IMPERIAL Cancer Research aims to raise #45,000 at a special carol concert in Glasgow Cathedral next Tuesday. Celebrities doing the readings include Kate Adie, Hannah Gordon, Sally McNair, Lady Marion Fraser, Magnus Linklater, and Sir Angus Ogilvy. Sir Angus's wife, HRH Princess Alexandra, will be at the performance.

The music should be splendid, with Stephen Clarke conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the RSNO Junior Choir, and soloists Lisa Milne and Christopher Purves. Scottish Amicable is sponsoring the event, and the #25 ticket includes mulled wine and mince pies in the cathedral nave after the carols. For tickets, phone the ICRF Scottish Appeals Centre on 01786 446689.

WHAT do you do when a tattoo becomes an embarrassment? A new machine called Photoderm, which bombards tattoos with a series of intense bursts of light, can destroy pigmented tissue so that the unwanted image fades and disappears. This alternative to the

not-totally-successful laser treatment works best on dark tattoos. The treatment can also be used on thread veins, birthmarks, age spots, and freckles. Catherine Knowels of the HCI International Medical Centre at Clydebank, where the treatment is being offered, claims an 85% success rate. She says: ''The treatment is not totally painless, but any discomfort is quickly forgotten when you see the results. In most cases, patients don't need painkillers or local anaesthetic, so most go straight back to work after their treatment.'' Possible blistering, scabbing, or local swelling are claimed to be temporary which means Photoderm can be used on a larger area than the laser, and can be used on the face. Sessions cost #140, and patients are given an estimate of the number of sessions required for individual skin problems. HCI is on 0141 951 5000.

New Zealand company Comvita has introduced their Propolis Winter Support Range to Britain. There are three products to fight winter ailments which are suitable for children as well as adults. Propolis and Omega C boosts the immune system. They are orange chewables containing no artificial flavours. Propolis Lozenges with tea tree oil are gentle on the throat and come in three flavours. Propolis Elixir, containing propolis, soothing herbs, Irish Moss, eucalyptus, and Vitamin C, helps throats and chests. It is safe for children and pregnant women and does not contain alcohol. It can be diluted for the young. Available from health food stores, or call Comvita's helpline on 0181 961 4410.

RHEUMATOID arthritis is one of those diseases which puzzles doctors. Conventional drugs to control it often have unfortunate side-effects. Many people now look to alternative therapies, and a booklet by Dr Rex Newnham, Arthritis Without Drugs - The Natural Answer, could be helpful. Dr Newnham is a researcher and nutritional consultant who has specialised in discovering the causes of arthritis, osteoporosis, and similar bone and joint diseases, and in overcoming them using only minerals, vitamins, herbs, and extracts. The booklet is available from P M Hunter and Co, 145 Dulwich Road, London SE24 ONG

(24-hour answerphone 0171 737 8226), price #3.99, p&p included. The first five readers who write to this address quoting ''Offer 543'' and The Herald, Glasgow, will receive a free copy of the booklet.

EIGHT out of 10 women experience menopausal symptoms due to falling oestrogen levels and, in at least 15% of women, these symptoms are severe. Returning oestrogen levels to their pre-menopausal

state can relieve the signs

and symptoms of

oestrogen deficiency and

help prevent longer term problems such as coronary heart disease and osteoporosis. Hormone replacement therapy is, of course, what most doctors prescribe but, for many women, the fact HRT usually means the continuation of the cyclical bleed is enough to make them give up on the treatment after a couple of years or even sooner.

Evorel Conti is the first continuous combined HRT patch designed for women looking for HRT without a cyclical bleed. Treatment is continuous, with each patch replaced every three to four days. During the initial

six-month adjustment phase, some occasional bleeding may occur, but the patches are said to rapidly reduce the frequency of hot flushes. The most common side-effects include vaginal bleeding, spotting, breast tenderness, headache, abdominal cramps, and bloating.