Recently, when a friend asked me which manicure she should get, I drew a blank. From milk bath nails to the structured gel manicure, we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to trends and techniques, and whittling it down to just one feels impossible. Looking back through the archives, though, it’s clear that this year’s most talked-about manicures have one thing in common: they’re often specific to a place or country.

UPDATE: May. 10, 2023, 11:00 a.m. EDT This post has been updated to reflect the

A nurse who needed the toilet 30 times a day was diagnosed with an incurable disease after doctors suspected she had an eating disorder when her weight plummeted. Katie Harpur, 25, a nurse from Belfast, dropped to just five stone while battling the painful symptoms of Crohn’s disease, which left her unable to walk, and she could not eat without throwing up. Diagnosed with Crohn’s in 2014 at the age of 16, she was told it was inevitable that she would eventually need a stoma bag. Fitted with a temporary bag in 2019, Katie had the operation to make her stoma permanent in June 2022 and says it has changed her life. She said: “I used to need to go to the toilet up to 30 times a day and I couldn’t go out and socialise for fear of there not being facilities nearby. “It was incredibly limiting, and I was in a lot of pain to the point where I didn’t even want to go anywhere. “I’d always wanted to travel but it was impossible for me to do so until I got my stoma bag fitted. “Now I’ve booked my first long-haul flight to Tokyo, something I never would have been able to do before the op.” Katie first started experiencing pain and nausea at the age of 14 but said doctors found it difficult to diagnose her. I was in a lot of pain to the point where I didn’t even want to go anywhere Katie Harpur She said: “At first, they suspected that I was bulimic because my weight dropped. “I lost a dangerous amount of weight and weighed just five stone, but I didn’t have an eating disorder, it was just too painful for me to eat and if I did eat, I would vomit. “I remember one doctor told me I was a hypochondriac, but I knew something wasn’t right.” Persevering with medical appointments, Katie said her health deteriorated until she was admitted to hospital. Unable to walk, the then 16-year-old spent two weeks in hospital where she had a colonoscopy. Katie said: “I couldn’t physically walk anywhere, I was so weak, and I ended up in hospital. “The biopsies from the colonoscopy came back and confirmed that I had Crohn’s disease.” Crohn’s disease is a lifelong condition where parts of the digestive system become inflamed. Symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach aches and cramps, blood in your poo, fatigue and weight loss. Growing up, I was so excited to travel but Crohn’s made it impossible. Katie Harpur Katie was put on medication but was told she would eventually need a stoma bag. In June 2019, Katie, then aged 21, underwent a procedure to have a temporary stoma bag fitted. She said: “Going into it, I obviously had body image concerns because I’m still quite young and people tend to have a false idea that stoma bags are dirty. “I knew I would end up with a giant scar too and that made me nervous.” Despite the stoma bag being the solution to Katie’s painful symptoms, she suffered complications which led to her having the procedure reversed. Battling infections and prolapse, her stoma was removed in January 2020. With her symptoms returning, Katie made the decision to have a permanent stoma bag fitted in June 2022. She said: “Because there were so many issues with the first one, I was really nervous, especially as this stoma couldn’t be reversed. “But my condition had gotten so bad and I was in so much pain, that this was really the only option for me at this point.” I hope people can see my experience and know that stoma bags aren’t scary Katie Harpur As Katie approaches 12 months since her stoma operation, she said the procedure has “changed her life”. With no complications or symptoms, she is now able to travel and socialise with friends. “I’ve had no issues at all with it and it’s honestly the best thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “Growing up, I was so excited to travel but Crohn’s made it impossible. I always said I wouldn’t travel far until I had my stoma fitted.” Since her operation, Katie has booked a three-week trip to Tokyo for September this year, something she says she never would have been able to do before. She said: “Not being able to speak Japanese, I would have found it very hard to find a public toilet so wouldn’t have been able to do the trip before. “But now I’m planning to go to Mount Fuji and Super Nintendo World, which I’m really excited for.” Now she is raising awareness for Crohn’s disease on World IBD Day and hopes to break the stigma around stoma bags. “A lot of people think having a stoma bag is the end of the world,” she said. Now I’ve booked my first long-haul flight to Tokyo, something I never would have been able to do before the op. Katie Harpur “I was so young getting mine done and I was nervous about how my body would change but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done, I wish I’d done it sooner. “I hope people can see my experience and know that stoma bags aren’t scary, mine has greatly improved my life and enabled me to start enjoying life again.” Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Crohn’s & Colitis UK, said: “There are more than 500,000 people living with Crohn’s and colitis in the UK. Every day we hear about more who are experiencing symptoms and waiting for a diagnosis. “Since the pandemic, the already lengthy waiting times for tests like endoscopies and colonoscopies have soared. “Such delays can be devastating for people, affecting their ability to work, study, socialise and live the lives they want to. “We really need to do more to help young people stay in control of their health, and that means providing them with the tools to get the right diagnosis from their GP as early as possible. My stoma bag has greatly improved my life and enabled me to start enjoying life again Katie Harpur “If you’re experiencing blood in your poo, tummy pain or frequent, urgent diarrhoea, then the symptom checker on our website is a good place to start. “It’s designed to give people the confidence to go to their GP with a letter detailing their symptoms, to help them get the right diagnosis and get back on the road to recovery.” For more information, visit: www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk. Read More How to check if you have skin cancer: Symptoms and signs to look out for Janey Godley shares heartbreaking cancer update New obesity jab that sparked diabetes row in US could get NHS green light Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

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Damon Hill insists Lewis Hamilton has to be “cold-blooded” in contract negotiations with Mercedes with a new deal yet to be penned. The seven-time Formula 1 world champion, who has won six of his seven titles with Mercedes, has been with the Silver Arrows since 2013 and while both Hamilton and team boss Toto Wolff maintain a fresh contract is an inevitability, the deal has still not been completed. The 38-year-old, an eight-time winner at his home grand prix at Silverstone where the F1 paddock roll into this weekend, was heavily linked with Ferrari a few months back but quickly downplayed suggestions a switch to the Scuderia was in the works. And 1996 F1 world champion Hill, while appreciating the “romance” of such a move, insists switching allegiance would represent a “huge risk.” “Any driver who doesn’t know what the options are is missing an opportunity,” Hill tells The Independent, ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix. “But would he really go to Ferrari? From a strategic point of view, it would be a huge risk to go to Ferrari. Everyone would love to be in red and win, see what happened with Nigel [Mansell]. “It’s a romance really but you’ve got to be cold-blooded about it. He’s not going to go to Red Bull either.” Elaborating on why a new contract has been so long in the pipeline, Hill said: “As I understand it, the contract won’t just be a racing contract – it will be a full Mercedes ambassadorial contract. “That requires a different board to sign off on it, can’t just be signed off by Toto. There’ll be some board meetings in Germany.” Red Bull have won all nine races so far this season and are cruising to another double title win, with Max Verstappen 81 points ahead of team-mate Sergio Perez in the world championship. Hill, himself a British GP winner in 1994, now believes the most exciting storyline in 2023 is whether Christian Horner’s team can do the unprecedented and win every grand prix, with 22 races in total on this year’s calendar. “Can they win every race? It’s never been done before – they’ll be sitting there thinking ‘we can’t count on it, but we’d love to do it.’ “My experience tells me that something will prevent that – Fernando [Alonso] or Lewis will win again. But if they don’t, Max could win everything frankly. “What an achievement that would be and how tense would that make the last few races.” Red Bull, however, will need to break a Silverstone hoodoo this weekend – they have not won the British Grand Prix since 2012 with Mark Webber. Verstappen was foiled by a mechanical issue during last year’s thrilling race, won by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz after a lengthy stoppage following Zhou Guanyu’s upside-down crash, and should something similar with the Dutchman happen this year, Horner will turn to Perez to bring home the trophy. Yet the Mexican has struggled in recent months since winning in Azerbaijan at the end of April, though did have something of a return to form with second place in last week’s race in Austria. Nevertheless, Hill says Perez should be looking over his shoulder. “I think he’s already under pressure,” he says. “They cannot afford to have a car that good and not have two cars right up there for the championship. Pressed on who could replace Perez should Red Bull, as has been customary in the past, look to ruthlessly move on from Perez when his contract expires at the end of 2024, Hill added: “Is Daniel Ricciardo fit enough to come back? “That’s what the noises are. Maybe that plan is simmering away. I think they’d want a fresh face. “Possibly Lando [Norris]. He’s still got a few more years left at McLaren – I was surprised when he signed such a long-term deal [until end of 2025]. It’s a long time, I’d have done three years tops. “If you’re that confident in yourself, you need to be able to move when the time is right.” Hill was speaking at the Damon Hill Festival of Karting at Daytona Sandown, which raised funds for Halow – a charity which supports young people with learning disabilities and autism. Hill is a co-founder of the Halow project. Read More Why is Brad Pitt filming at Silverstone during the British Grand Prix? It hurts – Lando Norris reflects on his ‘toughest season’ ahead of British GP David Coulthard looks at the key issues surrounding Lewis Hamilton’s next deal F1 release 2024 calendar with radical change to start of the season F1 descends into farce again after results shake-up – the FIA has to be better Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz demoted after Austrian Grand Prix penalty chaos

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