Innehållsförteckning för TAK2406 från Take 5

Skin conditions often go beyond the surface. They can create a series of mental health issues for sufferers, affecting selfesteem and causing anxiety and depression. Not only do they often cause psychological problems, skin conditions can also be triggered by mental health issues, creating a vicious cycle for sufferers. It’s been proven that stress, depression and other psychological problems can exacerbate skin problems. Additionally, it’s hard to feel good about yourself when you’re battling tricky skin. In 2014, the National Rosacea Society conducted a survey of 1675 people with rosacea, and discovered that 90 per cent of sufferers experienced lowered self-esteem and selfconfidence, while 54 per cent reported anxiety and helplessness. Another 43 per cent reported depression, while more than half said they tried to avoid face-toface contact with others.…

My daughter Jenny shot me a grin and I knew what was coming. Every time we’d caught up recently she’d been on at me and my partner BJ, 56, to take a family trip to the Gold Coast with her and my five granddaughters, Anabel, 12, Lily, nine, Eloise, seven, Millicent, four, and little Isla, one. “I want to recreate the trip I took with Dad when I was young,” she kept saying. My ex-hubby had taken her there when she was eight and she’d had the time of her life at the theme parks. Now 29, it was still one of her favourite memories. Money had been tight over the past few years, though, so BJ and I had skipped luxuries like holidays. I kept telling Jenny we couldn’t…

Viktoria Nasyrova and her friend Olga Tsvyk could have been sisters. Both had long, dark hair, olive complexions, and took good care of themselves, with frequent manicures and eyelash appointments. In fact, it was at an eyelash extension appointment that the two women first met in 2014, shortly after Viktoria, 38, had moved to New York from Russia, and booked in at 35-year-old Olga’s salon. Although Olga was Ukrainian, both women were Russian-speaking and almost identical in appearance. The two of them quickly bonded. Viktoria confided that her young son, who was still back in Russia, had a bone marrow disease, and she’d come to the Big Apple for a better life, to earn money for his treatment. She’d begun working as a massage therapist but that had quickly turned…

Crash course When I was in high school, I was lucky enough to go on a student exchange to Sweden. I was there for three months and the family of four I stayed with were wonderful but didn’t speak a word of English. My Swedish was basic so communicating was hard work, but they were patient and in the end I was able to hold a decent conversation. On my last night, the family took me to dinner and the dad stood up to make a toast. In perfect English, and struggling not to laugh, he said, “So, your Swedish has come along beautifully…” My jaw hit the floor. They’d all pretended not to speak English so my Swedish would improve! Bianca Knapp, Lake Macquarie, NSW. d b a p…

As the news unfolded I sat glued to my phone. “It’s just awful,” I said to my husband. It was September 2021, and the new government in Afghanistan had banned girls’ education beyond primary school. My family had moved from the capital, Kabul, to Australia when I was 10. I now worked as a high school science teacher in Western Sydney, and had three kids of my own aged 14, nine and eight. It broke my heart to think of all those girls and women unable to get an education back in my homeland. For years, I’d volunteered for a Blacktown-based charity, the Afghan Community Support Association (ACSA). We ran free sewing classess for women refugees which helped them pick up English and find a community in their new homes.…

The gorilla scooped up her newborn baby and started cleaning him. “Now we wait for her to pass her placenta,” I said to my curator Althea. Having worked in the industry for 27 years, I was the director of three zoos, including Mogo Wildlife Park. We’d planned the pregnancy of Kipensi and now, in October 2022, she’d just given birth, with the father Kisane by her side. But to our dismay, four hours later, Kisane picked up the baby. The dads aren’t supposed to touch the newborns and though he was very gentle, it put the mother into further distress, preventing her from passing the placenta. We tried everything we could to distract the father to get him to put the baby down, like offering him toys that he’d need…

Dear Take 5ers, My husband Eddie* and I have been married for 23 years. About five years ago, we hit a rough patch. Eddie needed to get his spark back, so I suggested he find a hobby, which he did, restoring classic cars. Since taking it up, he’s restored a 1930s hot rod and a 1970s Charger. Through this, he’s met a group of mates, and every other weekend they meet up to tinker away with their cars or attend car shows together. I’ve been a few times, but it’s not really me. I love that he’s found this new passion, but I’ve started to feel a little left out. Our kids are teenagers and living their own lives, and I thought we might have a bit more time to…

Heading to the doctor for a cervical examination is one of those things so many of us put off (a cold table set under bright lights will generally do that). However, nationwide, over 70 per cent of cervical cancers are found in those who have never been screened or are overdue for screening. Though cervical screening can sound like a daunting process, it’s usually a quick test done every five years. To help you prepare for your next examination, we asked Pathology Awareness Australia ambassador Adj. Professor Annabelle Farnsworth the big questions. 1WHAT EXACTLY IS THE CERVICAL SCREENING TEST? The Cervical Screening Test is a test that involves taking a sample from the vagina and/ or cervix that allows the detection of the high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) which…

You can get rid of yellow armpit stains on white shirts by scrubbing in a paste of baking soda and water. Leave it in the sun for two hours then wash it as normal. Maya Clarke, Narre Warren, Vic. If you’re making confetti, use a hole punch on gum tree leaves instead of paper. Your confetti will be biodegradable.  Loretta Williams, Greensborough, Vic. Crushed-up potato chips work well instead of breadcrumbs if you’re caught short. Maria Khalid, Bassendean, WA. I put some cat litter and baking soda in the bottom of my rubbish bin before I add the bag. It stops yuck smells and soaks up any liquids that escape. Susie McConnell, Geraldton, WA. If your avocado is close to being ripe but not quite there yet, bake it in…

The doctor frowned, looking at the screen. “There’s some scarring here,” she said, “but it could be from your breast implants.” It was January 2021, and I’d decided to do a full health screening, aged 45. A mammogram was part of that. “Let’s do a biopsy just to be on the safe side,” the doctor said. As I left the clinic, I uploaded a video to TikTok. “Just been for a mammogram, and they’re doing a biopsy as a precaution,” I said to my followers in the video. I didn’t have a lot of followers, but I worked as a nurse and felt it was important to spread the word for women to get their boobs checked. The following week, I went back to get my biopsy results. My husband…