Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Entertainment | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

ASK SHAHNAZ

Beautician Shahnaz Hussain will offer beauty tips and answer beauty queries. You can send your queries to shahnaz_press@yahoo.co.in

My hands are tanned and I have been using home remedies, but in vain. Is it true that sunscreen lotions are harmful to the skin? Can you help me? — Ruhi

Using sunscreen lotion is not harmful. On the contrary, it protects the skin from the harmful effect of the sun's radiation. You can mix besan with curd and add a pinch of turmeric. Apply this daily on the hands, 20 minutes before bath. The other option is to wear cotton gloves when you are out in the sun.

Please suggest a home remedy to lighten my complexion. Is it safe to use multani mitti? I have heard that it causes breathing problem. Is this true?

You can mix one teaspoon honey with two teaspoons lemon juice. Apply this daily on the face and wash off after 20 minutes. There is no evidence to suggest that multani mitti causes breathing problems. Of course, if someone is suffering from asthma or some other medical problems, he/she should consult a doctor about using multani mitti. It may cause an allergic reaction, leading to breathing problems in some people. But this should be checked with a doctor.

For the past four months I have had small red spots on my face. Please help me to cure this problem. — Amjad

You can mix sandalwood paste with rose water and apply on the face daily. Leave it on for half an hour and wash the face. You can also mix one teaspoon curd with one teaspoon honey and apply on the face daily and see if this helps. Wash off after 20 minutes.

A few years ago I had pimples on my face. Though there are hardly any now, they have left my skin rough. Tell me how I can make it soft and smooth. — Raju

In some cases, the healing of the skin after a pimple causes the formation of excess skin tissue. In some others it can destroy the skin tissue, forming pits in the skin. That is why the skin becomes rough. This condition can be treated only when the pimples have disappeared completely. However, you can try the rice powder and curd treatment. Apply it on the skin, but do not apply on the pimples. Rub gently on the skin using circular movements. Leave on for 5 minutes and wash off. Mix one teaspoon honey with two teaspoons curd and apply on the face daily. Wash off after 20 minutes. To make the skin smooth, you may have to go in for vegetable peel treatments at a skin care clinic. You can also consult a cosmetic surgeon. You should also take treatment for pimples, otherwise they will keep occurring and leaving behind scars. Use a medicated soap to wash the face only twice a day. The curd and honey mixture will also help. You can apply sandalwood paste on the pimples daily. Or, you can mix one teaspoon cinnamon powder and half a teaspoon methi seed powder with a few drops of honey and apply only on the pimples at night, leaving it on overnight.

During the last two years I have put on a lot of weight. I am 5.1 ft tall. I want to lose weight fast, as I am getting married in March 2006. I have started going to the gym six days a week. Do you think I should go to the gym for three days and do yoga on other three days? I also want to know what kind of diet I should go in for. Can I skip dinner or breakfast and instead have fruits and cereals? I would also like to know how to get a firm bustline. — Pooja

The best thing is to go in for a supervised weight reduction programme at the gym, as this would also include dietary advice. If you have the time, you can go to the gym and also do yoga on all 6 days, but you should get your doctor's advice on whether you can do both. It is difficult for me to give advice regarding the number of days you should exercise because I do not know your state of health. It is better not to skip meals, but rather select foods that have low calories. Avoid fried food, rich gravies, sweets, confectionary items like biscuits, cakes and jam. Include fresh fruits, salads, unsweetened curd and paneer made out of skimmed milk, sprouts, soyabeans, fresh juices and clear soups in your diet. The juices should be diluted with water. Vegetables should be lightly cooked in less oil. You can cut down on rice, bread/chapattis, but should not omit them totally. You can do the following exercises for a firm bustline. Join the palms together at waist level, with elbows out. Press the palms together for a count of ten. Now bring the palms up at bust level and repeat the same exercise. Relax and repeat 10 times. The second exercise is to stand with the feet slightly apart. Stretch the arms out to the sides and rotate them, making wide circles, first clockwise and then anti-clockwise. While doing this exercise, the shoulders should move too.

I have pimple marks on my cheeks and also have dark circles under my eyes. Should I try steaming? What should I apply before and after steaming? — Indhu

Steaming will not help cure pimple marks. In fact, steaming of the face regularly can enlarge the pores on an oily skin.

If you do not have any pimples now, you can use the rice powder and curd mixture, which has been mentioned in this column many times. Apply the mixture on the marks and rub gently on the skin with small circular movements, first clockwise and then anticlockwise. Leave the mixture on for 5 minutes and then wash off. Mix one teaspoon honey with two teaspoons curd and apply daily on the face. Wash it off after 20 minutes. For dark circles, you can mix cucumber juice and tomato juice or lemon juice in equal quantities and apply around the eyes daily. Wash off after 15 minutes. You can also apply this on the areas with scars, washing off after 20 minutes.

I have dandruff due to which I am losing a lot of hair. Also, my lips are dark at the edges. Please suggest some remedies. — Joiesbina David

Once a week, heat pure coconut oil or til oil and apply on the scalp at night, leaving it on overnight. Avoid massage. Next morning, apply the juice of a lemon on the scalp and wash your hair after half an hour. Wash your hair at least three times a week, using less shampoo and rinsing thoroughly. Have weekly henna treatments. Add 4 teaspoons each of lemon juice and coffee, 2 raw eggs, one teaspoon methi seed powder and enough curd to the henna powder, mixing it into a thick paste. Apply and wash off after one hour. Include fruits, salads and sprouts in your daily diet and drink 6 to 8 glasses of water.

Ask your doctor to prescribe vitamin and mineral supplements.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail