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Ask Shahnaz

Beautician Shahnaz Hussain will offer beauty tips and answer beauty queries. You can send your queries to shahnaz_press@yahoo.co.in

I have oily skin, lots of pimples and pimple marks. Please suggest a permanent remedy. — Viji

You should use products suited to oily skin to take daily care of it. Use a medicated soap to wash the face only twice a day.

Excessive soap and water can lead to pimples as it destroys the normal acid-alkaline balance. Buy an astringent. Mix two parts of it with one part rosewater and keep in a bottle in the refrigerator.

Wipe the face with this twice a day using cotton wool.

Mix one teaspoon cinnamon powder with one-third teaspoon methi powder. Add a few drops of honey.

Make a paste and apply only on the pimples at night, keeping it on overnight. Once pimples have subsided, marks can be treated with a facial scrub.

I am 25 years old. I have pimples problem, which started appearing when I was 18. I always keep my skin clean and apply turmeric paste (kasturi) on my face. The pimples dry out but come back again. They grow big and leave marks on my face. I have dark pimple marks on my chin and forehead. Usually my skin is oily. But during winter it becomes dry but I can't apply any cream as I get pimples. Please suggest some effective remedy. — Preethi

Pimples should be treated as early as possible, as they can cause scars. How do you keep your face clean? It is important to know that the face should not be washed with soap and water more than twice a day.

After cleansing in the morning, mix rice flour with curd and apply on the areas with marks, but not on the pimples.

Rub gently on the skin, using circular strokes and wash off.

Apply curd on entire face daily and wash it off with water after 20 minutes.

Do this in winter too and your skin will not feel dry. You can also apply honey on the face to relieve dryness in winter.

On the pimples you can apply sandalwood paste. Or, mix one teaspoon cinnamon powder with one-third teaspoon methi powder.

Add a few drops of honey. Make a paste and apply only on the pimples at night, keeping it on overnight.

My skin is tanned. My hands specially look very dark. Do you have any special bleach that can be applied on hands? — Jeena

I do not advocate bleaching of the skin. You can massage sesame seed (til) oil daily on the hands. Mix besan (gram flour) with curd and add a pinch of haldi (turmeric). Apply this on the hands daily and wash off after 20 minutes. Lemon juice and sugar can be mixed and applied on the hands. Rub it gently and wash off.

My skin is oily and I get pimples regularly. I am using neem face pack. How can I improve my complexion and get rid of pimples and oiliness. Suggest a suitable facial also. What kind of scrub can I use? — Sirisha

Cleansing of the face with appropriate products is important in the treatment of pimples. As mentioned in this column several times, use a medicated soap or cleanser only twice a day.

To reduce oiliness, you can mix two parts of an astringent with one part rose water.

Wipe your face with this two or three times a day, using cotton wool. Scrubs should not be used on pimples. You should apply curd daily and wash your face after 20 minutes.

This will help the pimple problem and also lighten skin colour over a period of time of daily use.

I have a 19-year-old daughter. She has hair over her upper lips and is extremely conscious about it. What is the permanent remedy for this? Is it good to do bleaching? She wants some home remedy. She was using lime and sugar (like in waxing) but developed an allergy. Many of her friends have the same problem. — Vijji

The permanent remedy for facial hair is laser therapy. It is an expensive treatment and requires a few sessions. You would also need to find a reputed laser clinic. Home remedies do not help. I would advise you to visit a good beauty salon and seek advice about threading or cold waxing for facial hair. It is better to have these procedures done by a person who is trained. However, these are temporary methods and will need to be repeated when the hair grows back.

My daughter's hair turns dry and frizzy in winter. She has curly hair. I give her a coconut oil treatment once a week but it does not seem to help much. Suggest another remedy. — Jayashree

Hot oil treatments would help to soften the hair. Once or twice a week heat pure coconut oil and apply on the scalp and hair. Then dip a towel in hot water, wring out the water and wrap the towel around the head, like a turban. Keep it on for 5 minutes. Repeat the hot towel wrap 3 or 4 times.

This helps the hair and scalp absorb the oil better. Use a mild herbal shampoo. Use less shampoo and rinse well. Applying curd or egg yolk on the hair half an hour before shampoo. It helps to soften the hair. After shampoo, she can use a conditioner. You can either buy a hair conditioner, which is applied after shamppoing and rinsed off or the one that is left on.

During winter the skin on both sides of my nose, corner of the lips and below the lips get dry. As a result my skin becomes dark in these areas. I apply a moisturiser, but it does not help me much. Can you please suggest some cream that I can use? — Bindu

You should use a mild glycerin soap to wash your face. Dip cotton wool in cold milk and apply on the dark areas daily. Leave on for 20 minutes and wash your face with plain water.

Applying honey on the dry areas also helps to soften the skin, as honey is a powerful natural moisturizer. At night, apply a good nourishing cream on the dry areas and massage it on the skin for two minutes. Wipe off with moist cotton wool. Apply a sunscreen before going out in the sun, as sun-exposure also causes dryness.

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