A ghostly, grey rubbery screen bulges with indistinct, yet recognisably human, shapes: a hand here, a face there. An unsettling hum underlies eerie, dislocated sounds. An icy voice half sings: “Is there anybody out there?” There is a harrowing howl, then a moment of respite: the word “yes” appears, followed [...]

I am writing this column from a beach in Cuba. My fringe has been slicked back by the sea. One half of my face is already the colour of cheap rosé. I am lying under a palm tree to save the other half from a similar fate. And I am [...]

When you shave, preparation is key. That means having a really hot face cloth and soaking the area, or shaving in or just after a shower. The hot water and steam softens the hair and open the follicles for a closer, easier shave. Always use a shaving cream or oil. Use a shaving brush to create a rich lather to raise [...]

Does your pelvic floor needs strengthening? Not everyone’s does. Suzanne Hagen, professor of health services research at Glasgow Caledonian University, says there is little research to show the effectiveness of pelvic floor exercises as a preventive measure, although they did help to reduce symptoms in women with [...]

As the repair man rummaged around in my gas oven, I tried to explain something to him about [...]

At secondary school, they become the “leftover girls”, drifting, alienated and often miserably lonely because the other teenage girls won’t accept them. It’s not that autistic girls don’t want friends – they are as desperate for friends as any teenager – but in a world which denies, rejects and ignores [...]

It’s always entertaining to wind up followers of the “new atheism” by suggesting they’ve turned atheism itself into a religion. (Consider yourself owned, Richard Dawkins!) But the reason this is unfair, I realised after reading David Zahl’s remarkable new book Seculosity, is not that it’s false. It’s [...]

Get a feel for the figures Fibre, or roughage, refers to indigestible carbohydrates. A fibre-rich diet is linked to health benefits including a reduced risk of heart disease and bowel cancer. While UK guidelines say adults should get 30g a day, fewer than one in 10 meet this goal. Popular low-carb diets may be a [...]

Warming up is key “Going straight into squats, particularly if you have a sedentary job and therefore tight hip flexors and inactive glutes, can be a recipe for disaster,” warns Fran Whitfield, head trainer at F45 Vauxhall, a central London gym. She advises targeting the ankles, hamstrings, adductors, hip flexors [...]

Nails should be kept fairly short. The longer they are, the more easily they are damaged – especially your fingernails, if you work with your hands. If they are fine, you can use a normal clipper; for anything thicker – usually toenails, but sometimes fingernails – you will need a heavy-duty version. Use a nail [...]