When it comes to mobile phone providers, lots of us feel as though the grass is probably greener elsewhere. A friend always seems to have better reception, or a cheaper price plan, or more flexibility when travelling abroad.
But according to a new customer satisfaction survey, two of the UK's largest providers, EE and Vodafone, are also the two worst. Both were awarded scores of just 50% in a Which? survey asking mobile phone users to rate their providers' customer service, value for money, incentives, ease and speed of contacting, and 4G coverage.
At the other end of the spectrum, Giffgaff was rated as the UK's best mobile phone provider with a score of 81%. Utilility Warehouse placed second with 76%, followed by Tesco Mobile in third with 74%.
Meanwhile, TalkTalk and O2 both found themselves towards the bottom of the rankings with disappointing customer scores of 62%.
“Year after year we see the smaller providers giving great service and some of the biggest providers struggling to meet their customers expectations. Those who are fed up of receiving a poor service from their provider should look to switch," Which? 's Managing Director of Home Products and Services, Alex Neill, said in a news release.
"It is critical that the next government and Ofcom listen to the concerns of mobile phone customers so that there is increased competition in the industry which will lead to a better experience for customers."
Check out the full rankings according to the Which? customer survey below.
1. Giffgaff (81%)
2. Utility Warehouse (76%)
3. Tesco Mobile (74%)
4. Asda Mobile (72%)
5. Talkmobile (69%)
6. Plusnet (66%)
7. Three (64%)
8= iD (Carphone Warehouse) (63%)
8= BT Mobile (63%)
10= O2 (62%)
10= TalkTalk (62%)
10= Virgin Mobile (62%)
13= EE (50%)
13 = Vodafone (50%)
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The Trump Administration released its 2018 proposal for the federal budget on Tuesday, and it included an unprecedented policy change: withholding all federal funds from Planned Parenthood. To many, this news was unsurprising, but it was no less historic: For the first time ever, a presidential budget is singling out a specific healthcare provider in what can only be termed a political attack. Also a first: the suggestion that the blocking of funds to Planned Parenthood go beyond Medicaid reimbursements to include all federal funds, including family planning grants and funds for sexual education and sexual assault survivors.
So, why does the current administration care so much about hurting this particular organisation? Abortion, of course. But abortion makes up just 3% of what Planned Parenthood does. And already, no taxpayer dollars go toward abortion, outside of cases of rape or life endangerment, per the Hyde Amendment, explains Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund: “This actually has nothing to do with abortion services. Ironically, all of the healthcare services that this president is now trying to end access to are preventive health care.” Ironic is one way to label it.
Richards is engaged in the of the fight of her life — the fight of our lives, really — but she took 15 minutes to talk with Refinery29 about what’s really at stake in this budget debate, what comes next for Planned Parenthood, and what she wants you to do now. She also shared some, um, pointed words for one Ivanka Trump.
Let’s pretend Trump’s ideas about blocking Planned Parenthood make their way into the budget. How does this affect Planned Parenthood's work, and reproductive healthcare access in general, in the real world? "For the very first time in history, a president has proposed a budget that would prohibit a specific healthcare provider from providing care in any program funded through Congress. And so it's not only blocking patients — more than a million-and-a-half that come to us every year who are on Medicaid — from coming to us for preventive health services, but it also blocks the participation of Planned Parenthood in things like HIV prevention grants. We do a lot of work to do detection and treatment for sexually transmitted infections. It would prevent us from participating in Violence Against Women Act grants, which we use to do a lot of work helping survivors of sexual assault and giving them the treatment that they need. Many survivors prefer to come to Planned Parenthood because this is our expertise and exactly the kind of care we provide. It also would block us from participating in sex education programs. We're the single largest provider of sex education in the country.
"I could go on and on. But, the impact on our patients, many of whom consider Planned Parenthood their sole healthcare provider, is going to be enormous. And we've already seen what happens in states where you put politics ahead of access to health care for women, like my home state of Texas where now the maternal mortality rates have doubled.
"It's a terrible budget. And I think it's a reflection of an administration that does not care about women and is willing to make all kinds of political decisions that are going to disadvantage millions of women in this country."
Opponents say "Well, we don't want to pay for your birth control" as reasons for wanting to block Planned Parenthood funding. So, what would you say to those people? "More than 90% of women in this country use family planning. It's incredibly popular. It is the single best method for reducing unintended pregnancy that we know. Unintended pregnancy costs this country billions of dollars every year. And so, for any taxpayer who's concerned about how their money is used, I’d say we could be saving a record amount of dollars if we actually got affordable, accessible birth control to every woman who needs it. The numbers are just irrefutable. Every dollar spent on family planning saves at least $5 in the cost of unintended pregnancy in this country.
"I think it's important, though, to tie this budget back to the Republicans' healthcare bill. It's all part of the same assault on the access to affordable health care. This healthcare bill combined with this budget will not only make it virtually impossible for many women to get access to family planning services (and certainly the full range of birth control), it will make it much more difficult to get maternity benefits and prenatal care. And then, also of course, this budget ends access for millions of children to healthcare coverage. This from the supposedly pro-family party!
"They're making it harder to prevent an unintended pregnancy, harder to have a healthy pregnancy, and harder to raise children in a healthy way. This is just simply un-American and it is wildly unpopular. And so we believe it's incredibly important that your readers and folks across America contact their member of Congress and their senator and say, 'This is not supported by the American people,' even if it gets tedious, because they pay attention and they track these calls."
We've already seen four clinics close in Iowa after the state made it so Medicaid could not be used at Planned Parenthood. Years before, the same thing happened in Texas. How likely is it that we will need to close even more clinics if this goes through, and is there any back-up plan? "Well, we're planning for whatever eventuality happens. Look, the thing is, this is the heartbreaking thing: Planned Parenthood just celebrated their 100th anniversary, and we're proud that we're now providing healthcare to 2.5 million people every year. We're going to continue.
"I think the real question here is: What happens to the 1.6 million people who currently come to us for health care, if the Trump administration and Congress says to them they can't go there anymore?
"So that's really what we're fighting for: How do we ensure that people will continue to get coverage in America, and continue to get health care. As you know, these issues are far beyond Planned Parenthood. We're talking about literally millions of people in this country losing access to health care. That's our commitment: to ensure that we have healthcare equity in America, but this administration and this Congress is making it very difficult. Just looking at the numbers: the millions of children who would lose healthcare coverage under this administration is an outrage."
Have you had any more conversations with Ivanka? "I haven't, no. In terms of Ivanka Trump, now she's a member of the White House. She's one of the highest ranking, if not the highest ranking, woman in the White House. As far as I'm concerned, this is a budget that she now is responsible for. She's responsible for all women's issues. And this is the most outrageous attack on women, women's rights, women's access to health care, that we've seen from any president.
"I think it is absolutely time for her to be accountable if she believes women should be full members of this society and full participants in our economy. This is going to make it impossible for millions of women to do that."
Do you have any plans to work with Hillary Clinton and her new group Onward Together? "I haven't talked to her about that. I think they're investing in some smaller groups, which is great. I think the good thing is there's an explosion of activity that's out there. We have seen, just at Planned Parenthood since the election, more than a million new activists. We are absolutely active in both organising community meetings, participating in town hall meetings. We're having patients who are coming out of the woodwork who have never been involved, who have never marched, who have never perhaps done anything active before who now know all of the rights that we perhaps have assumed we would have going forward, are at risk. And it's time to get engaged."
*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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Manchester has shown its spirit again today as tens of thousands of people took part in a major athletics event in the city.
The Great Manchester Run began after a minute's silence in honour of the 22 people who lost their lives in a senseless terrorist attack at the city's arena on Monday night. The BBC reports that shortly before the minute's silence, Oasis's "Don't Look Back in Anger" was played over loud speakers near the starting line. Earlier this week, the same song inspired an emotional mass singalong in Manchester city centre as people paid tribute to the victims.
Both professional and amateur runners took part in the event, which included Europe's largest 10km run and a separate half-marathon. Many runners wore yellow ribbons in honour of the tragedy's victims and their friends and families.
After giving the event the go-ahead, Greater Manchester Police safeguarded the event with a number of additional security measures. Armed police officers were stationed in and among the 40,000 spectators who lined the streets, the BBC reports.
Click through the slideshow to your right for some of the most heartwarming and inspiring pictures from the Great Manchester Run that have been shared on Instagram today.
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In a series of tweets posted on Sunday, Frankie Grande, Ariana Grande's brother, addressed the Manchester Attack, calling for unity and love in the wake of the suicide bombing. Us Weekly reports that he also shared a link to a crowdfunding page established to help the families of those affected by the terror attacks that occurred at his sister's concert.
"My prayers, thoughts, meditations & strength has been focused on those families and victims affected by the horrific tragedy in Manchester," Frankie wrote across four tweets.
He also mentioned his sister's official statement, which came a few days after the bombing, supporting her message of togetherness. "I echo my sisters sentiment & say we can't allow hate to propagate hate & fear to propagate fear but rather come together & spread a message of love, unity, & empowerment." He also encouraged fans to "shine brighter."
My prayers, thoughts, meditations & strength has been focused on those families and victims affected by the horrific tragedy in Manchester.
— Frankie James Grande (@FrankieJGrande) May 28, 2017
I echo my sisters sentiment & say we can't allow hate to propagate hate & fear to propagate fear...
— Frankie James Grande (@FrankieJGrande) May 28, 2017
....but rather come together & spread a message of love, unity, & empowement.
— Frankie James Grande (@FrankieJGrande) May 28, 2017
& so I say, as I have before, shine bright, & when evil comes 2drown out your light, 3throw shade over your beautiful soul, shine brighter!✨
— Frankie James Grande (@FrankieJGrande) May 28, 2017
Frankie, who has always been an outspoken supporter of his sister and her fanbase (Ariana even named a fragrance after him), also commended the courage and strength shown by Arianators in the wake of the tragedy.
I love you all so very much and thank you for your strength during this incredibly difficult time. 💖 https://t.co/fPlP6nf5oA
— Frankie James Grande (@FrankieJGrande) May 28, 2017
Frankie posted a link to Just Giving, a crowdfunding site. So far, the campaign, established by the Manchester Evening News, has raised £1,804,557 of its £2 million goal. All of the money raised through the Just Giving service will go to the British Red Cross, which will then distribute it to the families affected by the bombing.
Ariana has said that she will return to Manchester for a benefit concert. She's already enlisted many of her friends to participate, though no official statement has been released on the lineup or the date for the benefit.
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Rachel Khong’s debut novel was born from a break-up, but it could hardly be called a chronicle of a broken heart. Speaking on the phone from San Francisco, Rachel says: “I was initially trying to write about the grief of breaking up with somebody, but then other things got folded in. I became interested in the idea of memory – in terms of relationships, in terms of blacking out and also in terms of Alzheimer’s.” Goodbye, Vitamin has risen from the ashes.
The book charts a year in the life of 30-year-old Ruth, who, after being left by her fiancé Joel, quits her job and returns home to help her mother care for her father, recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. (Rachel’s own grandmother suffered from the disease before her death.) It is told in a series of diary entries, which add a sense of immediacy to Ruth’s experience. There are good days – when she sees in the new year with her best friend. There are bad days – when her dad goes missing. And there are dull days – when she passes the time pulling hair out of plugholes. Rather than a break-up book, it’s a nuanced exploration of family love and remembrance.
It is also a contemporary take on the coming-of-age tale. Ruth’s 30th year looms ominously in the background and with it the inevitable realisation that her parents are flawed human beings. She struggles with her father’s adulterous, alcoholic tendencies and questions her mother’s motivations for staying with him. “It’s about that feeling of trying to understand who the people are that made you,” Rachel says.
Despite the serious subject matter, Goodbye Vitamin is light. Ruth goes to hilarious lengths to appease her father’s fading mind, organising dummy university classes so that he, a former professor, can maintain the illusion of being a teacher. These arrangements result in comical, off-campus classes – at a Chinese restaurant or on horseback in the mountains – to shake off the college authorities. It’s sweet without being saccharine, and moving without feeling depressed. Rachel says: “With sad circumstances there’s a risk of falling into despair or sentimentality that I wanted to avoid. Humour is the way I choose to do that.”
As the former editor of the now folded food magazine, Lucky Peach, Rachel currently has a culinary book on the shelves, too. About Eggs is “part cookery book and part essay collection”, and there’s another novel on the horizon, which looks set to be “bigger and more plot-driven” than her debut. It was through reading women writers – like Joan Didion and Renata Adler – that the author gained the confidence to experiment with structure. She says: “I realised that it doesn’t have to be Moby Dick to be a novel and that it can follow its own form and you can make up the rules.” Keep doing it your way, please.
Can you talk about the characterisation of Ruth? She is a very exaggerated version of me. I have those tendencies towards absurdity or passivity or even helplessness. I can relate to the way she looks at the world and the guilt she feels over family – that feeling of being a child of somebody; of owing your parents a lot but at the same time recognising that they’re flawed and sometimes being upset by it.
Why did you choose the diary form? I never thought that I could write a novel. I was always working on short stories – really short ones – because I just didn’t think I had it in me to write a long thing. I don’t think of myself as a person who could tell a story at a campfire – this long story that falls into the night and everyone’s riveted. But I started reading a lot of women writers who wrote really short novels that were episodic or just fragmented, like Renata Adler’s Speedboat or Play It as It Lays by Joan Didion. I then had the idea to have it contain a single year and I figured out the journal was the best format for it.
Are you less daunted now by the process of writing a novel? It makes it feel less crazy. When I was younger a lot of things seemed crazy – like saving enough money to buy a car, buying a house, getting married. It turns out that writing a novel is just about putting a lot of words into a document. I’m working on something else now and it will have its own issues…but just the fact that I have already done it definitely helps.
What books do you have on your nightstand at the moment? I have Ted Chiang's Stories of Your Life and Others, and Mary Ruefle's My Private Property. Books I loved recently were 300 Arguments by Sarah Manguso, Arbitrary Stupid Goal by Tamara Shopsin, Sorry to Disrupt the Peace by Patty Cottrell and Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfar. As for authors I always go back to, there are too many to list, but: Joan Didion, Elizabeth Hardwick, Lucia Berlin, Mary Robison, Grace Paley, Flannery O'Connor...
Is the age of 30 significant to you? For Ruth it’s a big one. I’m 31 now and turning 32 soon. When I first started writing the book Ruth was 26 and she felt she should have her life sorted by now, but she doesn’t and she’s distressed over this. As I got older myself I thought, “This is crazy, she can’t feel this bad at 26!” so I had to keep making Ruth older, too. It’s really hard to imagine this book from a male perspective, but the male version of Ruth – if he were 30 and unmarried and jobless he would be fine – he would just figure it out. He’d be just a young, carefree man. But I think for women it is different.
At the end of the book, Ruth’s dad asks her to write everything down so that he won’t forget. Is that how you commit things to memory? Of course physically you can remember things better if you write them down, but if you record things then you’re also choosing to forget other things. You’re giving specific importance to things you’ve written down. I’ve personally never written a journal – first of all because I can’t read them (like it’s so distressing to me!) but I can also feel my falseness in it. If I just write things down to work them out then I just have this record of my whole life in tear-splattered pages. This book is really about what gets written down and what gets left out.
Teeth: they’re one of the first things we see when we look at someone – boy do we notice when they’re bad – and they can indicate how young, old, healthy or unhealthy we are. In fact, a 2012 study undertaken by the dating website Match.com found that 71% of women ranked teeth the most important thing they look for when on a date with a man, in comparison to 60% of men. The stats are high, meaning the stakes are high – teeth are not just for eating, guys. So as it’s National Smile Month, now is as good a time as any to get the ball rolling. Here are your five steps to better teeth.
Step One
We might have a doctor, a dermatologist, a gynaecologist and even a facialist but it doesn’t always go without saying that we have a dentist. “Hygiene and healthy teeth are crucial components to maintaining your smile and avoiding more intrusive dental work and fillings, so seeing a dentist is your first port of call to perfecting your teeth,” says Dr. Sameer Patel, clinic director at elleven Dental in London. They can spot tooth decay, gum disease (the biggest cause of tooth loss), plaque and any more serious issues, including early signs of oral cancer. They can also advise on more cosmetic problems, like the colour and shape of your smile.
Dr. Patel recommends visiting a dentist for a check-up at least once a year and seeing a hygienist, who will professionally clean your teeth, every six months. How to pick a dentist if you don’t already have one? “Ask around, do your research, read the reviews and get advice from people you know or live near and see who they recommend,” advises Patel.
Step Two
The boring truth of the matter is that keeping teeth and gums in good shape is all down to good practice in your day-to-day life. That means brushing and flossing correctly and keeping sugary foods and drinks to a minimum.
Firstly, cut the junk food and try to forgo sugar where possible. Most dentists recommend eating no more than four teaspoons of sugar a day (to put it in perspective, one can of Coke has more than double that), as sugar is converted to acid by teeth’s plaque bacteria, causing cavities. Try and eat as much vitamin C (found in red peppers and broccoli) as possible as it helps with gum health, as well as vegetables like carrots and celery to help naturally clean plaque and freshen breath. Avoid too much fruit as it's sugar-packed. Sugar-free gum is also great to chew between meals as it stimulates saliva flow, which helps prevent cavities.
Brushing twice a day is also paramount for great teeth. Use a soft-bristled brush (like Colgate’s Slim Soft toothbrush and Oral-B’s Sensitive Clean Electric toothbrush heads) as it’s gentler on gums, and hold it at a 45 degree angle to reach in between the teeth. Circular motions are key if you’re using a manual brush but if you’re an electric kind of person, try Philips’ Sonicare Diamond Clean – it has 30-second reminders to move to the next area. Two minutes is all it takes for a proper clean.
Simple toothpaste is best – just make sure it contains fluoride as this reduces the chance of tooth decay and, while charcoal toothpastes promise whiter teeth (the jury’s out on this), they’re not as good for daily use.
And finally, floss. A lot of us simply don’t see it as a big part of our nightly routine, but we need to make it one. From helping to remove food and plaque to allowing oxygen flow to the teeth and gums, it takes no time to get big results. The trick is to avoid just moving the floss in and out, but instead angle it so you’re cleaning around the whole tooth. Try Oral B’s Glide Pro-Health Clinical Protection Floss.
Step Three
Never underestimate the power of a bright, pearly white smile. It can make you look a lot younger and boost confidence, too. Teeth can become stained from all sorts of things, including tea, coffee, red wine, fizzy drinks, highly coloured foods and smoking; the rule is, anything that would stain a white T-shirt will also stain your teeth. And you’re probably ingesting at least one of these things every week.
The first thing to consider is how and where you whiten your teeth. There are myriad at-home whitening kits which can be fairly effective, but there is also a lot of marketing puff so it’s good to do your research and speak to a dentist where possible. The rule of thumb is that anything you can buy over the counter without visiting a dentist won’t change colour drastically, so forget buying anything in Boots – many of these products don’t have the ingredients or the concentration to do much to teeth. Your whitening toothpaste or mouthwash isn’t going to cut it, basically. You need to see a qualified dental practitioner.
One of the most popular options is at-home whitening. Your dentist will mould dental trays to your teeth and provide you with a whitening gel (which should contain no more than 6% hydrogen peroxide) to be worn in the trays on teeth overnight. It takes about four days to see a difference and two weeks for maximum results. You choose how white you go – just avoid the Ross-from- Friends look. During this time and for two weeks after, steer clear of teeth-staining food and drink as teeth become more porous, meaning they’re far more susceptible to discolouration. Be warned that whitening gels heighten tooth sensitivity so the treatment isn’t always the most comfortable, but any pain goes as soon as you stop using the gel. And in its place you'll have a set of the whitest gnashers – they do say no pain, no gain.
The second option is ‘in-chair whitening’ which involves coating teeth with a peroxide-based gel, then using an ultraviolet light laser to speed up the whitening process. This way, your teeth become whiter in a lot less time, and it’s very effective on teeth that are verging on brown, rather than just stained; but expect to pay more (elleven charges £795 for in-clinic whitening, in comparison to £495 for at-home).
It’s important that your teeth are relatively clean – i.e. not covered in plaque – before you start any whitening treatment, otherwise the whitening agent won’t be able to reach the tooth’s surface as well. So pay a visit to your hygienist for a deep clean first.
Step Four
Having your teeth straightened can help with all manner of concerns, including tooth health (crooked teeth can wear each other down) and, most importantly, how you feel. “Adult braces are extremely popular,” says Dr. Patel, “especially now that they are far more discreet and can fit in well with individual routines.” There are different options available, but they do come at a price.
One of the most popular is Invisalign, which uses a series of plastic trays (reminiscent of gum shields) to move teeth a minuscule amount each time you get a new tray, which is every two weeks. They’re custom-made to your mouth and can be removed, unlike their more daunting fixed counterparts, the ‘train track’ brace. You can’t see them, which as an adult makes a big difference, and you’re required to wear them for 22 hours a day. The amount of time it takes is dependent on the individual but it can be up to a year, if not slightly longer. See the orthodontic experts at Dawood & Tanner for Invisalign – Dr. Husain knows all there is to know.
Your other option for invisible straightening is lingual braces. These are fixed onto teeth but, like Invisalign, are completely invisible and can be fitted to the inside of the teeth if required (and paid for – they can cost up to £7,000). They're great for those who might not suit Invisalign but what's best for you is very much dependent on your smile.
Step Five
The reason for the majority of celebrities' crazily perfect smiles? Veneers: thin layers of porcelain glued over the top of your existing tooth (or teeth), essentially changing the appearance of the tooth. These are by no means cheap – per tooth you are looking at between £800 and £1,200 – but they can create a smile that’s pretty damn close to perfect.
A veneer is created specifically for your smile and is applied under local anaesthetic, after the dentist has filed away some of your tooth’s enamel. All in all, the process takes around an hour but they can last a lifetime if treated correctly.
Dr. Patel recommends veneers for patients whose teeth are very damaged by grinding or have drastically worn away over time; they are something to discuss with your dentist if you have an issue with a specific tooth (i.e. it might be very different from the others, very chipped and so on).
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Sofia Coppola just won Best Director at Cannes for her new film The Beguiled, a feminist remake of the 1971 Clint Eastwood film. Coppola is only the second woman in the history of the French film festival to win this prize. The first woman to win Best Director was Soviet filmmaker Yuliya Solntseva for her 1961 film The Chronicle of Flaming Years.
As Indiewire pointed out, this win is just desserts for Coppola who last competed for the Palme d'Or in 2006 with Marie Antoinette, which was famously booed. To put a fine point on how notable this win is, though, New York Magazine writer Jada Yuan pointed out on Twitter that Coppola is the first woman to win Best Director at Cannes in 56 years.
Coppola was not on hand to pick up her award, but in a pre-written speech she thanked "my father, who taught me about writing and directing and for sharing his love of cinema, and to my mother for encouraging me to be an artist." She also thanked director Jane Campion for “being a role model and supporting women filmmakers.” Campion is still the only woman in Cannes' 70-year history to win the Palme d'Or, the highest honour at Cannes, for 1993's The Piano. It's also an award she shared with Chen Kaige, the male director of Farewell, My Concubine.
Sofia Coppola is 1st woman to win Best Director at #cannes in 56 years. Jane Campion still only woman to win Palme d'Or. 70 yrs & counting
It's a record Campion, who was at this year's Cannes with her series Top Of The Lake,wishes she didn't still hold. As she told Vulture earlier this week, "Too long! Twenty-four years! And before that, there was no one. It’s insane." It's also something that Cannes seems to be looking to rectify since this year they included three female directors in the festival lineup. That doesn't sound like a lot, but as The Guardian reported, as recent as 2012 the festival had not even one film by a female director in the competition.
While at Cannes, Kidman, who is in The Beguiled and the new season of Top Of The Lake, told The Sydney Morning Herald that she plans to work with female directors more often. "It’s very much a part of my contribution now, is being able to say, pretty much every 18 months, I’m making a movie with a female director,” she said. "That’s the only way the statistics are going to change— when other women start to say, ‘I’m only going to choose a woman now.’” Last year, a report by USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism found that of the 800 biggest movies released between 2007 and 2015, just 33 (or 4.1%) were directed by women.
Coppola may not have been there to pick up her award, but her Beguiled cast was quick to honour their director. Elle Fanning posted a shot of her embracing Coppola on Instagram, writing in all-caps, "CONGRATULATIONS SOFIA - BEST DIRECTOR CANNES 2017 - ! LOVE YOU SO MUCH !" Kirsten Dunst also shared her congratulations with a screenshot of Cannes announcing Coppola's win. For her caption, she skipped words completely and went with the clapping hands and celebratory champagne being popped emoji.
In what looked like a pretty standard shot of NATO leaders' spouses at the Royal Castle of Laeken in Brussels, first lady Melania Trump stands alongside heavy hitters like Queen Mathilde of Belgium; the first lady of France, Brigitte Macron; and first lady Emine Erdoğan of Turkey. Another day, another political photo op, right? Well, the internet's quick fingers and even quicker wits pointed out that the White House's caption (Andrea Hanks, the official White House photographer, took the photo) omitted one of the people photographed: the first gentleman of Luxembourg, Gauthier Destenay.
The Daily Beast reports that "Destenay, an architect, married Prime Minister Xavier Bettel two years ago," which makes him the very first EU head to marry someone of the same sex. In fact, during the same photo call, photos of Destenay rubbing shoulders with the other NATO spouses went viral, so he's become something of an internet sensation — which probably led to the ire over the White House's caption.
This pisses me off more than I can describe in 140 characters. His name is Gauthier Destenay - and he should have been included. https://t.co/sUw8v1hKxH
BuzzFeed notes that nine hours after the photo went live, the White House added Destenay's name, though it didn't directly identify him with any position: the edited caption simply added "Luxembourg's Gauthier Destenay." (However, the caption also omits official titles for Slovenia and Bulgaria, as well). The Mirror and the Guardian are going as far as calling this a case of homophobia in the White House, thought it's difficult to say whether or not it's just a case of lazy writing on the part of the White House's social media team.
While the internet ships Destenay and Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, know that they're not actually the very first same-sex couple at politics' highest levels. In 2010, the Icelandic Prime Minister Johanna Siguroardottir (who also happened to be Iceland's very first female prime minister) became the first world leader with a same-sex partner.
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It’s only May, but 2017 has already been a major year for director Gina Prince-Bythewood. The Shots Fired creator is now confirmed to direct the Spider-Man spinoff, Silver & Black,according to Deadline. The feature film is based on the characters Silver Sable and Black Cat (a.k.a. Felicia Hardy).
Not many women have been granted the opportunity to be the front woman of a major superhero film, let alone a woman of colour. Prince-Bythewood will be the first Black woman to do so, as noted by The Root.
According to Deadline , the first order for the 47-year-old will be to rewrite the Silver & Black script which was originally written by Christopher Yost, the man behind 2013’s Thor: The Dark World. As for what we can expect from Prince-Bythewood, it's anyone’s guess.
In addition to her recent series, Shots Fired (which just ended with a banger of a season finale last week), she also directed the pilot for Marvel’s forthcoming Cloak & Dagger series which will soon air on Freeform in 2018. Prince-Bythewood is the woman responsible for such heartstring-tugging features like Love & Basketball and Beyond the Lights. It’ll be interesting to see her approach to tackling romance in the testosterone-filled world of the superhero genre.
Marvel’s Silver & Black tells the story of a mercenary (Silver Sable) who heads a company that hunts war criminals. Felicia Hardy a.k.a. Black Cat is a burglar with acrobatic prowess who also happens to be entangled in a love story of her own. The film will also follow next year’s Venom starring Tom Hardy.
The news comes on the heels of another special moment in film. On Friday, the much-anticipated Wonder Woman feature film will make its debut in cinemas worldwide. While preliminary reviews have been fairly good, the iconic remake got the approval of one woman, the original Wonder Woman, Lynda Carter herself.
Not to mention, last year director Ava DuVernay also made headlines when it was announced that she was the first African-American woman to direct a film with a $100 million (£80 million) budget.
Glass ceiling...meet your match.
Kinda super excited. Shout out to all the women who have long been banging the drum for opportunities like this. It matters. https://t.co/eOlKHFgRtI
There are many things to coo over when it comes to newborn babies. Let's start with their adorableness, their adorableness, oh, and their adorableness. But when it comes to 2-month-old Coral Rader, there's another characteristic people are fawning over: her incredible hair.
Baby Coral, who lives in Hawaii with her parents Mike and Drea, was born with ice-blue eyes and a head of seriously enviable newscaster hair. A picture of her mane was posted on Imgur last week and has since gained almost 1.5 million views. Comments ranged from envy: "She has more hair than me," one user wrote. To predictions: "At this speed, you can expect the first white hair around 4 months," another wrote. To, of course, comparisons: "2 months and already got James Brown's haircut," one wrote. "Your daughter could star in a Zoolander prequel," wrote another. All accurate observations.
We still have trouble securing good hair days after 20-plus years, so we think it's fair to say this baby's hair game has us beat. Mike tells People that he and his wife have been "combing her hair since day one," and, at the rate it seems to be growing, the IRL Rapunzel from Russia might have some competition in a few years. You can catch more of Coral's hair in action via her parents' YouTube channel. Here's hoping they set up a playdate with her tiny hair twin Isabelle Kaplan.
Martyn Hett wasn't a celebrity in a traditional sense, but he touched the lives of thousands with his hilarious tweets and brilliantly inventive sense of humour. If you haven't watched his Coronation Street -themed viral video, "The Audrey Roberts Noise," you're missing out on some peak internet lolz.
Martyn, a 29-year-old PR executive and writer from Stockport, was one of the 22 people who lost their lives in last week's senseless terrorist attack at Manchester Arena. The likes of Mariah Carey, Nick Grimshaw, and Years and Years' Olly Alexander have since paid tribute to him, and yesterday a vigil was held in his honour at Stockport's Heaton Moor Park.
As the Manchester Evening News reports, the event attracted a crowd of hundreds, including several actors who've appeared in Hett's favourite TV show, Coronation Street. One of them, Julie Hesmondhalgh, shared a picture of the shrine created in his honour. "ICONIC" features prominently because it was one of Martyn's favourite words.
At the event, Martyn's mum, Figen, hailed her son for being "comical beyond belief," calling him an "iconic, fun, eccentric diva." Martyn's former partner Russell Hayward told the crowd he had lost his soulmate.
Meanwhile, the hashtag #BeMoreMartyn is now trending online. Fans and friends are using it as a way of encouraging themselves and others to live their lives to the fullest, less self-consciously, and with more joie de vivre. One person has even had the phrase tattooed on his arm.
In another heartwarming tribute, a commemoration T-shirt has been created by designer Holly Shortall and London-based retailer Philip Normal. It shows Martyn in a very Martyn pose, and includes a quote from Michelle McManus, one of his favourite singers.
In the interests of full disclosure, I should point out that I was lucky enough to meet Martyn a few times because we had several friends in common. On one occasion, he came to my flat for pre-drinks and demanded that I stopped playing whatever I was playing (probably Madonna) so we could all hear his favourite song by cult '80s pop diva Sybil. Obviously I obliged.
No one could have predicted that his death would have this kind of effect on so many people, but at the same time, having met him, it makes total sense. Martyn was a real force of nature, extremely funny, and truly one of a kind.
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We've been treated to a very special interview with Kim Kardashian West on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. Kim, of course, lives her life in public on Keeping Up With the Kardashians, but after years on the show, it's fair to say she's been media-trained. However, Andy Cohen's gift for extracting good information from tight-lipped celebs came in useful when he asked Kim some very pointed questions on live TV. Get your mugs ready, because we've got a boiling kettle full of tea ready.
First off, Kim explains that she didn't see Kendall's controversial Pepsi ad until after it had broken the internet. She describes her younger sister as being "so sensitive" and "would never mean for anyone to perceive anything in a negative way." She also talks about how she tries to stay as present as possible around her family, severely limiting her phone and social media time. We most certainly saw a decrease in her activity after her children were born, and again after the robbery.
Watch What Happens Live is unique because it gives audience members a chance to ask celebs questions on live television, and it led to Kim being asked the ultimate burning question on our minds: "Have you and Taylor Swift spoken since the infamous Snapchat story?" The answer is just a simple "no" but we are dying over the snappiness of her tone.
Kim also bravely played "Plead the Fifth," in which a series of very pointed questions are asked, and only one question may be deflected. To her credit, Kim answered them all. The juiciest bit was that she, like the rest of the world, echoed our collective relief when Kylie and Tyga broke up, even noting that the split was relatively amicable, at least on Kylie's end.
She also admitted that there was only a 2% chance that her mum Kris Jenner, was ever going to speak to Caitlyn Jenner again, saying that 2% were named Kylie and Kendall. Ouch.
During the after show portion, she talked about eating, being a "health nut" and eating salads every day. Despite the 420-friendly Kimoji, she never smoked weed or used drugs, and rarely drinks. She credits her responsibility to her father.
Kim, like many women, felt social pressure to be married by age 30. But "by the honeymoon," she knew her first marriage to Kris Humphries (whose name she pointedly doesn't say) wasn't going to last.
What's your hangover type? Do you get a little headache the next day? Are you more of a barf-on-the-sidewalk-the-morning-after person? Or do you get a stuffy nose, red skin, and diarrhoea while you're still at the bar? If that last one sounds like you, that could be a sign of something more serious than just a hangover, like an alcohol allergy or intolerance.
Everyone is different when it comes to how much they can drink before feeling sick, but people with alcohol intolerance get ferocious symptoms immediately after drinking alcohol, no matter how much they drink, and they feel more acute than a classic hangover. Alcohol intolerance isn't an allergy per se (those are pretty uncommon), but "intolerance" refers to uncomfortable feelings right after drinking alcohol, according to the Mayo Clinic. A 2006 study suggests that alcohol intolerance could be caused by a genetic disorder that makes it harder for your body to break down alcohol in a drink.
Exactly how many people have alcohol intolerance can be tricky to pinpoint, because some of the symptoms can be confused for a hangover. In a 2007 study of 6,000 people, about 14% of participants reported having some reaction to alcohol and said that they felt it in their respiratory tract or on their skin. Alcohol intolerance is usually genetic, and is more common in people of East Asian descent, according to a 2009 study. The only real way to treat alcohol intolerance is to stop drinking alcohol; and if you are allergic to something in alcohol, you might be able to take an antihistamine drug before drinking, or find a drink that doesn't include the thing that causes a reaction (but, of course, talk to your doctor first).
It's possible that people experience painful symptoms after drinking because specific ingredients in alcohol — like grains or sulphites — cause an allergic reaction, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you're concerned about how drinking alcohol makes your body feel, you should keep track of your symptoms and talk to your doctor. They'll probably do a skin prick test to determine if you're allergic to anything in alcoholic drinks, or they might take a blood test to measure your immune system response, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Here are some symptoms that could be a sign of alcohol intolerance or an alcohol allergy.
Feeling sick right after drinking.
Unlike a hangover, which usually hits the morning after drinking way too much, someone with alcohol intolerance will feel ill pretty much instantly after drinking alcohol, according to the Mayo Clinic. And it doesn't matter how much you drank; you'll still feel the effects.
Getting really red in the face.
Many people get flushed or red in the face after drinking alcohol, and it's usually a sign that your body isn't able to break down a compound in alcohol, Jong-Sung Kim, MD, PhD, told Prevention. When you drink alcohol, your blood vessels expand and your blood pressure drops (which is why some people get headaches from drinking). People with alcohol intolerance aren't able to break down the compound that causes these blood pressure differences, so instead their face gets very flushed, Dr. Kim told Prevention. Taking an antihistamine or histamine-blocker like Pepcid can help reduce the amount of redness someone experiences, but you should definitely talk to your doctor before you mix alcohol and medication.
If you get hives from drinking, that's usually a clear-cut a sign that you're having an allergic reaction to the actual alcohol, Dennis K. Ledford, MD, told the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.
Having a runny or stuffy nose.
There's a link between seasonal allergies and alcohol, and a 2008 study found that women with allergies had a 3% increase in allergy symptoms for every drink they had per week. This probably has to do with the histamines released in alcohol during the fermentation process, which can set off a person's allergy symptoms, like a stuffy or runny nose.
Actors falling for their co-stars is not a new phenomenon, but they still manage to surprise us from time to time. Some we can see coming from a mile away, but we can honestly say that we were not expecting this one. According to a report from People, Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix were seen quite coupled up at Cannes while attending the film festival in the south of France this past week. Making their awards ceremony debut on the closing night of the festival, the couple sat next to each other throughout the night.
PHOTO: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images.PHOTO: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images.
Rooney Mara showed her support for boyfriend Joaquin Phoenix as he was awarded Best Actor for his role in the thriller, You Were Never Really There.
PHOTO: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images.
Despite many a tabloid photographing them together on what appeared to be dates since the filming of Mary Magdalene, neither of the actors had publicly commented on the nature of their relationship until now. During a post-ceremony press conference, Phoenix referred to Mara as his girlfriend when speaking about whether he thought he would win Best Actor, The Cut reports. "Before I came here, I told my girlfriend it was going to be a really good experience because I was going to get crushed and that would be really humbling," he said. "I thought it would be great to know what it’s like to be unanimously disliked. That was my expectation coming here, so this is, um, better."
Sunday night at the awards ceremony, they made no attempt to hide their newly announced relationship status. They were photographed leaving the ceremony together hand in hand.
The two actors have known each other for a few years now. Mara and Phoenix first worked together when they co-starred in the Spike Jonze movie, Her, back in 2013. Tabloids have been capturing the couple on multiple outings since they came together this past year to co-star in Mary Magdalene which is set to premiere in November of this year. A report from Page Six back in January says that the couple fell for each other while filming the biblical epic, though their relationship status had not been officially confirmed. Additionally, they are reportedly set to co-star in another movie next year called Don't Worry He Won't Get Far On Foot.
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If the official Game of ThronesSeason 7 trailer had you shook, this theory will have you quaking in your boots. Nothing in this series is done without consequence, even if it takes years for the strings to unravel themselves. Basically, it looks like the newly-minted Queen Cersei may be going down this season in a pretty spectacular way.
A bit of backstory before we get deep into this mystery. In the book series, there is a prophecy called the valonqar which was not discussed in the show . Valonqar is High Valyrian for "little brother." The prophecy, which was told to Cersei as a child by the woods witch Maggy the Frog, states that Cersei will die by strangulation at the hands of the valonqar. For her entire life, Cersei has assumed that Tyrion Lannister will be the killer, and this explains her long-running animosity towards her younger brother.
Vanity Fair was the first to note a very interesting visual clue in the trailer. Cersei is standing atop a room-sized map of Westeros. The area she's standing on is called the Neck because it's the area that splits the North and South sides of the continent. She gazes up at the North. Jaime Lannister, her twin brother and illicit paramour, is standing opposite her on the geographical area known as the Fingers. It's a small grouping of peninsulas and islands and is the homeland of everyone's favorite villain, Littlefinger.
Photo: Vanity Fair.
Put the two together. Cersei is standing on the Neck, and Jaime is standing on the Fingers. Neck, Fingers, valonqar propechy — hello, it is so obvious! Jaime is (maybe) going to fulfill the prophecy by strangling Cersei. After all, when she ascended the Iron Throne in last season's finale, he didn't look particularly stoked about it. This makes so much sense.
There's another interesting wrinkle that I realised. The other part that possibly fits in with the valonqar theory? Cersei is also standing on top of the Twins. A certain evil someone by the name of Walder Frey was just assassinated at his castle, the Twins. The assassin was none other than FKA No One, Arya Stark in disguise as a house maid. Arya has been another popular assumption for the valonqar because she's literally a younger sibling who assassinates those who have wronged her and Queen Cersei is high on her kill list. Cersei standing right on the site of where a lot of people have died.
So while I do think the Jaime = valonqar theory is most plausible, even if doesn't come to pass, the showrunners are not being subtle about telling us that Cersei's days are numbered. She said it best to Ned Stark in Season 1: "you win the game of thrones, or you die."
I Am Still Here, an independent film, has won Best Feature at the Nice Film Festival. The film follows the story of Layla, played by Aliyah Conley, a 10-year old girl of colour who is abducted into the sex trade. It follows the next 48 hours of torment at the hands of her captors.
The trailer is very difficult to watch. In the beginning, we see her being kidnapped and thrown into a van, where she screams as she's being gagged. Layla wakes up in a brothel, dizzy and disoriented, indicating she may have been drugged. Drugging victims to make them more compliant is a tool of torture that traffickers are known to use.
It is heartbreaking when she says "I want my mommy," through sobs that sound terrifyingly real. She is told by her captors that she has a "new family," and is introduced to more young trafficked girls as "sisters." In various scenes, we see Layla being assaulted by her abductors, the other young victims, and johns. In one particularly heart-wrenching scene she is curled up in a ball covered in injuries, and in another she is crying in a bathroom while a man looms menacingly over her tiny frame. But we also see the police working to rescue her.
There's still so much work to be done to ensure that the law protects victims of trafficking. The United Nations says that "sexual exploitation [is] noted as by far the most commonly identified form of human trafficking (79%) followed by forced labour (18%)."
Senator Heidi Heitkamp, D-ND, spoke to Refinery29 about the the legislation she co-sponsored, the Stop, Observe, Ask and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness Act which was passed earlier this year in the US. The SOAR Act trains healthcare professionals to recognise signs of trafficking, which was the biggest request she heard directly from the families of victims.
It's also important that Layla is played by a young actress of colour. Actress Gabrielle Union explained in Essence that girls of colour are disproportionately more likely to be victims of child sex trafficking.
The film was both directed and written by Mischa Marcus, who tells Deadline that a child sex trafficking ring was busted in her area, which "shook [her] to [her] core." She studied the crime extensively before creating the film, and the trailer notes that the film is based on actual events.
Watch it below, but please note the sobering subject matter is graphically portrayed. The next stateside screening of I Am Still Here is in Harlem, NY on June 1 (UK release TBC).
If you have experienced sexual violence of any kind, please visitRape Crisisor call 0808 802 9999.
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After a successful mission studying the rings and moons of Jupiter and the landing of the Mars rover, NASA is turning its eyes towards the sun. In a release posted to its website, NASA explained that a solar probe is set to launch in the summer of 2018.
Solar Probe Plus already has a nifty countdown clock on its website, so you can plan accordingly around the historic launch, which should happen between July 31 and August 19, 2018, if everything goes according to plan. After launching, the probe will begin its exploration, zooming past Venus and Mercury on its way to orbit the sun.
When it arrives at the sun, the Solar Probe Plus will make itself at home four million miles above the sun's surface. According to NASA, from there, the probe will "explore the sun's outer atmosphere and make critical observations." Scientists are already loading up the Solar Probe Plus with advanced tech. The Energetic Particle Instrument-Low Energy (EPI-Lo), is the first thing to get installed. It'll measure the low-energy particles that come off of the sun, but scientists are still adding more and more to the probe, so there's no telling just what information it'll send back when it's fully locked and loaded. Back in April, the probe got its cooling system installed, which is probably pretty important for something that's basically face-to-face with the sun itself.
NASA hopes that the Space Probe Plus will offer further insight into the sun's effect on space weather as well as the physics that happen within it. Plus, researchers are hoping to use information gathered by the probe to improve the conditions faced by astronauts and satellites in space, so this isn't just a fun jaunt to get some rays.
Anyone looking to tune into the live announcement, which will be held at the University of Chicago’s William Eckhardt Research Center Auditorium, can check out NASA TV on Wednesday.
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Climate change caused by human emissions of greenhouse gases is wreaking havoc on our planet — from heat waves to heavy rainstorms to higher sea levels, the consequences of global warming are far-reaching. The mere thought of the irreversible damage being done to our planet is enough to leave us tossing and turning at night. But as it turns out, there's a scientific reason that climate change is making us lose sleep.
Many of us have had the experience of struggling to fall and stay asleep during a heat wave — especially if we don't have air conditioning. A newly published paper in the journal Science Advances predicts that as global temperatures continue to rise an increasing number of people will lose sleep.
This side effect of climate change will disproportionately affect certain demographics — specifically, people who can't afford to run their air conditioning all night, and the elderly, who have a harder time regulating their body temperature.
Getty Images
According to the researchers' calculations, an extra six nights of sleeplessness can be expected every month for every 100 Americans by 2050. That number will surge to 14 nights per month by 2099 if global emissions continue at their current level.
Sleep deprivation is miserable, but it's more than a mere inconvenience. Chronic sleep loss is associated with a number of serious health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. It has also been shown to have negative effects on memory, attention, and processing abilities. And, for self-explanatory reasons, sleep deprivation is linked to bad moods and, in more serious cases, depression.
The study's lead author, Nick Obradovich, says the effects will likely be far worse in areas of the world with higher poverty rates.
“When I started the study, it wasn’t clear to me that we would even observe an effect in the US because we do have air conditioning here,” he said. “The fact that we do observe an effect makes me think that it we had data from India or Brazil, we would observe a much larger effect.”
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I have never seen into Ian Hislop’s eyes. But I can see into his soul, and I know he’s a good man. A grumpy chestnut mushroom of a man, with a receding patch of fluff on his bald spot, the Have I Got News For You panellist’s face is nearly always screwed up, either in anger or with laughter. Lately, though, his grimace has made way for a more mournful, drooped visage. Because if we’d all listened to this remarkable man’s mutterings, moanings and gripes, and followed his suggestions, the UK wouldn’t be in such a state right now.
Ian is just another nasal-voiced, white, middle-class guy in a suit on a panel show. On paper, he’s why panel shows are awful. But he’s the exception that proves the rule, in part because of his chuckles, in part because he’s spent all of his working life speaking truth to power and, in the process, risking financial destitution via a bunch of libel cases (don’t sue me!).
If Have I Got News For You is the gateway drug, news and current affairs magazine Private Eye is the hard stuff that Ian’s hooked me on. Ensconced in its editor’s chair for over 30 years, Ian was an obnoxiously young 26 when he started in the role. Though private schooling and an Oxford education can be thanked for forming the sturdier rungs of Ian’s career ladder, he deserves credit for his bravery.
Because in both his roles, Ian calls out everything and everyone from Vivienne Westwood’s tax dealings to ex-police chief Gordon Anglesea's paedophilia, from the Conservatives’ inability to posit an election policy beyond “Jeremy Corbyn is Labour leader” to the murkiness of the UK’s arms deals with Middle Eastern countries. A furious critic of the European Union’s leadership, Ian still thinks that the result of the EU referendum doesn’t mean Remainers should hush up now. Under Ian’s editorship, Private Eye has launched investigations into everything from offshore companies buying up British property to MPs’ expenses, from phone-hacking to various officials’, companies’ and publications’ hypocritical conflicts of interest.
More British people than ever realise that traditional pillars of society like the government and the press aren’t always to be trusted. And many readers have flocked to Private Eye, which is now at a 55-year high in its circulation. Unlike the nonsense fake news sites which peddle damaging myths both left and right, the Eye has no agenda other than to prod at, and make fun of, people who are doing, objectively, the wrong thing. Also unlike fake news, Private Eye is not online.
Its website, a bunch of banners telling visitors to buy the magazine, is as sparsely populated and poorly decorated as a Cotswolds branch of Budgens. This is down to Ian, and it should annoy me; does he not care about Private Eye ’s future in a digital world? But instead, it endears me: reading Private Eye is not only as old-school as using a Moleskine diary, it renders you part of a secret club.
There are times when Ian may exclude certain people, though. In a recent item satirising the endless trend of female journalists reviewing new wellness routines, The Telegraph ’s columnist Bryony Gordon was mocked in Private Eye for her appearance while running. But Bryony was training to run the marathon in aid of a mental health charity; was it really worth sniggering at her body? Similarly, another recent item grumbled that an award for writers of colour was somehow discriminatory. A glance at Private Eye ’s letters page shows that it's got its own work to do regarding diversity.
Perhaps I’m giving Ian the benefit of the doubt here, but I’d hope he’d not make these mistakes again. He’s got spectacular previous form for punching upwards, not down, and I’ve got a hunch he’d be on the right side of any fight if he knew enough about the subject. Plus, when it comes to latching onto Generation Z-level woke interpretations of what is objectively good and bad in the world, Private Eye is getting stuck in. As well as criticising companies offering or auctioning unpaid internships, the magazine has directed snark towards both that Pepsi advert, and Sadiq Khan’s apparent forgetfulness in light of another Kardashian-Jenner’s advertising. Remember when Protein World’s “Beach Body Ready” signs provoked the London mayor to promise an end to sexist adverts on the Tube? The very same company, via posters of trim spokesmodel Khloe Kardashian, is flogging the same products, under the slogan “Can you keep up with a Kardashian?” On the Tube!
How many tricks, treatments and formulas have you tried to keep your hair in optimum condition? From long-loved conditioners to next-gen serums, there’s an endless line of products out there promising to deliver the kind of swishy, shiny hair you see in adverts. But what if, in the quest for our best hair yet, we’ve been neglecting something that can truly make a difference?
When you consider that the follicle is the only living part of your hair (the fibre is dead, so you can’t make it ‘healthier’), it seems crazy that we don’t pay it a little more TLC. Anabel Kingsley, trichologist at Philip Kingsley, explains: "The scalp is the bedrock for the hair follicle, and if it is not in good condition, the chances of you experiencing problems with hair growth and health increase significantly. In fact, research has proven that a flaky, itchy scalp can cause and/or worsen hair loss in certain individuals."
Just as with your complexion, there are many factors that can cause issues on the scalp. “There are various ways that the scalp can become damaged – these include unbalanced sebum levels, an excess build-up of product, sunburn, and using too-hot water to wash your hair,” adds Michael Lendon, advanced creative director at Aveda Lifestyle Salon and Spa, Covent Garden.
But panic not, because there are plenty of ways to remedy a suffering scalp. According to Lendon, the best way to begin is with deep, effective cleansing – cleansing is for your scalp, while shampooing is for the strands. “Essentially, the scalp is an extension of your face and skin – and should be treated in a similar manner. It is pivotal that the scalp is kept in a good condition and is balanced, as a healthy scalp will in turn lead to healthy-looking, gorgeous hair.” As Anabel adds, we should be cleansing at least every two days in order to remove oils, sweat, dirt, and environmental pollutants: “If you wash your hair infrequently, your scalp is likely to become irritated and you’re also more likely to get blocked pores and pimples. Your hair may also start to smell.” And once you’ve washed, be equally loving with the hairbrush: “Imagine what your forehead would look like if you raked it with bristles. The same applies to your scalp. Choose a brush that is gentle – the best are those with rounded, plastic prongs. Metal-pronged brushes can scratch the scalp and be quite damaging.”
Unsurprisingly, your diet is pivotal, too. “Certain foods can trigger dandruff flare-ups and make them worse,” says Kingsley. “They are not the same for everyone, but the most common are full-fat dairy products (especially cheese), spicy and sugary foods, as well as white wine and champagne. You can work out yours by process of elimination. Stress can also exacerbate flaking and itching. We often suggest yoga, Pilates and mindfulness to manage stress levels. At our clinics in London and New York, we encourage clients to eat a 120g portion of a ‘complete protein’ with breakfast and lunch when nutrient requirements are greatest. Good examples are eggs, fish, lean meat, poultry and low-fat cottage cheese. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, you must be mindful of food combination, as well as quantity, to make sure you are intaking all essential amino acids and in great enough amounts.”
So you’ve got the techniques down, but what about the products? Click through for our round-up of the most effective scalp saviours.
Stemm
A recent addition to Deciem’s genius beauty roster, Stemm is a specialist haircare line based on the notion that healthy follicles lead to healthy hair. While traditional formulas focus on conditioning the hair fibre, Stemm applies technology usually reserved for premium skincare to keep the scalp and follicles – the ‘living’ part – in peak condition. Highly soluble caffeine, biotin, amino acids and a specially created form of hyaluronic acid combine to supplement each follicle with every nutrient it needs to produce thicker, fuller hair. Use the High-Amino Shampoo and Black Fulvic Conditioner as often as you like (blondes, opt for the Gold Fulvic instead, so as not to affect your colour) and add in the Density Stimuli serum for supercharged results.
Stemm from £25, available at Victoria Health and in-store at Deciem, 18 Lamb Street E1 6EA
Vernon François
When it comes to textured hair, Vernon François is the authority. His Scalp Nourish-Ment spray works wonders on hair in braids and locs, and is also ideal as a primer for extensions and weaves. This dry and lightweight oil blend – think jojoba, sweet almond, argan and mafura – will lock moisture at the root to soothe dryness and irritation, yet never feels greasy.
Vernon François Scalp Nourish-Ment Braids and Locs Spray, £16, available at Net-A-Porter
Aveda
The latest launch from Aveda is inspired by the idea that your scalp is essentially an extension of your facial skin. Drawing on the healing rituals of Ayurveda, the Pramāsana collection offers a complete routine to nourish and renew your scalp. The Exfoliating Scalp Brush loosens impurities and build-up prior to cleansing, while the Purifying Scalp Cleanser contains salicylic acid to exfoliate and balance sebum levels. Finally, the Protective Scalp Concentrate is a potent serum, delivering protection from pollution and other free radicals.
And if you’re in need of expert advice, pop into Aveda’s Lifestyle Salon and Spa in Covent Garden for the Scalp Facial treatment, which uses camera technology to zoom into the scalp at 600%, enabling your therapist to prescribe the perfect routine.
Aveda Pramāsana collection, from £16.50, available at Aveda and in all salons
Reverie
With its minimalist monochrome packaging and punchy product names, Californian haircare brand Reverie is one of the coolest ‘green’ beauty brands around. Its tightly edited roster is designed to improve the hair’s actual condition, rather than simply masking the damage. A highlight, the Cake Restorative Scalp Tonic is a leave-in treatment packed with restructuring hydrolysed protein and apple stem cells that are proven to delay ageing in hair follicles. Blended with a host of essential oils – think ylang ylang and sandalwood – this one smells every bit as luxurious as it feels.
Reverie Cake Restorative Scalp Tonic, £65, available at Cult Beauty
Susanne Kaufmann
Based on the fact that the roots are the source of thick and resilient hair, Susanne Kaufmann’s organic Hair Elixir contains precious silk protein and caffeine along with biotin and plenty of vitamins to repair stressed-out skin and reverse the effects of environmental damage. Massaging it into your scalp pre-shampoo is great, but leaving it to work overnight is even better.
Susanne Kaufmann Hair Elixir, £74, available at Net-A-Porter
Mauli
Holistic beauty brand Mauli aims to provide an escape from the stresses of modern life with its Ayurveda-inspired beauty rituals. The Grow Strong hair oil is inspired by the oil blends long used by Indian women to maintain their thick, glossy hair, but concocted for use in less-humid British climes. Nutrient-rich oils – coconut, moringa and argan – are infused by hand with healing herbs including thickening bhringraj, rejuvenating brahmi, and conditioning alma. The result is an easily absorbed oil that combats the adverse effects of both physical and mental factors on the scalp. Use it in a pre-sleep head massage twice weekly for intense damage limitation, or once per week for a conditioning boost.
Mauli Grow Strong Hair Oil, £29, available at Space NK
Maria Nila
Scandi haircare brand Maria Nila has rapidly become a beauty-insider favourite, and the Head and Hair Heal line is one of its best. Designed to gently cleanse and nourish the hair from the root to the tip, it’s particularly suited to dandruff-prone heads and those struggling with slow-growing hair. Sulphate-, paraben- and cruelty-free – the brand proudly carries vegan certification – it’ll meet all your ethical requirements, too.
Maria Nila Head and Hair Heal, from £24.98, available at Sally Express
Sachajuan
If you’re inclined to wash your hair every day, a sensitive scalp can cause problems. Working to gently cleanse without upsetting the skin’s moisture balance, Sachajuan’s cult Scalp Shampoo is the answer to your problems. Piroctone olamine and climbazole gently remove dry dandruff, while rosemary oil and ginger extract work to soothe and calm.
Sachajuan Scalp Shampoo, £18, available at Feel Unique
Philip Kingsley
Philip Kingsley’s Scalp Toner will slip straight into your current haircare regime, working as a booster for your scalp. It’s a mildly astringent formula that absorbs oil and provides powerful protection against bacterial overgrowth, which can lead to scalp issues. It’s a water-based formula so won’t affect your hairstyle, and is applied with a perfectly simple nozzle for a precise application that won’t run down your face.
Philip Kingsley Scalp Toner, £19.50, available at Philip Kingsley
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