For many women, unwanted facial hair is a constant battle. But understanding the condition is the first step to overcoming it.

It’s perfectly natural for women to grow body hair, even on the face. In fact, an estimated 40% of all women naturally grow facial hair. This facial hair is usually fine and light. For some women however, they experience thicker, coarser, darker hair growing on their face, particularly around the cheeks, chin and jawline. This is referred to as unwanted facial hair, or hirsutism.

For some women, this may not be something that particularly bothers them, but for others unwanted facial hair can have a real impact on self-esteem and overall happiness. A campaign was launched several years ago called We Can Face It, which aimed to help women deal with the emotional impact of hirsutism.

A survey by the campaign found that almost all respondents felt negative about their facial hair. Another study found that women spend an average of 104 minutes a week managing their facial hair, while 40% of those with hirsutism felt uncomfortable in social situations.

What’s more, 30% of women with unwanted facial hair suffer with depression. 25% believe it has held them back from a promotion and over 40% say it has affected their ability to form relationships.

So it’s clear that, for many women, unwanted facial hair is an issue that they want to resolve. If you would include yourself in this number, we would recommend understanding a bit more about what’s causing the condition in order to make an informed decision about the best treatment available. That’s why we’ve put together this handy guide to getting to grips with the causes of unwanted facial hair, and how to treat it.

What causes unwanted facial hair in women?

There are several possible factors that may be causing your hirsutism. One of the most common causes is an increased level of male hormones in the body.

Male hormones are known as androgens, of which testosterone is the best known. Testosterone is responsible for the production of sperm and the deepening of the voice as men get older. All women produce a small amount of testosterone, but if this level becomes higher than normal, the consequences can include an increased sex drive, changes to your menstrual cycle and excess body and facial hair.

In premenopausal women, a common cause of increased male hormones is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). This is a condition which affects up to 20% of women, occurring when cysts grow around the edge of the ovaries. For other women, excess hair can be the result of a sensitivity to male hormones rather than higher levels of them. This means the hormones have a greater effect on your body.

For women who have already been through the menopause, unwanted hair growth is usually the result of a hormone imbalance caused by the menopause itself. As your body adjusts to its hormones, you may be left with a higher level of testosterone.

Unwanted facial hair may also be the result of medication, such as minoxidil which is taken for blood pressure. It can also come about due to rarer hormonal conditions like Cushing’s Syndrome or Acromegaly, or in even rarer cases an ovarian tumour. Being overweight or obese can also be a contributing factor.

Treating unwanted facial hair

Some women resort to shaving as a way to deal with facial hair, as it is quick and easy. However, it also results in an unpleasant stubble and requires daily repetition. Other women use waxing instead, which lasts longer but can be painful and cause redness.

Effective treatment for unwanted facial hair is available from Express Pharmacy. Vaniqa is a prescription medication which can help women see results in as little as 4-8 weeks if used twice a day at least 8 hours apart.

Contact Express Pharmacy today to find out more by calling 0208 123 07 03.

Travelling abroad takes on a very different meaning once you are joined on trips by your children. A family holiday abroad is a wonderful thing and can lead to some of the best adventures and experiences you will ever have. But they also require more preparation and organisation than travelling as a couple.

Of course, the first consideration when you set off is how to keep them entertained and out of mischief during the journey. To help you plan ahead, our friends at Sainsbury's Bank have put together this fun, animated guide to help you make flying with children simple and stress-free.

The original guide can be found here: Sainsbury’s Bank - Money Matters(https://www.sainsburysbank.co.uk/money-matters/flying-with-children

As the NHS turns 70 we should all take a moment to be thankful for the incredible work being done across the length and breadth of the country to keep the population healthy and well. Indeed, for many countries around the world the concept of such a well-developed universal healthcare system is a distant dream.

Yet there is no denying that the NHS is under great strain in 2018. And there are increasing calls for the burden of minor and more general medical appointments to be taken away from overstretched GP surgeries and placed in the hands of other primary caregivers such as pharmacists.

If more low-risk appointments were seen by pharmacists and not in the GP's surgery it is estimated that the NHS could save an extra £727m per year. Such an overhaul of the appointment and care system may seem controversial, but think tank Reform argues that models of care have changed very little since the NHS's inception. This, it says, has contributed to the increased and, in some cases unnecessary, burden on the health service and its professionals.

As it stands, appointments relating to minor ailments and problems concerning the use or side effects of certain medications currently account for around 15% of a GP's workload, a workload that is already widely believed to put them under too much pressure to be able to treat patients effectively.

It has been argued that pharmacists are the best placed to relieve GP's surgeries from the responsibility of seeing low-risk patients who present with common symptoms or side effects. Pharmacists are highly trained medical professionals and are more than equipped to deal with a broad range of low-risk conditions and general queries.

More work does, however, need to be done in raising awareness of pharmacists as primary caregivers and offering patients confidence in alternative medical professionals.

“The process of trying to steer patients away from the GP's waiting room and to their pharmacist for treatment and advice has been a slow one, but we're finally starting to see results across the board,” says Express Pharmacy’s Daman Bhamra.

“Pharmacists are in a great position to offer primary care solutions to those who need them but don't necessarily need to see a doctor. Patients would still get the same level of expert treatment and knowledgeable consultation and GPs would have more time to spend on those who really needed them and not just a medical mind to talk to.”

Reform believes that increasing the amount of appointments handled by pharmacists would not only save the NHS money, but would also increase the length of most appointments to around twenty minutes at a time. The think tank also stated in a report released back in April 2016 that making better use of clinicians outside of the GP's surgery would allow the government to scrap it's lofty target of recruiting the extra 5,000 GPs it believes is needed to allow current patient numbers to be seen.

The report was the result of interviews with 22 important stakeholders from within the NHS, the healthcare consultancy, private healthcare groups and the government. One of the other findings of Reform's findings was that pharmacists should also be relied upon to deliver ongoing support for GPs after a diagnosis and treatment plan has been established, with pharmacists delivering reviews and medication monitoring services for chronic conditions such as asthma.

“In reality, pharmacists can do a lot more than dispense your medication after you've seen your GP,” says Daman. “Pharmacists are an essential part of the care process already but we can, and should, be taking on much more of the responsibility for patients’ broader needs.”

If you require health advice or guidance, why not consult one of our qualified pharmacists over the phone on 0208 123 0703.

Period delay is a term used to describe the process of delaying your period from occurring at its usual time by using safe and effective medication. For many women, this is an attractive option when it comes to occasions like weddings, holidays and even sporting events that may otherwise fall in line with their period.

Understandably, many women are curious about the nature of period delay medication and want to know more before committing to it. Here, we’re going to tell you some of the important aspects of period delay.

When can you delay your period?

There are no set rules for when it is appropriate to delay a period; it really depends on the personal discretion and situation of each individual woman. A period should not be delayed for a long period of time, but delaying it in the short term is perfectly common and is safe when done under the direction of a trained pharmacist. Your period can be delayed for up to two weeks using effective medication.

Some of the most common reasons why you may choose to delay your period include:

• Going on holiday
• Your wedding or the wedding of a friend or family member
• Another family event
• Your honeymoon
• A weekend away
• An upcoming festival
• Going on a long haul flight
• A sporting event, such as a marathon
• Swimming (whether on holiday or for sport)
• When working a particularly busy week

However, there may be other events that call for period delay. Whatever your reasons, there are effective ways to do it safely.

What are the benefits of period delay?

Of course, the most obvious benefit to using medication to delay your period is that you obtain an increased level of control over when and where your period occurs. However, there are also several other key benefits to delaying your period, which include:

• Decreasing premenstrual symptoms such as mood swings and cramps, meaning you can enjoy an important event without worry.
• Reducing painful periods, as these can be extremely debilitating – especially when trying to make the most of a holiday or partake in a sporting event.
• Helping to treat the discomfort and pain associated with endometriosis.
• Reducing heavy bleeding during or between periods. For women who often experience heavy flow as part of their period, this can be a concern when a big event is on the horizon.

For women in the advanced stages of breast cancer, period delay treatments have also been found to help significantly increase comfort levels.

How to delay your period

Norethisterone is a progestogen-type hormone which alters the balance of the female hormones oestrogen and progestogen. By providing this additional hormone dosage, the balance is shifted and the period is delayed until these extra hormones are removed from the body – i.e. when you stop taking the period delay medication. Your period will start within 2-4 days of stopping the treatments.

You should start taking Norethisterone tablets three days before you expect the start of your next period. Take one dose three times a day until you are ready for your period to return. You can delay your period using Norethisterone for up to two weeks.

Effective period delay medication like Norethisterone is available safely and speedily through Express Pharmacy. If you have any queries about period delay, don’t hesitate to contact our team by calling 0208 123 07 03 or by using our discreet Live Chat service.

Let’s take a look at what it really takes to beat urinary tract infections

Every year, an average of 4 million women in the UK suffer from cystitis. This common urinary tract infection (UTI) leads to symptoms such as bladder pain and a burning sensation when passing urine. Although it may not sound like the most debilitating of issues, cystitis can actually be incredibly uncomfortable. Worldwide it is estimated that more than 150 million people are affected every year.

Yet despite how common the condition is, information on how to accurately diagnose and treat a UTI has been limited. Misdiagnosis is common, and many women turn to household remedies like cranberry juice for results. But is this really the most effective way to beat a UTI and, if not, what should you be doing to treat cystitis for good?

Does cystitis only affect women?

Speaking about the male to female ratio of UTI patients, Professor James Malone-Lee, who runs a specialist clinic for chronic UTIs in London, says: “They are more common in women. There’s a peak when women become sexually active, and then a further increase in later life.”

In fact, statistics reveal that one third of women develop a UTI before the age of 24, and 10% do so before they turn 16. However, this doesn’t mean UTIs only affect women. Men can develop UTIs as a result of prostate problems.

Prof Malone-Lee says: “I’m a bit suspicious that UTIs get overlooked in men, across all age ranges.”

How do urinary tract infections develop?

The most common belief is that UTIs are caused by a single bug invading the bladder, although there is some challenge against this as even a healthy bladder isn’t sterile. Studies have discovered more than 450 different bacteria in a healthy bladder, compared to 600 bacteria in UTI sufferers.

There is also some evidence that an element of genetic susceptibility plays a part in UTIs, as they often run in families.

How serious is cystitis?

Typically, a short course of medication can treat cystitis effectively. However, for 20-30% of patients the effects can be more long term. Infections which are left unchecked can progress into a condition known as pyelonephritis, which requires hospital admission. Pyelonephritis is a severe urine infection involving the kidneys which can lead to sickness, high temperatures, vomiting and pain. If pyelonephritis isn’t brought under control, it can develop into septicaemia, which is life-threatening.

Does cranberry juice actually help?

For many years, cranberry juice has been the first port of call for people suffering from cystitis. The idea behind this is that proanthocyanidin – a compound found in cranberries – is able to inhibit bacterial growth in the urinary tract.

However, research from Yale University suggests that this is an urban myth. The study looked at 185 women living in nursing homes over the course of the year, and found that cranberries had no significant effect on bacteria in urine.

There is also little evidence to suggest that drinking water helps beat UTIs, despite this being a common piece of advice shared by GPs. The bacteria responsible for cystitis are often found inside the cells of bacteria or are attached to cells via a glue-like substance. This means that they can’t be washed out. Water only dilutes the urine, which can create the illusion that the patient has been cured as diagnostic tests come back negative.

What treatments are available?

So if cranberry juice isn’t effective, what should you be using instead to treat cystitis? The answer, perhaps unsurprisingly, is cystitis medication.

MacroBID (Nitrofurantoin) is an antibiotic medication used to treat and prevent infections of the kidneys, bladder and other parts of the urinary tract. This prolonged release capsule should be taken as a 3-day course at meal times with food, in order to provide the best chances of beating a UTI. MacroBID (Nitrofurantoin) is available from Express Pharmacy.

For effective treatment against urinary tract infections, visit Express Pharmacy. You can also contact us for help and advice by calling 0208 123 07 03 or by using our discreet Live Chat service.