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Ask Shahnaz

Beautician Shahnaz Hussain offers tips and answers queries. You can send your queries to askshahnaz@gmail.com

I go swimming. My hair has too much static and keeps flying. What should I do? — Anu

The chlorine in the water may have made your hair very dry. Wet your hair thoroughly before swimming. Wet hair will not absorb too much water from the pool. Rinse your hair with plain water after swimming. For static in the hair, wet your hands and smooth them lightly over the hair. Avoid brushing or combing the hair too much. After shampoo, apply a creamy conditioner, taking a small quantity and massaging it lightly into the hair. Leave it on for two minutes and rinse it off with water. Or, apply a “leave-on” conditioner or hair serum. Apply it the same way, but do not rinse it off.

I have blackheads on my nose which are hard to remove. — Thameem

Blackheads occur on oily skin or oily areas of the skin. After washing the face in the morning, wipe the blackhead prone areas with an astringent lotion, using cotton wool. Astringent lotion will be available at a cosmetic store. Make a paste of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and water. Apply it on the areas with blackheads daily and wash it off after five minutes. Use a facial scrub thrice a week on the blackhead prone areas. Either buy a facial scrub, or mix rice powder with rose water and use it as a scrub. Apply it on the areas with blackheads and rub it gently on the skin, using small circular movements. Leave it on for five minutes and wash it off. You can also have the clean up done at a beauty parlour.

What is “haldi”? What are the uses of curd and oatmeal in a face pack? — Raji

“Haldi” is turmeric. Curd helps lighten skin colour over a period of time. It also nourishes and softens the skin.

It contains lactic acid and restores the normal acid-alkaline balance of the skin. Oatmeal forms a good base for a face pack. It tightens the skin and helps remove dead skin cells. It brightens the skin and removes tan.

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