Beautician Shahnaz Husain offers tips and answers queries. Send your queries to askshahnaz@gmail.com
The skin on my mother's cheeks has sagged. What can be done to restore its elasticity?— Sneha
If her skin is normal to dry, she should massage her face every night with nourishing cream, using outward and slightly upward strokes. Wipe off excess cream with moist cotton wool. She can also apply a face mask once or twice a week. Ready-to-use face masks are also available. Or, she can mix two teaspoons of oatmeal with a teaspoon each of ground almonds, honey, curd and egg white. Apply on the face, avoiding the lips and the area around the eyes. Wash after half an hour. If she wants to avoid egg, add more curd. Also go in for weekly salon facials. A professional facial massage with toning and mask will help.
I have puffy eyes and also under-eye bags. How can I avoid them?— Krithika
Chronic and persistent puffiness leads to under-eye bags. These can also be hereditary. For puffy eyes, consult a doctor to ensure that your kidneys and sinuses are functioning well. Ask for dietary advice too. Do not leave make-up or cream on around the eyes when you go to bed; this can also lead to puffiness. You can try some simple home remedies. Apply a compress of iced water or cold milk directly over your closed lids and leave for 15 to 20 minutes. Or, soak cotton wool pads in chilled rose water and let it rest on your under-eyes for 10 to 15 minutes. Grated potatoes or potato juice applied around the eyes also helps reduce puffiness. So do tea bags. Steep them in hot water, allow to cool, and use them as eye pads.
