DT NOW APRIL 30TH

Mai Atafo

WILL NOT STOP UNTIL HE IS Africa’s leading designer brand

Dressing For The Occassion

Getting dolled up is the most exciting part of any event or occasion for us. This is not an easy box to tick for ladies who struggle to decide what outfit to wear for a particular occasion. Not to worry, we are here to guide you with outfit ideas for different events.

Cookbook: Chicken Tikka Masala

Mai Atafo will not stop until he is Africa’s leading designer brand

Mai Atafo, a disruptor of conventional fashion shows, has set his sights on presenting his new collections to his customers with his standalone show, which he launched in 2022, seating 400 invitees front row. He has come a long way, building ATAFO from Mai Atafo Inspired to Mai Atafo. This charismatic sartorial fashion designer who aspired to be a musician started off in marketing, but his passion for fashion won out, and he decided to give it a shot.

PUBLISHER

Rita Dominic

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Olamide Olarewaju

WRITER

Danielle Anene

PAGE PLANNER / GRAPHIC DESIGNER

'Loba Milad

Getting

SOCIAL MEDIA

Faith Okenwa

"Dtnow first published in 2017 is the lifestyle anchor for the Dailytimes Nigeria, Nigeria's oldest surviving newsmedia platform. Published since 1926, we stepped back ideated and have developed a companion that will serve your lifestyle needs like no other...thats a promise."

THey there, welcome! his week has been "very eventful," but shooting Mai Atafo was definitely a highlight. This cover personality is one of my best in a minute.

I've been following ATAFO, the brand, for years, and it's been pure organic growth from the outside looking in. He's one of the designers I'm always rooting for and talking about, so much so that Benny (the hubs) knows always to tell me "I saw Mai" wherever he sees him, even if it's on Instagram (it doesn't get any cuter).

Anyway, Mai is the perfect muse, and we may or may not have embarrassed him with our “ohs” and “ahs” after each perfect shot. The conversations were the best part. He is a goal-getter who consistently puts in the work and won’t stop, and I am definitely here to see him and others who put in the work succeed.

People & Places features some of your favourite celebrities stepping out for the Gang of Lagos premiere and the launch of Zaron’s latest product, F'LASH, from their plush range.

This week's fashion touches on dressing for the occasion, with inspiration ranging from business dinner events to weddings to brunch and date nights.

Dr Ikunna Onwuanibe discusses fertility in today's women, how it changes with age, fertility tests, and everything in between. It is an absolute must-read.

This week's cookbook is sizzling with Chicken Tikka Masala, and it's a recipe to try, while Beauty looks at how to deal with acne scars and products to try.

If you are getting your home ready for a new furry baby, there’s something for you in this edition. The safety tips for your new pet will definitely come in handy.

I'm almost certain this edition has something for you. Read, enjoy, and share. See you in the next one.

Olamide Olarewaju CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

GANGS OF LAGOS The Premiere

BY DANIELLE ANENE

Gangs of Lagos made history at Livespot Entertainment Centre when it became the first African original film to be released by Prime Video Africa. The premiere, which began at 5 p.m., was themed "Owambe Gangster," and celebrities such as Adesua Etomi, Bimbo Ademoye, Joselyn Dumas, and Toke Makinwa, to name a few, really showed off in style in different versions of the theme. The place was also beautifully decorated to reflect the beautiful rich display of owambe.

When the guests arrived at Livespot, they were greeted by Yoruba traditional drummers and singers, and posed for the camera. Celebrities also had time to greet their fans before making their way to the cocktail area to mix and chat with colleagues and friends who had come for the event.

By 9 p.m., everyone had filed into the movie theatre, where popcorn and drinks were being hanede out as people made their way to their preferred seats; you could tell the audience was looking forward to the start of the film. Before the movie began, a dance crew performed for the attendees to get them in the mood for the film.

You could tell by the sighs and occasional commentary that the movie was captivating the audience, at the end of the movie, there was an after party section with various food vendors tending to the guests.The after-party area was also well decorated with leaf rafts to give it a traditional look. You could see actors catching up with colleagues they hadn't seen in a while.

The night went very well, and Chike, one of the movie's actors, sang one of his songs to the audience. It was such a well-planned premiere that the guests left satisfied and smiling as they made their way to their cars to call it a night.

ZARON #Flashyourlash Shop And Sip Event

BY DANIELLE ANENE

Zaron Cosmetics launched another product from their new plush range called F’LASH, during a shop and sip brunch. If you do not know about the plush range, It is a more luxurious and higher-quality set of Zaron products that are still reasonably priced. The plush range currently includes the 5-in-1 facelift concealer and the newly added f’lash mascara.

The award-winning Nigerian makeup and skincare brand unveiled the new "Triple Lengthening Mascara," presented in a vibrant blue and black tube, adding this to their impressive list of makeup and skincare products.

Beauty and makeup influencers, as well as makeup enthusiasts, were invited to the launch of this new mascara, and they had nothing but positive things to say about the brand. One thing that stood out was the unanimous agreement that the Zaron brand has a lot of options for people with different needs. While men and women shopped, waiters and servers served mocktails, cocktails, and finger foods. Everyone who left the store with one or more items looked happy to try out their new buys. People were also handed cute Zaron gift bags containing some amazing makeup products as they made their way out of the store!

Dressing For The Occasion

BY DANIELLE ANENE

Getting dolled up is the most exciting part of any event or occasion for us. This is not an easy box to tick for ladies who struggle to decide what outfit to wear for a particular occasion. Not to worry, we are here to guide you with outfit ideas for different events.

1. Business Dinner Party

When deciding what to wear to a business party, the main goal is to look "polished and professional." Because it is an official gathering, you do not want to dress provocatively because you will be meeting with colleagues, bosses, and clients, and you want to be taken seriously when socialising. As a result, women may wear dress pants, a casual dress, or a skirt with a nice blouse, while men may wear pants with a collared shirt or traditional matching pants and top. The key is to stand out from the crowd while remaining professional.

4. Brunch

Heading out for brunch has its own style of clothing. If you are getting ready for a brunch outing, consider the following tips: men can wear knickers, Jeans or Khaki pants with a free form top, while women can wear flowy outfits like summer dresses, skirts, light jackets and shirts. Remembering to dress comfortably and formally will help you stay on track.

2. Wedding Guest

The decision of what to wear to a wedding, whether you sew it or buy it off the rack, is usually a difficult one; some people do not want to be underdressed, while others do not want to overdress. Finding a balance between looking classy and elegant while not taking away the spotlight from the bride or groom can be tricky, so here is a guide. It is recommended that the men wear traditional attire unless the dress code specifies a black tie look, while the ladies can get dolled up in dresses made of Silk, Ankara, Chiffon, Lace, and other lush fabrics. Getting ready for a first date is all about making a good impression on your date at the end of the day. The golden rule is to be natural while showing that you put effort into your appearance; trying too hard may not work in your favour, and this applies to both genders. Let the venue of your date decide what you should wear. If you're going bowling, men should wear knickers and women should wear jeans or knee-length shorts, and for fine dining, women should wear a lovely formfitting gown and men should wear nice jeans and a shirt or blazer. Keep in mind where you're going so you can plan your outfit accordingly.

5. Interview

3. First Date

An interview, unless otherwise specified, is a formal event, so it is always recommended that you dress formally when attending one. Wearing a corporate shirt and trousers with a neck tie to complete the look and sticking to neutral colours is best for men; this shows that you are capable and trustworthy. To look smart and confident, ladies can wear a pencil skirt or gown with a pair of lovely heels.

BY OLAMIDE OLAREWAJU

Mai Atafo will not stop until he is Africa’s leading designer brand

ILet’s talk about the brand Atafo. It went from Mai Atafo Inspired to Mai Atafo. Now, Atafo, describe this "journey." t was inspired by my love of clothes. Just things about me really liking to wear clothes and always looking good. And almost like every Nigerian fashion story, you wear things that people like, and they ask you where you got them from. You tell them you made them, and the next thing you know, you're making them for everyone. That's pretty much what it was. It wasn't what I dreamt of doing when I was a little child, or like I had an epiphany one night and the clouds came down; no, it wasn't as sexy as that.

Speaking of childhood, what did you think you would be as an adult?

Mai Atafo, a disruptor of conventional fashion shows, has set his sights on presenting his new collections to his customers with his standalone show, which he launched in 2022, seating 400 invitees front row. He has come a long way, building ATAFO from Mai Atafo Inspired to Mai Atafo. This charismatic sartorial fashion designer who aspired to be a musician started off in marketing, but his passion for fashion won out, and he decided to give it a shot. Years and years later, after showing impressive collections, putting on a show to remember, constantly improving and expanding, and creating constantly sold-out signature pieces, Mai Atafo will not stop until he is THE designer brand out of Africa.

I thought I would be a musician. I wanted to be a musician. That's all I wanted to do growing up. I love music, and it is still my first love.

After leaving the UK and working through the ranks, notably at British American Tobacco and Guinness Nigeria (leaving as a senior brand manager), why did you choose fashion design? How did you go from core brand/ creative marketing to a Savile Row Academytrained fashion designer? Why did you make the move?

I was already doing fashion while working at Diageo; I had started my fashion line and had been doing it for three years before I left. I decided to go into it full-time because I figured if I didn't do it now, I wouldn't have the opportunity to do it later. I did it because my fashion brand was already happening while I was working at Diageo doing brand marketing, and I discovered that I was thinking about it because if I got a promotion at Diageo, I wouldn't be able to focus on my brand anymore, so it was at this point that I had to make a decision before my career progressed one step further and I wouldn't be able to do this, and I didn't want to live a life of regret, saying, "What would I have been if I had tried this?" So I took the plunge to just go and try out fashion, so as I was trying it out, I gave myself a year to try it out, and if it worked great, I would go back and look for a job, so that was exactly why I decided to leave and try fashion out full time.

And how has that been so far?

It's been quite fulfilling and also very challenging—not as easy as I thought. Moreover, I didn't go there with any thoughts; I didn't go there to start this business; I just went there to start fashion, so I didn't have all my I’s dotted and my t’s crossed, even till now I do not. I had no idea what I was getting into. Nobody ever tells you that this is a business; it’s not about how you like things to be, how you like to put colours together, or that kind of fairytale stuff that people talk about; it's a lot more than that, and I didn't know all that, so the struggle has always been, "Now that you know it, how do you make it work?" and I've been trying to make it work to the best of my knowledge since then, and that's where the Savile Row training came in. He was a traveling lecturer, and I asked him if he could come

to Nigeria, and he said if I paid him he would come, so I brought him in here to train for two weeks, and we did that twice: once, I think, in 2014, and the second time was in 2015.

You are arguably one of the most desired bridal designers around. How did you get here? How and why did you delve into bridal fashion?

I think the whole thing with bridal is something I grew into, to be honest, and it came from a strategic standpoint. We had reviewed where we were generating revenue for the business, and things came from things that had to do with weddings, so either you're making the suit for the wedding or making the bride fitting, you know, and we started doing this thing as tailors where we would make bridesmaids dresses. It's quite interesting that I didn’t even start fashion by making suits; suits came in as I proceeded with it, so we did something and we checked back, and we realized that most of our revenue and costs were coming from people that had anything to do with weddings. So when we looked at it properly, we were doing bridal, bridal dress, groom, and some bridal dress at the time, and we were like, "Why not just make this your thing and let people know that you do it?" Because the only way people know you do something is to tell them, so I told them that I was doing it, and the best way to do it is to do it properly, so that's why we said, "Let's do bridal; let's have a formal event for religious grooms." We had an event at the incubator; Uti and Muna were the headliners of the launch, and we did it, and at that point in time, if you ask me how my dressmaking skills were, I'll probably tell you 20 out of 100 at that time when we started. As they say, do not let perfection slow

down progress, so we didn't have to wait to be perfect; we just had to juggle, so literally, we just started like that, and here we are today. What inspires your creativity? How do you get back-to-back inspiration to create collection after collection?

Anything inspires my creativity. I don’t think it's one thing or the other; I don't think it's my life travels and experiences and stuff; everything that I do has a core, which is sartorial craftsmanship like tailoring. That's what the core of everything that I do is at the end of the day, so you would always see a suit in my collection somehow. The world around me inspires me—what I see, what I watch, my travels, everything around me.

Let's talk about the raved-about "Tradxedo." What’s the inspiration behind this unique piece from Atafo?

To be honest, we started it for men's wear, and we did that in 2017. It was a long time ago, and it came from the idea when we started doing traditional outfits, kaftans as we call them now, or trad as we call it more. We started doing that, but I felt like trad was very flat; it felt like you were doing tailoring from Obalende. The trad was inspired by a typical traditional outfit that we wear and a tuxedo shirt. That's why it's

called a trad-xedo," because it's a traditional outfit and a tuxedo shirt. If you notice there are beads on it and the front is like a shirt because it unbuttons all the way down, then we took the idea of a traditional outfit, which is pretty much the length, and the way we tailor our traditional outfits, and traditional outfits are shirts; they are just elaborate shirts; kaftans are elaborate shirts; so we did that, so we started trying to do that. The first ones we did were textured bibs, just like you have the tuxedo ones; they are called the masala shirts. So we did something that was inspired by the masala tuxedo shirt, and as we moved on, we changed it to a velvet bib, so they had a textured fabric on the velvet bib. Then we moved on to having the bib beaded, and once the bib was beaded, we looked at it and thought, "Wow! "Girls will like this, and moreover, most of the things we do are androgynous," so we got a big satin one, we made it a bit more oversized with a bit of edge, wider pants, and we beaded the bib, and it was like a totally different thing! We actually have some stylish men preferring the female one to the ones we made for them, so that was where the whole thing with the tradxedo came from.

The truth about it, like you said, cuts across everything: you can be casual, you can be dressed up to be serious, you can wear your shorts and wear the top like a jacket. It has many lives, pretty much, and these are the kinds of things we like to do to make it feel like we have actually created a signature for the house. So a tradxedo is definitely a signature for the house, and that's how we came about it. It's definitely one of our best sellers.

You’re quite the showman when presenting your collections; what inspires your unique runway presentations?

I think you do fashion, and when it's time

to make it a fashion show, you should not neglect the part that says "show." That's what people forget. When you say something is showbusiness, that means it's a show that's going to give you money; it's a fashion show; it's fashion now make it a show; and it's not unique to me; around the world you have designers doing things like that, like Karl Lagerfeld doing the supermarket or the Louis Vuitton one that was at a train station and people come around the train station; someone has done an airport before; someone has done a whole beach; it's a fashion show; there was water, there was sand, everything. So people do that, and I think it helps tell the story of what you're trying to do, and that's what I've tried to do with the limitations you have of platforms, but I also try to tell that story because I feel like even if you forget the clothes, you don't forget the show, and when you remember the show, there's a possibility that you remember one or two of the pieces, so it's like it's something to just keep you hooked on the whole story you're telling, which is the fashion show story. Coming up with those ideas, sometimes they're very organic; it's like when people always say, "Oh my God, you did that," it was a two-minute thought and execution. It was like, "Let's do this and call somebody and call the other person, and it's done." Get a choir. I saw this choir at the Basketmouth show, and I was like, "Oh, I could use these guys in my fashion show." I got their name, called their manager, and said, "I want them to come to my fashion show." "I want them to perform at this segment." One time I thought it would be great to have a violin at the fashion show, which is to make your own music called "What the Strings." I like live music during the show I think it just helps that energy, in my own fashion show we did basically the same thing we got a live drummer to perform, even the music that we did was original music by ‘Bigfoot’ for the show and it was quite good, so I always feel there should be an element of excitement because fashion shows could be boring and the way we do it in Nigeria where you sit down and watch maybe 10 designers in one day you get fashion fatigue if something doesn't bring you up then you don't appreciate the clothes anymore so for me not to get the chance where you don't appreciate my garments anymore let me give you a show and it's my turn so you remember my show and my garments.

What goes on behind the scenes at Atafo? Describe a typical busy day for Mai. I don't think there's a routine, but I know you try to come in early every day just to get work done. The most important thing to me is customer satisfaction, so I always try to check on them to see what's going on with the customer's work, what the status is, and other kinds of stuff. If the customer walks in, even though it is not my job to see them or do any consultation, sometimes I just like to go and sit in on the consultation just to add a little bit more value. By the time you sit through four consultations and fittings, your day is already over. I also manage the

ordering of stock for garment production, so that's it for me with the vendors, both local and international. I deal with that to a large extent. In my free time, I'm just trying to make sure every other part of the business gels together. I think that's the part that people forget: you're not doing it in fashion; you're doing admin; the cars are running; the inverter is on standby; the place looks presentable at every point in time; if anything is wrong, try to get it fixed; you know, all those things can be quite annoying, but they are things that you must do, and you do those things on a daily basis; but everything is just geared towards getting great customer satisfaction and making sure that the customers are happy, so to speak. That's pretty much how I do things like designing every now and then. When I'm focusing on a fashion show, that's when I actually get settled down. Let's create stuff, but I'm always creating. When it's something I like, I either sketch it down, write it down, stick it down, or screen grab it and move on with it.

How does Mai Atafo unwind? How do you unplug from all these busy, luxe lifestyles? What would you be caught doing in your downtime?

I don't think that time exists, which is quite sad. I don't know what “me time” for me looks like. I think as part of my life, I would go back home and watch TV shows I like to watch, but it's not necessarily me vacating and living. Vacation hasn't happened in a long time...

So your travel is just work?

It’s pretty much work; we find time to see family and friends while we are out to eat and try to enjoy a good meal somewhere or catch up with someone somewhere, but it's never really like, "I'm on vacation; let me put my feet up and watch the skies for 10 days." It hasn’t happened in a long time. I think the closest I had to doing that was when I went to Canada sometime last year, but it wasn’t a vacation more than anything. I think I rested, so I look forward to resting. Maybe that's my me time, when I can sleep beyond 6 hours. I'm always very happy that I can sleep a bit longer. When I can take walks, whether I'm in a shopping district and I'm walking around and looking through different shops and just getting inspiration, I enjoy that a lot, but that is also not my me time because that is low-key work. I don't know what my time is, but I enjoy my past time. I enjoyed watching TV. I am now into interior design, so I like to watch interior design shows and home makeover shows. I absolutely love them, and I would say my office is my first because I redesign it every year.

Why am I not surprised?

I redesign my office every year; then I moved in October, and I redesigned the house that I moved to. I pretty much rearranged the whole structure design from the bottom to the top, made the whole ground floor my kitchen, which is against the living room to the kitchen, the living room to the first floor, squeezed in a den somewhere, and made the living room open plan with a lot of air. I redesigned it, and people come and look at it and go, "Oh my God, this is amazing," so interior design makes me very happy, and music makes me very happy too. I have a vinyl collection and a turntable, so sometimes after work I just relax in my studio, play my vinyl, and just enjoy that moment. It

I THOUGHT I WOULD BE A MUSICIAN. I WANTED TO BE A MUSICIAN. THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO DO GROWING UP. I LOVE MUSIC, AND IT IS STILL MY FIRST LOVE.

last for 30 minutes, but I enjoy it, so I think I just steal time within the madness to do that rather than take out the whole period. I want to do it, but I don't think it will work for me. Thankfully, we try to manage with family around that time, so I think my daughter is just happy to see me when she sees me, but we have our own groove. She has a phone that only has my number and her mom's number, so she video calls me any time of the day, and I must answer because she doesn't get that I'm busy and I can't answer her, so I think we have worked family around that, but I don't think I have that time to relax. I have a PS5 that I have not unboxed; I've not had the time. I also have a TV, just to remove it from the box and play FIFA. I bought it when it was FIFA 23, now it's FIFA 24. I've not had that time to play, but I'm not complaining because I love what I do and I'm really enjoying it. Yeah, I could do something else for money, but in terms of what I'm doing, that's keeping me fulfilled, and what I'm doing right now is doing that.

You started your solo show last year, and that was something. It was different. Why did you start? What inspired that?

Sometimes we say things like, "If you went to Tom Ford, would you behave like this?" If you went to Gucci, would you behave like this? They don't respect us as Nigerian designers, but the truth is that we do not do what those guys do, in all honesty, so first things first, part of telling your brand story is doing your own shows and doing it the way you want to do it without compromise. The reason why many designers do not do their own standalone shows is because they can't afford it. It's a lot of money; you're spending N30 million easily, and that doesn't even cover everything, but it gives you the avenue to do what you want to do. No one tells you who should model for you; no one tells you how long your show can be or how short it should be; no one tells you how many pieces you should showcase; no one tells you how to present your garments on the runway; it's all left to you, and when you have that full control, it means you are telling your own brand story. Most of all, you get to invite people that matter to the

brand to the show. You're not assigned tickets for your own show. So moving from where I get 25 tickets for people to come and watch my show to where I have 400 people sitting front row at a show just makes a whole lot of difference, and for many of those guys, my show was the first time they were coming to a fashion show in their lives, so my customers never even had the opportunity to actually experience the brand to that level, so that's what triggered the show. We're trying to give the full experience to our customers and friends of the brand. So the starting point is that it's a big venture, but we're going to do it again this year, and we're going to do it bigger because the sad part of it is that last year we got a venue and we thought it was big, but once we were set, we realized that it was actually very small. It didn't let us do what we wanted to do, and it was a bit of a struggle. So this year we want to start with the things that mean the most to us and get a very big venue that will contain the people that we want to contain comfortably. That will be a tradition at the Atafo shows until we can't accommodate it anymore because everybody is important. There are also some people who will want to attend the show but will not have access. You want them to also attend the show even if they can't afford the

garments now, but they should just come and enjoy the show. So that's what we're trying to do again, and you know, by God's grace, God being on our side, he's always on our side, we will do it, and we will set the standard in the industry.

What’s next for the Atafo brand?

I don't think it's a particular milestone we're trying to achieve next, but there's a journey, and it's trying to be THE designer brand out of Africa. So when people are calling the Pradas and the Guccis, they will call Atafo. I think that's the ultimate goal at the end of the day, and that's a journey; that's the next step. The reason someone wants to buy a Birkin bag from Hermes for millions of Naira is because they've sold something to them, so I want that to be the case for Atafo, where we do something and people want to buy. When you buy a designer bag, you're proud of it; it's almost a boastful thing, and that's what I want it to be for Atafo. So it's a journey; it's not there. We've started it quite well, but it's not there yet. We still have to justify it to some people, but we want to leave the case open, so we do not have to justify it. That's the ultimate goal.

I WAS ALREADY DOING FASHION WHILE WORKING AT DIAGEO; I HAD STARTED MY FASHION LINE AND HAD BEEN DOING IT FOR THREE YEARS BEFORE I LEFT.

I DECIDED TO GO INTO IT FULL-TIME BECAUSE I FIGURED IF I DIDN'T DO IT NOW, I WOULDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT LATER

for Today’s Women Fertility

BY DR IKUNNA ONWUANIBE

under half of first-time mothers were above 30. Women focused on their careers are more likely to prioritise their careers over their fertility. Thanks to advances in science, especially in reproductive assisted techniques, have given women increased fertility options. The advances in reproductive medicine over the past decades have significantly increased the safety, success, accessibility, and affordability of assisted conception. This has given women the option to delay fertility if needed.

It is possible to remove and preserve eggs by freezing them until one is ready to have children so that they can be implanted through in vitro fertilisation (IVF). In 1999, Erramatti Mangamma, a 73 year-old Indian woman, gave birth to twins through IVF in India. However, scientific advances are limited to a degree by the quality of the egg. As previously mentioned, the quality of eggs decreases with age, and older eggs are more likely to be defective. Unfortunately, most women do not consider freezing their eggs until their late 30s, where it may be too late. All women, but particularly the group of career-focused women, need counselling on fertility and the limitations of IVF.

Are there any tests to determine my fertility?

Egg follicles within the ovaries make an Anti- Müllerian Hormone (AMH) hormone. The more eggs a woman has in her reserve, the higher the AMH level. Please note that AMH level helps to estimate the egg numbers but does not offer information on egg quality.

AMH testing can be of benefit to those who want reassurance that time is on the side so they can wait till later to start a family or to women over 35 who want information on their current ovarian reserve and egg numbers.

Bottom line

Aday after my daughter graduated from university six years ago, her grandma said it was time for her to find a husband. The pressure has not relented, and her Grandma recently ordered her to find herself a husband whilst visiting Enugu during the Easter holidays. Society continues to put unfair pressure on women to marry and produce children, with emphasis placed on the “biological clock”. Alongside societal pressure, African women also face several challenges concerning sexual and reproductive health; they have the highest fertility rates but they also have very high unmet need for contraception.

Fertility is a person's ability to conceive a child. The time it takes a woman to get pregnant varies. Most women will get pregnant within one year of trying. Several factors affect fertility, including a woman’s age, lifestyle, and health status. These lifestyle factors which include obesity, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, are preventable causes of reduced fertility.

It is essential to note that the ability of a couple to conceive does not only depend on a woman producing good quality eggs, but also depends on the man having good quality sperm. Having healthy sperm improves the chances of falling pregnant.

Another factor affecting fertility is the timing of copulation, meaning that the egg and sperm meet at an adequate conception window. Some couples are advised to time having intercourse during ovulation, but this can be a source of anxiety. I have seen patients where this becomes a source of tension within the relationship, where the men are under pressure to perform during ovulation. This takes away the pleasure of sexual intimacy. The best

option is to aim to have intercourse about three times a week, as this would give the best chance of getting pregnant.

How does fertility change with age?

Colloquially, the term “biological clock” is usually discussed in reference towards women, referring to the fact that it’s generally more challenging for women to get pregnant later in life. Societal expectations notwithstanding, reproductive biology decrees that chances of pregnancy decrease with age, as the number of eggs and the viability of those eggs diminish as a woman nears 40. Consequentially, this impinges unfair psychological pressures on women to have children by a certain age.

Girls are born with the maximum number of eggs they will ever have, as no new eggs will be made in their lifetime, and the number of eggs decreases with age. Most girls will have about 2 million eggs at birth, which falls to just under half a million eggs by the time they start to menstruate. Fertility usually dips significantly at about 37 for women, when the egg count is reduced to about 25,000. The number continues declining and most likely falls to about 1000 eggs during menopause. The quality of eggs also decreases alongside quantity with age.

It is important to note that the egg numbers and fertility rate varies from person to person. In real terms, some women may find that the lifespan of fertile years may be shorter or longer.

The average age at which women have their first children has increased worldwide. In high-income countries, the average age for giving birth is 30. In the United Kingdom, just

We know that fertility decreases with age. This poses several questions… What should women do today to increase their ability to get pregnant? Should women freeze their eggs? What is the optimal age for freezing eggs?

Women need to know and understand their options to be able to make informed choices.

Dr Ikunna Onwuanibe Family Physician at Dennis Ashley Medical Clinic Landmark Towers, Oniru, VI, Lagos @ikupopsicles

COOKBOOK: Chicken Tikka Masala

BY DANIELLE ANENE

PREPARATION

1. Slice the chicken into bite-sized chunks. Combine the cubed chicken with the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, salt, cumin, garam masala, paprika and stir until well-coated.

2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.

3. You can either choose to grill the marinated chicken or lightly fry it.

4. Prepping up the sauce: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, then fry the onions for under 30 seconds, with ginger and garlic until tender but not browned. Add the cumin, turmeric, coriander, paprika, chilli powder, and garam masala and stir constantly for about 30 seconds, until the spices are fragrant.

5. Stir in the tomato puree, tomato sauce, and 1 ¼ cups of water, then bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes. Pour in the heavy cream.

6. Add your chicken (grilled or fried) to the sauce, then cook for another 1-2 minutes.

There you have it, your delicious chicken tikka masala, garnish with cilantro and serve over rice or alongside naan bread.

We must admit that there are times when we want to try something other than Nigerian meals, and for most people, this means going out and buying it. The most popular foreign meal may be Asian and, of course, Chinese, but there are many other parts of Asian meals to choose from, including Korean, Japanese, Philippine, and Indian meals.

In this edition, we'll show you how to make Chicken Tikka Masala, a delicious Indian stew.

The beauty of this stew is in the taste and smell; by the time you are done, you will know you're not preparing or eating a Nigerian meal, and your kitchen will be filled with an aroma that can only come from an Indian kitchen. And, like our Nigerian stew, it goes well with the Indian bread known as naan.

First and foremost, you must go to the market to get some ingredients that you may not have in your kitchen, and the wonderful thing about Nigeria, particularly Lagos, is that you can find just about any store to meet your needs. There are now stores that only sell Asian products, so you can get these items there.

INGREDIENTS

CHICKEN MARINADE

• Boneless chicken breast chunk

• Greek yoghurt

• Lemon juice (2 tablespoon)

• Garlic cloves, minced

• Ginger, minced

• Salt to taste

• Ground cumin powder (2 teaspoons)

• Garam Masala powder (2 teaspoons)

• Paprika powder (2 teaspoons)

SAUCE

• Cooking oil (3 tablespoons)

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• Ginger, minced

• Garlic, minced

• Cumin powder (2 teaspoons ground)

• Turmeric powder (2 teaspoons)

• Coriander powder (2 teaspoons)

• Paprika (2 teaspoons)

• Chilli powder (2 teaspoons)

• Garam masala (2 teaspoons)

• Tomato puree (1 tablespoon)

• Tomato sauce(800 g)

• Heavy cream (250 mL)

• Fresh cilantro, for garnish

WHEN ACNE SCARS And How To Get Rid Of Them

BY DANIELLE ANENE

AAcne scars! Nobody likes them!. If one is not careful, acne scars can have a negative impact on one's confidence. There have been cases of people with acne being discriminated against in a variety of settings, ranging from being excluded from the dating scene to not being considered presentable enough for front-desk or clientfacing jobs; some people even associate people with acne with poor hygiene. This is not true in any way. Unfortunately, even after the acne has been treated, you will have to deal with the scars it has left behind, and if you are not careful, you may worsen the situation. We all know that the basic skincare routine consists of cleansing the face, applying treatment and moisturizing the face, but we want to focus on the middle step, treatment application. After treating the acne, you should always treat your skin with serums containing ingredients like vitamin C, retinol, alpha hydroxy acids and others. Here are a few products that contain these ingredients that are suitable for dark skin:

1. THE ORDINARY FACIAL TREATMENT SET AND THE BALANCE SET

This facial set is dermatologically approved; it contains azelaic acid, which is great for preventing acne scars from getting darker and for gradually fading dark and pink spots; it is also great for people with sensitive skin.

When using this product, keep in mind that Niacinamide and Vitamin C should not be used in the same routine. Use Niacinamide during the day and Vitamin C at night. Hyaluronic acid can be used both during the day and at night. Make sure to wear sunscreen during the day and moisturiser at night. The ordinary brand is definitely worth a try and it is suitable for all skin

The Murad Environmental Shield Rapid Dark Spot Correcting Serum contains a combination of Vitamin C and hydroquinone (a skin-lightening ingredient) that helps fade dark spots, brightens your complexion, and gently heals acne spots.

The CeraVe serum reduces the appearance of postacne marks and pores, aids in the restoration of the protective skin barrier, and improves skin smoothness. The Niacinamide acid helps to calm the skin by reducing redness and inflammation, while the retinol promotes skin cell turnover for a brighter and healthier appearance. It contains ceramides, which help to restore the protective skin barrier and heal damage and it is suitable for all skin types.

This treatment combines vitamin C with alpha-hydroxy acids to help lighten and smooth your skin. The 15% concentration of vitamin C protects your skin from UV damage and increases collagen production, while the 10% dose of hydroxy acid gently exfoliates and gives your skin a glow.

This serum primarily contains glycolic acid which is a key ingredient in the treatment of acne scarring. Exfoliating ingredients, such as salicylic acid and glycolic acid help the skin shed darkly pigmented cells. The acids help to brighten, strengthen and even out your skin tone. This product is suitable for normal, oily, combination, and dry skin types and has received positive reviews for improving skin texture.

2. THE MURAD ENVIRONMENTAL SHIELD

4. SKINCEUTICALS C + AHA TREATMENT

3. CERAVE RESURFACING RETINOL SERUM

5. ALPHA-H LIQUID GOLD WITH GLYCOLIC ACID

GETTING YOUR HOME READY For Your New Furry Babies

BY DANIELLE ANENE

Adopting a pet and bringing them home can be an exciting and thrilling experience, especially if it is your first time. Just as you would redecorate certain areas of your home when your baby begins to crawl, you must remember that your fur babies are the same, and they are also very curious kittens).(especially It does not take long for them to discover things you did not even think about, such as mangled cords, paper wraps, or even plastics. If you are considering taking this next step in your life, don't worry; this edition will provide you with interior design ideas to protect your companion animal and create a better space for them.

KEEPING THE ROOM SAFE

This area of the house is most likely the place you will be keeping them, so you need to ensure that your cables are not exposed or in close range. Trying to assess your home from the view of your pet would also put things

into more perspective for you, you might realize that your wardrobe is quite easy to open and close, so to avoid this you would need to get a clasp for your closet and wardrobe doors. Make sure the medicine, lotion, perfume, or cosmetics cabinet is out of reach of the pet. Consider your dog's size and height; this will help you eliminate a lot of furniture that

Your pets will get to follow you around, so install baby gates and pet gates that will cut off access to the kitchen, if you cannot do this yet, then you have to; Get your knives and sharp objects out of reach Refrain from leaving hot items in a place they can easily climb or reach, and keep your spices in tight containers

Ensure your trash cans have locks and pet-safe bin

If you keep your medications in the kitchen and not your room, then

you should be conscious to keep them on the high shelves.

Remembering that your new pets are curious about their new surroundings allows you to make more informed decisions about where to place your furniture and what holes to hide. Helping your cat or dog adjust to your space can be exciting, but you should feel confident that you have any issues that could jeopardise their safety under control.