"A bit of humour is proven to help people feel better. We see the differences between men and women and our insights into relationships as the source of inspiration." For example:

"Women just don’t understand how bad we feel, if they loved us they would do anything and everything to help us feel better"

OR

"Men just exaggerate to get more sympathy and attention, while we have to battle through it... I’m sick of him moaning!"

Either way, this is a great product that does not  prevent or cure illness and disease but will help people feel better.  When someone close to you is feeling miserable ask them if they would like a bit more comfort, soothing and sympathy. See if they say no.

Great tasting and effort free, this natural lemon-lime and honey flavour drink contains 1250% RDA of Vitamin C. With Echinacea + Zinc! -Designed for modern man it is perfect hot or ‘on the go’ as a shot.

For example:

1. Breakfast - Celebrity Slim Meal replacement - shake, soup or bar.
2. Mid-morning Snack - Celebrity Slim Snack Bar or allowable snack.
3. Lunch Meal - Celebrity Slim Meal replacement shake, soup or bar.
4. Mid-Afternoon snack - Celebrity Slim Snack Bar or allowable snack.
5. Dinner Meal - Balanced Meal.
6. Supper Snack - Celebrity Slim Snack Bar.

Celebrity Slim is not a 'no' or a 'Low' carbohydrat programme, it does allow a regular intake of healthy fibrous carbohydrates - but compared to the traditional diets, it contributes about a quarter of the amount of carbohydrates.

We currently stock them in Red, Plum and Crackle and they all look amazing.  All you need to do is give your nails a wipe with some nail varnish remover, find the correct size for your nails, peel off the back and stick on.  THAT IS IT, SIMPLE!!!

There is no need for glue, filing or heat, that is why they are so great. Give them a go and let us know what you think.

Gordon's Direct are happy to be stocking some of Aussie hair products and I absolutely love them.  They smell DELICIOUS and really do wonders for my hair.  The 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor Conditioner is brilliant, it really helps my hair and replaces the moisture that vanishes when I use straighteners or blow dry my hair.

If you want shiny hair that doesn't go flat then Mega Shampoo is the one for you.  The Kangaroo Paw flower cleanses hair of build-up, leaving you with squeaky clean, bouncy locks – no matter how much product you've been plastering on.

If you haven't tried Aussie Hair Products yet then you should give them a go, I would definately recommend!!

We're very excited about our newest store, and are hopeful to retain those customers who were loyal to the previous owner over the years. 

This brings our total number of pharmacies in Scotland to nine. 

We also have moved our existing pharmacy that was situated just off the Main Street in Omagh, to 30 Market Street. We look forward to offering our existing customers the same great level of customer service and support as they've become accustomer to, in addition to offering as many great deals and bargains as we possibly can! 

Don't forget that you can follow us on facebook - www.facebook.com/gordonsdirect; or on twitter - @gordonsdirect; for the latest information on Gordons Chemist and on some of our special offers! 

Gordons Inject Vaccine Funding

Gordons Chemists have once again teamed up with Pampers and UNICEF to offer vaccines, to help babies in need. 

The Pampers and UNICEF '1 pack = 1 vaccine' is now in its 6th year, and sees the cost of one vaccine donated to UNICEF for each pack of Pampers sold. 

Gordons Chemists is proud to take part in this initiative, and additionally offer an extra vaccine for each pack - doubling the number of women and babies protected by the campaign. As well as nappies, the vaccine donation campaign extends to Pampers wipes, Fairy non-bio detergents and Fairy fabric enhancers. 

Last year, Gordons Chemists were able to donate 34,090 vaccines thanks to mothers choosing to purchase their nappies and other qualifying products at Gordons. This year, we hope that number is even greater. 

For further information on this, please visit: www.pampers.co.uk or www.unicef.org.uk/pampers

How to Apply

1. Paint your nails with a coloured nail varnish of your choice, if you choose a contrasting base colour the better it will look.

2. Apply New York Crackle over the top layer and watch it work!  The thinner you apply the crackle nail varnish the more cracks you will have.

3. Let it dry, the longer you wait the better!  Then apply a top coat of clear nail varnish to seal it.

4. Be amazed at your new look!

Using New York Crackle will update your look instantly and give you the best nail designs EVER!!  For only £2.99 and four shades to try from, why not give this new craze a go?

 As celebrities including Wayne Rooney, Elton John, James Nesbitt and Ryan Giggs admit to spending thousands on hair transplants, Viviscal, a 100% natural supplement has been used by celebrities including Cheryl Baker, finalist of this year’s ‘Popstar to Operastar’, Pat Cash, former Wimbledon Champion and former Manchester United footballer Lee Sharpe. 

 Viviscal is 100% natural and works in four stages over six months.  Viviscal nourishes the hair follicle, strengthens existing hair, promotes growth of poorly growing hair and finally allows all hair to strengthen.  Other items in the Viviscal range which complement the nutritional supplements are shampoo, conditioner, scalp lotion and scalp guard.

 Cheryl Baker said:  “I first experienced this devastating problem after I had my twins and then again as I hit the menopause.  Experiencing thinning hair is a real shock for any woman and one that is very hard to accept.  When you find a lot of hair on your pillow or in the shower tray it’s terrible.  You feel all alone, like the only woman with this devastating problem.  But since I ‘came out’ about it I’ve realised that 1 in 3 women suffer at some stage in their lives.  I’m always keen to make people aware of the problem and the most effective up to date solutions. 

 “Things have moved on and improved since I first took a hair supplement and now I’m delighted to recommend the world-renowned Viviscal natural marine enriched supplements to nourish thinning hair and promote existing hair growth.  I’d recommend Viviscal to anyone with thinning hair.”

 Lee Sharpe, former Manchester United footballer, has also enjoyed the benefits of Viviscal and said:  “My brother is younger than me and he’s gutted that his hair is thinning.  I panicked about whether I might be going the same way but I started taking a natural food supplement to nourish my hair.  And now things have moved on and improved and I’ve discovered the new Viviscal Man with an impressive 30% protein content to provide the essential nutrients to support natural hair growth.  It’s working for me and I’d recommend it to anyone worried about thinning hair”, Viviscal is available for both men and women.

 Following use of Viviscal, hair becomes stronger, healthier and more vibrant.  A recent study showed that taken over six months, 92% of people experienced regrowth of hair and 52% experienced 70-95% regrowth after 12 months.

 Ryan Gordon, Marketing Manager, Gordons Chemists, said:  “Our customers are as image conscious as A-list celebrities and at Gordons Chemists we are committed to offering them top health and beauty brands at affordable prices.  The success rate of the clinically proven Viviscal range, used as an alternative to an expensive hair transplant, is phenomenal.”

 Gordons Direct is offering Viviscal at £39.99, £10.00 off the RRP per box of 60 tablets. 

 The product range includes the exfoliator, body wash, self tanner and a tan extending cream to name a few.  White to Brown uses an ideal pH balance which allows them to work in harmony with the DHA in tanning products in order to optimise your tan.

 The tanner is a creamy lotion so it doesn't leave your skin feeling dry and because it is a darker shade, it gives you an instant colour and you can see exactly where it is being applied. 

 The tan develops over a period of 6-8 hours and the most popular time to do this is in the evening after a shower or bath as it gives the colour longer to strengthen.  The top coat of tan that is applied is only there as a guide line so it will eventually rub off, so make sure you wear loose clothing for the first few hours.

 The next morning, take a shower or a bath and the top layer of tan will be removed, leaving you with a natural golden brown tan. 

 White to Brown have a number of tips when it comes to applying their tan. 

• Always exfoliate your skin thoroughly before applying as dry or rough skin will cause tan to go patchy and uneven.
• Do not wear moisturiser, deodorant or perfume before a treatment.
• Wear loose fitting clothes to prevent tan being washed off.
• Wear nail varnish to prevent your nails being stained by the tan.
• Do not use a bodywash with a high alcohol content as this will cause the tan to dry out very quickly.
• Avoid physical exercise and contact with water for the first 5 hours as it will reduce the affect of the tan.

 White to Brown is now available online at Gordon’s Direct and in Gordon’s Chemists Shops.

 The female head louse lays eggs on hair strands cementing them close to the scalp to keep warm.  They hatch 7 to 10 days later leaving the empty eggshells behind.  These empty shells can be more easily seen with the naked eye and  are often referred to as nits. The lice feed by biting the scalp and sucking blood and become fully grown within 10 days.  It is then at this stage they can then transfer from head to head.  A female can lay eggs as early as 7 days after she has hatched and therefore it is important to remove the lice from the head by day 6 so as to break the lifecycle.

There are several methods for getting rid of head lice.  A simple chemical free method is fine-combing.  This involves separating wet hair into small sections and carefully combing through with a fine comb.  This removes the adult lice – no more eggs can be laid and so the life-cycle is broken.  Realistically this needs to be carried out every night for a week so that any adult lice are removed and no further eggs laid. 

Traditionally a more intense chemical based treatment was popular.  This involved the use of an insecticide which was applied directly to the hair, left overnight and then washed off in the morning.  Initially these treatments were effective but there were concerns about the use of strong insecticides on children’s scalps.  Overuse of these chemicals was also contributing to resistance to them by the head lice. In addition the strong chemicals plus overpowering smell often led to problems with asthma and eczema sufferers.

New products are now available which have none of the dangerous side-effects of the older treatments.  Products such as Hedrin are not absorbed into the scalp and work by essentially smothering the head lice. Treatments are available in different formulations, some are left on for only 15 minutes (handy if you want to treat in a hurry) and others are left on for 8 hours then washed off along with the dead head lice! Both treatments should be repeated after 7 days to complete the course.

Excessive sweating (known as hyperhidrosis) is suffered by some people where they sweat more than normal even when not hot, exercising or ill.

The usual places where we sweat are the armpits (axillae), palms of the hands and soles of the feet and in affected individuals one of these areas will produce excessive sweat. The sweating occurs equally in both arm-pits, both palms and both feet but the rest of their body will sweat normally. There is usually no particular cause - some people just seem to have overactive or oversensitive sweat glands in these areas. Occasionally it can run in families but it can develop at any age and both men and women are affected equally.

For some sufferers the condition varies from time to time and may be made worse by certain triggers such as spicy food, heat or anxiety.

 There are some basic tips which you can try to minimise the condition:

Use a bland soap or soap substitute to wash, trying not to irritate or over-stimulate the area.

• Use a normal anti-perspirant regularly. Remember an anti-perspirant reduces sweating whereas a deodorant just masks an odour.
• Wear loose fitting clothes in the underarm area made from natural fibres. Man-made fibres are more likely to make you sweat.
• Avoid wearing clothes that show the sweat marks.  Generally black or white clothes are less likely to show wet patches.  Sometimes dress shields (an absorbent pad) may be worn in the underarm area.

 For excessively sweaty feet it is advisable to:

• Use an absorbent foot powder twice a day.
• Change socks twice a day.  Again try to wear cotton socks not man-made materials.
• Don’t wear the same pair of shoes every day and try to wear shoes that are made of a breathable material.  Avoid trainers or boots as these often trap the sweat making the condition worse.

 If normal antiperspirants are not working for you it is possible to buy stronger ones which contain aluminium salts.  These seem to work by blocking the sweat ducts and can be used under the arms, on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.  In the pharmacy two brands are available, Perspirex and Driclor both of which come in a handy roll on applicator.

They are applied to dry skin at night then washed off in the morning and this is repeated daily until the desired result is obtained.  It may then be possible to reduce the frequency of applications as the condition improves, eventually only having to use the treatment weekly.  It is important that the skin is dry before application and that the skin hasn’t been shaved within 24 hours of application. If used correctly these products make a great difference to sufferers and can be used indefinitely.

There are different forms of hair loss.  The most common form, androgenic alopecia occurs in both men and womena and is also called pattern baldness.  This is a hereditary condition and is related to the male hormone testosterone.

Hair loss can also be caused by an autoimmune disease.  This can result in some loss of hair to the scalp, total loss of hair to the scalp or in extreme cases total hair loss from the scalp and body.

Chemotherapy or radiation can result in hair loss but hair usually grows back after treatment ends.  Temporary hair loss can occur after pregnancy, as a result of stress or a poor diet.

Hair growth occurs in cycles.  The growth phase usually lasts about three years.  After this time there is a resting phase.  This lasts about three months in which time the hair remains in the hair follicle until it is pushed out by growth of a new hair in the next growth phase.  At any one time 15% of hair is in the resting phase.

In androgenic alopecia, the affected hair follicles gradually become smaller than normal.  As the follicle shrinks, the new hair is thinner than the previous one.  The growth phase is much less than the normal three years.  Eventually, all that remains is much smaller hair follicle and a thin stump of hair that does not grow out to the skin surface.  Different hair follicles are affected at different times making the balding process gradual.  Only scalp hairs are affected and areas such as beard or armpits are unaffected.

Sudden stress on the body can trigger large numbers of hairs to enter the resting phase at the same time causing a large number of hairs to be lost at the same time three months later.  This is the type of hair loss that occurs following pregnancy or as a result of stress or poor diet. 

If you experience hair thinning you should:

• Continue to wash and style your hair.
• Try to identify the cause.
• Take a nutritional supplement.
• Treat hair gently, avoid pulling it and allow it to fall into natural direction of hair growth.
• Avoid over styling which can weaken hair and cause it to break near to the scalp.

A dietary supplement, taken as a tablet, that has been developed specifically for thinning hair is Viviscal.  There are formulations for both men and women and, the active ingredient is a pure marine protein complex called AminoMar C.

Viviscal works in four stages over six months.  Firstly it nourishes the hair follicle, strengthens existing hair, promotes growth of poorly growing hair and finally allows all hair to strengthen.  Other items in the Viviscal range which complement the nutritional supplements are shampoo, conditioner lotion and scalp guard.

There are currently two drug treatments available for hair loss.  Finasteride (Propecia) is a prescription only medicine which your doctor could prescribe but is not available on the NHS for this purpose.  It will only work for men.  Minoxidil (Regaine) is available to buy from pharmacies.  It is available as a lotion coming in two strengths, two per cent for women and five per cent foam for male use only.  It needs to be applied twice daily and may take four months for the effect to be noticed.  The treatment must be continued indefinitely as any new hair growth will fall out two months after stopping treatment.

Nappy rash can vary in severity, from mild to severe. In mild cases, the redness is on the areas of skin that are in contact with the nappy, with folds of skin unaffected. The baby feels little or no pain/discomfort.

In more severe cases of Nappy Rash, there may be fungal (thrush) or bacterial involvement. In thrush there are small red spots which spread to form a solid red rash. Bacterial infections may have pus-filled spots or yellow patches and the baby may have a temperature. In severe cases, the rash is painful and the baby may become distressed. 

The aim of treatment of nappy rash is to keep the skin clean and as dry as possible. All cases of nappy rash should be managed using the follows measures:

• Leave the nappy off for as long as possible each day, to allow the skin exposure to fresh air.
• Change the nappy frequently to keep the skin as clean and dry as possible and reduce the time it is in contact with the contents of the nappy, to a minimum.
• Wash the area with water only, as soaps may irritate the skin further. Pat the skin dry instead of rubbing, and ensure it is thoroughly dry before putting on a new nappy. 
• Use a barrier cream at each nappy change, to protect the skin from moisture. Only apply a small amount as too much may affect the breathability of the nappy.

There are a number of products available from your pharmacy that act as barriers, and some help to promote healing.

• Zinc based ointments for instance (Zinc and Castor Oil, Sudocrem, Morhulin) are both drying and mildly antiseptic, without causing irritation.
• Other products contain dimethicone, soft white paraffin (Drapolene), or liquid paraffin (Bepanthen) which act as sealants, preventing moisture from coming into contact with the skin. It is important that the skin is thoroughly dried before applying these, as they will hold in the moisture and worsen the problem.
• Metanium may also be used to treat nappy rash, applying a small amount to the affected areas at each nappy change. 
• If a fungal infection is suspected then an anti-fungal cream should be used. Apply to the affected areas two to three times per day, and continue for seven to ten days after the infection clears. 
• In more severe cases the measures and treatments we have described above may not be sufficient, and you should seek medical advice from your GP. 

Gordons Chemists recommend that in all cases, you contact your GP or healthcare professional if you are not sure about a particular treatment or if you are in any doubt about the severity of your child's nappy rash.  

RapidLash is your must have beauty product for Autumn 2011, if you want to go out on a Saturday night without having to worry about applying false lashes or endless amounts of mascara.   You may also be already thinking about the party season, preparing to attend a formal event, getting organised for this year's Christmas celebrations or planning your winter wedding and RapidLash really is the must have for these or any occasion.

RapidLash is the only lash enhancement product available in the UK with clinical trials to back up its claims.  Clinically proven, following two years of extensive research and testing, RapidLash has been evaluated by an accredited laboratory for performance and safety, producing up to 50% longer looking natural lashes and up to 75% more volume.  In as little as between eight and twelve weeks, you will notice how RapidLash will give you healthier, fuller appearing-looking lashes and brows, literally at the stroke of a brush.

The innovative high-performance serum conditions lashes and brows to look stronger, fuller, longer and thicker with a once a day application.  The eyelash enhancing serum replenishes lashes encouraging growth of lashes and brows which we may have damaged due to ageing, applying false lashes, mascara or even curling in preparation for a night out.

John Clark, General Manager, Gordons Chemists, said: "At Gordons Chemists we are always researching new products and when this idea was discussed with our buying team, we immediately saw its benefits.  This is one of the most exciting launches we’ve ever undertaken and we know our customers will be delighted with the product.”

RapidLash is available at a special introductory price of £34.99 (a saving of £5.00 off the RRP) in your local Gordons Chemists, the largest independent pharmacy chain in Northern Ireland, or shop online at www.gordonsdirect.com