If you’re not sure whether your wrinkles would respond to Pellevé treatment, just speak to a good beauty therapist that offers it and other treatments: they can advise you on whether to go for Pellevé, or whether another option would be better for you.

Pelleve is great for anyone who wants to roll back the years a little, but doesn’t want to use chemical or surgical treatments. Because it simply promotes the growth of collagen, it is an incredibly natural way to decrease wrinkles and achieve a more youthful look.

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Restylane make a range of treatments designed to revive and improve the skin and face. Among these is Restylane Lipp, a treatment designed to plump up thin, tired looking lips.
Like all the other Restalayne treatments, Restalayne Lipp is a filler. A small amount of a natural gel substance (one which is found naturally in the human body) is injected into the lips. This produces the plumping effect which works so well to improve the appearance of thin lips.

Restalayne Lipp is specially formulated to provide effective, natural lip enhancement. Among the things it can achieve are:
- An increase in the volume of the lip. Overall fullness is increased, making the lips appear plumper, rounder and healthier.
- Better definition. Restalayne Lipp can help improve the shape of the lips, and define the line between the lips and the skin.

Restalyane is completely safe and non-toxic. Because it is made from a naturally occurring substance (hyaluronic acid), it doesn’t work against your body: it works with it. It is ‘tissue friendly’ meaning that it will act as if it has become part of the lip tissue itself. It is designed to enhance what is already there, rather than creating fake-looking lips.

Because it works with the existing tissue, Restalayne helps support and promote normal use of the lips. Smiling, kissing, laughing, drinking: all these things actually help Restalayne to work better and to last longer. Restalayne should stay in place for between 6-12 months before it dissolves into the body. It can then be re-applied.

Restalyane is not the only lip filler on the market. However, it is one of the most effective and safe. There are other hyaluronic acid fillers available, but trials have shown that Restalayne works best. Other treatments that are available include collagen and other synthetic substances, but these do not produce the natural-looking results that Restalyane does. Restalayne Lipp is also designed specifically for the lips (unlike some fillers), so it is made to stand up to the frequent and complex movements in that area.

Restalayne Lipp is perfect for anyone who is unhappy with the shape or size of their lips. It will make them instantly fuller and more kissable, increasing confidence. It can also be combined with other Restalayane treatments for a complete, fast facial make-over.

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In the past, people rarely worried about sun safety. It just wasn’t something that was on the radar of most people. Many would sunbathe all day with little or no protection, and children often went un-protected too. These days, with the link between the sun’s rays, and skin cancer and damage firmly established, most of us are more careful. However, it’s not always easy to know the best ways to keep safe in the sun: there is a bewildering quantity of advice out there.

Keeping out of the sun altogether, wearing clothing to cover-up, and wearing sunscreen, are the three main ways to keep skin for being damaged by the sun. It is important to remember that damage to skin is not just due to sunburn: spending a lot of time in the sun can cause premature aging even in people who tan easily. Therefore it’s important not just to avoid burning, but to avoid excessive sun exposure (a tan is in itself a sign of damaged skin).

Cancer charities and others often recommend that a facial sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher should be worn all year around, with stronger sunscreens worn during hot weather or prolonged exposure. For women, keeping the face protected is made easier by the existence of make-up with SPF added. Foundations with an SPF factor can be found in most high street make-up ranges, and they are not usually more expensive than their non-SPF equivalents. Moisturisers often also have an SPF added. During hotter weather, you might need to wear an additional sunscreen on your face, and any exposed areas of the body. It’s a good idea to get into the habit of slapping on the sunscreen before leaving the house in summer or on holiday. It’s too easy to forget to do it once you’re out, and then you risk burning.

Sometimes, sunscreen isn’t enough. In very hot weather, especially abroad in countries close to the equator (where the sun is more dangerous), it’s important to keep covered up with clothing too. Even good sunscreen doesn’t last forever, and can wash or rub off, so to be sure you’re safe, put on a hat and wear long, loose clothing. This will also help you stay cool, as your skin is shaded.

Enjoying the sun is fun – and it can be done safely with a little thought.

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Microdermabrasion is a treatment for achieving smoother, younger looking skin. It has many benefits for the skin and it is considered by many people to be an anti-aging treatment. The following are ten benefits of Microdermabrasion. Is considered by many people to be

1)One of the benefits of Microdermabrasion is that it will reduce blackheads. Fine lines and wrinkles will also be greatly reduced which in turn will improve the look and feel of the skin.

2)The skin will be given a more youthful look thanks to this procedure. Many people believe it is an effective wrinkle cure too.

3)Microdermabrasion is a highly effective procedure on its own however there are even greater benefits when it is combined with a chemical peel. The elasticity of the skin is greatly improved as it helps to increase collagen. This in turn aids the healing process of the chemical peel.

4)This procedure is mild compared with a chemical peel for instance therefore it is the preferred skin treatment for many people. It is a calm procedure too without the discomfort of many other procedures that have similar results. It is also known as a lunch time procedure as it doesn’t take up too much time.

5)This is a great procedure for those who want to carry on their skin care treatments with exfoliation therapies without suffering any skin irritation.

6)Thanks to the excellent cleansing effects of this procedure you will be left with fewer problems from blackheads and whiteheads.

7)Another great benefit of Microdermabrasion is that it can seriously improve stretch marks as it makes them a lot harder to see. So, how does it achieve this effect? It basically stimulates the growth of skin which in turn creates a new outer layer of skin much faster. Use this treatment in conjunction with the use creams for reducing stretch marks and you will see positive results much faster. This is because the creams will be able to dig deeper into the skin thanks to the procedure.

8)This procedure is ideal for both men and women with decent benefits all round. Men will find that the effects of the Microdermabrasion procedure will help with in growing hairs. Women will benefit from this too.

9)This is a procedure that does not have any risk attached to it.

10)Finally, this procedure costs a fraction of the price of other skin enhancing treatments such as cosmetic surgery.

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