B eautician Shahnaz Husain offers tips and answers queries. Send your queries to askshahnaz@gmail.com
I have curly hair with lice and dandruff. — Vidya
Apply vinegar on your hair and scalp. After an hour,comb your hair with a fine-toothed lice comb and remove the nits manually. Vinegar loosens the nits, making them easier 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 the 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, and then cooling and straining the liquid. If your hair is dry, add two teaspoons of oil. Apply the henna on your hair; wash it off after an hour. These treatments will help lice and dandruff.
I have black spots on my nose which is rough. — Ramani
The black spots could be blackheads. In the morning, after washing your face, make a paste of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and water. Apply it daily on your nose, and wash it off after 5 minutes. Use a facial scrub three times a week on the blackhead-prone areas.
You can 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, rubbing the skin gently with small, circular movements. Leave it on for 5 minutes, before washing it off.
I heard concealer helps cover flaws. Can I use it on dark skin and is it easy to apply? — Sreenithi
A concealer is used to cover flaws such as acne scars, dark under-eye circles, marks and patches on the skin. It is not meant for the entire face, or to look fairer. For the entire face, apply foundation. A concealer is applied on blemishes before applying foundation. If a blemish is dark, the concealer should be lighter than the colour of your skin. Then apply foundation on the entire face. It should be as close as possible to skin colour. Then apply powder to set the foundation. Try it out a few times to get it right.
I am 23 and am already greying. Suggest ways to keep the problem in check and how grey hair can be concealed. — Ramesh
Hair which has already turned grey will not become dark, except by colouring/dyeing. Amla is said to check greying. Drink the juice of one raw amla daily, after adding it to a glass of water. Add amla to henna powder. However, henna turns white hair reddish brown. It will not colour dark hair. If you would like to try it, soak a handful of dry amla in about 2 to 3 cups water overnight. The following morning, strain the water, but do not throw it away. Grind the amla. To the henna powder, add the ground amla, 4 teaspoons each of lemon juice and coffee, 2 raw eggs, 2 teaspoons of oil and enough amla water, to make a thick paste. Allow the paste to stand for two to three hours and then apply it on the hair, taking care to cover the entire head. Keep it on for at least two hours, before washing it off. Ask your doctor to prescribe vitamins B Complex and C.
My mother has puffiness under her eyes. — Priya
Your mother should consult a doctor to ensure that her kidneys and sinuses are functioning well and also seek dietary advice. Make-up or cream should not be left around the eyes at night when one sleeps. It can cause puffiness around the eyes. She can try these simple home remedies. Apply a compress of ice water or cold milk directly over closed lids and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes. Or soak cotton wool pads in chilled rose water and let it rest under your eyes for 10 to 15 minutes. Grated potatoes or potato juice applied around the eyes helps reduce puffiness. So do tea bags. Soak them in hot water, allow them to cool, and use them as eye pads.
I have oily skin and pimples. I apply multani mitti with rose water. Can I do a facial at a beauty parlour? — Sara
You should not have a facial massage if you have pimples. You can get your skin cleaned at a salon, by undergoing deep pore cleansing, extraction of blackheads, toning and pimple treatment. To control oiliness, after washing your face, apply an astringent lotion or skin tonic, using cotton wool. Multani mitti and rose water will help control oiliness. Add sandalwood paste to the pack. Sandalwood can also be applied directly on pimples.
