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Ask Shahnaz

Beautician Shahnaz Hussain offers tips and answers queries. You can send your queries to shahnaz_press@yahoo.co.in

My lips are dry, chapped and dark. Suggest a remedy. — Usha

After washing your face, when the lips are still wet, rub them gently with a soft towel. This helps remove dead skin. Apply malai (cream of milk) daily and keep it on for an hour. At night, apply pure almond oil and leave it on overnight.

How do I manage frizzy hair? — Gauri

The texture of one's hair is normally due to hereditary factors. Excessive dryness can make it look frizzy. Give your hair hot oil treatments and try the hot towel wrap. This helps the oil to be absorbed better. Use a mild herbal shampoo. Apply a conditioner, massaging it lightly into the hair, applying more from the middle section till the ends. You can also use a leave-on conditioner, or use a styling gel when the hair is wet. Avoid the use of hair dryers and let your hair dry naturally.

I am a 40-year-old male with no significant hair loss or hair-related problems. How often should I shampoo my hair and what is a good hair care regimen? What is the difference between rinse off and leave on conditioners and what are the benefits? — Murali

If your hair is oily, or if you travel a lot, you should wash your hair daily. But use very little shampoo and rinse it off thoroughly with water. Use only one-fourth teaspoon for very short hair, diluting it with a little water. Dry hair may be washed three times a week. Washing does not harm the hair, provided you use less quantity of a mild shampoo. One application of shampoo should be enough, unless you have applied oil. Heat pure coconut oil and apply it once a week, without vigorous massage. Hair is fed by nutrients in the blood stream. So, include fresh fruits, salads, sprouts and adequate protein in your diet. Conditioners should be used for dry hair. A rinse-off conditioner is applied after a shampoo — massage it lightly into the hair and wait for two minutes before washing it off with water. A leave-on conditioner may be applied to wet or dry hair. It has to be applied in the same manner, but does not need to be washed off. Then the hair may be combed into the desired style. A leave-on conditioner helps very dry or frizzy hair.

I am 39. I am getting black patches on the cheeks, from the sides of the nose, extending under the eyes. It is also forming a line up to the cheeks. I have dry skin. — Uma

The area under the eyes has to be treated differently, because the skin is delicate. Protect your skin with a sunscreen that has high SPF before going out in the sun. For the area around the eyes, apply a little pure almond oil and massage it gently only with the ring finger for one minute. Leave the oil on for 15 minutes and wipe it off with wet cotton wool. You can also mix cucumber juice and tomato juice in equal quantities. Soak cotton wool pads in it and apply them over closed eyes, covering the dark circles. Lie down and relax for 20 minutes. Wash it off with water. For the dark patches on the nose and cheeks, use the rice powder and curd mixture as a facial scrub, rubbing gently, leaving it on for five minutes before washing it off with water. Mix one part honey with two parts lemon juice and apply it on these dark areas for 20 minutes. At night, apply a nourishing cream and massage it on the face with a few drops of water, wiping it off with moist cotton wool.

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