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

Ask Shahnaz

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

Tell me how to apply amla powder. — Sunita

Amla powder can be added to oil or henna. Add 10 to 15 gm of amla to 100 ml pure coconut oil or til oil. Put it in a glass jar with a tight lid. Keep it in the sun for 15 days, shaking it daily to stir the amla. Strain the oil and use it to nourish your hair. Amla can also be added to henna paste. Buy whole dry amla, soak it in water overnight and grind it the following day. Both the water and the ground amla can be added to the henna paste. It is said to check greying and keeps the scalp healthy. Henna will leave a reddish brown colour on grey hair, but will not colour dark hair.

I travel a lot in the sun and my skin has become tanned and dull. — Shruti

Use a facial scrub once a week. Mix rice powder with curd and apply it on the face, rubbing gently on the skin using small circular movements. Leave it on for five minutes and then wash it off with water. Do not apply the scrub on pimples, acne or rash. Mix one teaspoon each of honey and curd and two teaspoons of lemon juice and apply it daily on the face, at any time. Wash it off after 20 minutes. Twice a week, mix cucumber and ripe papaya pulp with one teaspoon of curd, one teaspoon of honey, three teaspoons of oatmeal and one teaspoon of lemon juice. Apply this mixture on your face and wash it off after 20 to 30 minutes.

I have some black spots on my lips. How can I get rid of them? — Shaila

The skin of the lips is thin and delicate. However, after washing the face, when the lips are wet, rub them gently with a soft towel. This helps remove dead skin. Then apply cream of milk on the lips and leave it on for an hour. Apply pure almond oil daily at night and leave it on overnight. Change your brand of lipstick, because the perfume in certain lipsticks can cause darkness — as a result of sun-exposure (photosensitivity).

I am tall, fair and have a long face. What kind of hairstyle will suit me? — Sri Vi

A short hairstyle suits a long face. It should have width on the sides. A soft fringe on the forehead will help make the face look less long. If you want a long hairstyle, it should not hang straight down. In fact, with a tall figure, you should have a full, layered hairstyle, cut to shoulder length. The layers can begin at ear level, to add width to a long face.

Nowadays I am suffering from severe dandruff and hair loss. I used a lot of conditioners, but nothing works. — Vani

Dandruff can cause hair loss. If there is dandruff, creamy conditioners should not be used. Wash your hair with a mild herbal shampoo three or four times a week, using less shampoo and rinsing well with water. Half an hour before shampooing your hair, apply two tablespoons of vinegar on the scalp, massaging it lightly into the scalp. Once a week, heat pure coconut oil or til oil and apply it on the scalp at night. Leave it on overnight. Next morning, apply vinegar or lemon juice half an hour before shampooing. Henna treatments once a week or three times a month will also help. Include fresh fruits, raw salads, sprouts and yoghurt in your daily diet. Drink six to eight glasses of water daily and ask your doctor to prescribe vitamin and mineral supplements.

I have dry skin with rough, red patches. Sometimes after washing, I find white flakes. — Jaya

You skin lacks moisture and has developed sensitivity. This can also happen if you are exposed to air-conditioning for long periods. The rough, red and flaky areas have become totally dehydrated. You should stop using soap and use a cleansing gel or cream. Or, take half a cup of milk and add three drops of any vegetable oil (til, olive or sunflower oil). Put this in a bottle and shake well. Cleanse the skin with it, using cotton wool. You can keep the left-over in the fridge for one or two days. At night, after cleansing, apply a nourishing cream and massage it into the skin.

Remove the cream with moist cotton wool. Keep your skin moisturised and apply a sunscreen before going out in the sun. Mix a little milk with honey and apply it on the face daily, washing it off after 20 minutes.

If there is any itching, consult a dermatologist.

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