Beautician Shahnaz Husain offers tips and answers queries. Send your queries to askshahnaz@gmail.com
My skin is dry and I'm very short. — Nivetha
For dry skin, avoid soap and use a cleansing milk or gel. Apply sunscreen before going out in the sun. Keep your skin moisturised during the day. Once daily, mix a little milk with honey and apply it on your face. Wash it off after 15 minutes. At night, after cleansing, massage your face with nourishing cream. Wipe off the excess cream with moist cotton wool before bedtime. By wearing the right clothes and accessories, you can appear taller. For example, by wearing saris without borders or avoiding contrasts, one can look taller. Wear a churidaar and kurta of the same colour; offset it with a colourful or richly-embellished dupatta. Avoid bulky clothes and large prints. The designs should be simple. Wear jewellery that is neat and small. Short girls could wear high heels, but the shoes should be light, with thin straps, rather than bulky.
I have dandruff and am losing hair. My hair is also dry. Suggest remedies. — Archana
Dandruff can lead to hair loss. It can also lead to dry hair caused by the depletion of natural oils. Wash your hair with a mild herbal shampoo three times a week, using less shampoo and taking care to rinse it off well. Half an hour before a shampoo wash, lightly massage two tablespoons of vinegar on your scalp. After a shampoo wash, mix very little conditioner with water and put in a spray bottle. Spray a little of it on your hair and on the tips; then comb your hair, so that the conditioner spreads. This will remove dryness. Once a week, heat olive oil and apply it on your scalp at night, using cotton wool and rubbing gently to remove the flakes. Leave it on overnight. The following morning, apply the vinegar as advised half-an-hour before shampooing your hair. Make fresh fruits, salads, sprouts and yoghurt part of your daily diet. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily. Add the juice of a lemon to a glass of water and drink it first thing in the morning.
I have oily skin with lots of dark pimple marks. — Shivangi
After washing your face, apply an astringent, using cotton wool. If there are no pimples now, try the following scrub. Mix rice powder with curd and apply it on your face once or twice a week. Rub it gently on the skin with tiny circular movements, especially on the dark spots. Leave it on for a few minutes before washing it off. Mix honey and lemon juice in equal quantities and apply it daily on your face. Wash it off after 15 minutes. Two or three times a week, mix multani mitti with rose water and lemon juice into a paste. Apply it on the entire face, avoiding the lips and the area around the eyes. Wash it off after half an hour.
What should I do to get rid of head lice? — Ashwini
Apply vinegar on your hair and scalp. After an hour, comb your hair with a fine lice comb and have the nits removed manually. Vinegar loosens the nits, making them easy to remove. Then wash your hair with a mild herbal shampoo. After a shampoo wash, add two tablespoons of vinegar to a mug of water and use it as a last rinse. Then comb your hair again with the lice comb. Do this daily for one week. Have weekly henna treatments. Add 4 teaspoons each of lemon juice and coffee, 2 raw eggs, one teaspoon of methi seed powder and enough tea water to the henna powder, mixing it into a thick paste. Make tea water by boiling used tea leaves again in enough water. Cool and strain the liquid. If your hair is dry, add two teaspoons of oil. Apply the henna on your hair and wash it off after an hour.
The skin on my lips often peels and develops cracks. Suggest a remedy. — Shriram
The skin of the lips is delicate. However, after washing your face, when your lips are wet, rub them very gently with a soft towel. This helps remove dead skin. Then apply cream of milk and leave it on for an hour. Apply pure almond oil daily on your lips at night, leaving it on overnight. You can also look for a lip balm with sunscreen and apply it during the day. Ask your doctor if you need vitamin supplements, as vitamin deficiencies can lead to such problems.
