With winters in full bloom, your hair, scalp and even skin need special care and attention. Here are some common questions concerning beauty and care:
Q. I have warts on my face and neck. How to remove and prevent them?
A. Warts are small, hard, uneven, raised growths, with a rough surface. They can appear on the face and other parts of the body. Some warts are caused by a virus and spread fast and easily. Avoid picking with nail. Go to a dermatologist, or go for homeopathic treatment. As far as home remedies are concerned, it is said that applying vinegar on the warts daily causes them to finally fall out. Apply it only on the wart, using cotton wool. It is also said that onions help. Soak cut onions in water overnight. Next morning apply the water on the face.
Q. My hair is frizzy. What type of hair gel will suit? I want my hair to stay set.
A. After shampoo, use less quantity of a leave-on conditioner or hair serum, massaging it lightly into the hair. Or, you can also mix some water with creamy hair conditioner and put it in a spray bottle. Spray the mixture on the hair. Then comb the hair, so that it spreads through the hair. Wash the hair with cool water. After shampoo, wrap a towel around the head and let it soak up water. Avoid rubbing. If you use a hair dryer, use a big round brush. Divide the hair into sections. Pin them up and dry one section at a time. Blow in a downward direction. Using the dryer over the hair can cause more frizz.
Q. My face is losing its glow and becoming dull. Kindly suggest a cream which can help me regain freshness in my face and kindly suggest home remedies too.
A. Tone the skin daily with chilled rose water, using cotton wool pads. Wipe and stroke the skin with them. Then, pat briskly with the rosewater-soaked cotton wool pads. Use a facial scrub once or twice a week. Take sesame seeds (til), dried mint (pudina) leaves and honey. Crush the sesame seeds coarsely and powder the dried mint leaves. Mix them with a little honey and apply on the skin. Leave on for 5 minutes. Rub gently and wash off with water. Sesame seeds actually have sun protective properties and also soothe sun-damaged skin. Or, mix half a cup of ripe papaya pulp with 2 teaspoons ground almonds and one teaspoon yogurt. It should be a thick paste that does not drip. Apply it on the face, avoiding the lips and area around eyes. Wash it off after 20 to 30 minutes.
Q. Please suggest home remedies to get rid of head lice and nits.
A. Apply vinegar on the hair and scalp. After an hour, comb with a fine lice comb and get the nits (eggs) taken out by hand. Vinegar loosens the nits and they are easier to remove. Then wash the hair with a mild herbal shampoo. After shampoo, add two tablespoons vinegar to a mug of water and use as a last rinse. Then comb 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 methi seed powder and enough “tea water” to the henna powder, mixing it into a thick paste. “Tea water” can be made by boiling used tea leaves again in enough water, cooling and straining the liquid. If the hair is dry, add two teaspoons oil. Apply the henna on the hair and wash off after an hour.
Q. I have a few skin tags behind my neck and under my arms. Recently some have occurred on my face. Please give me home remedy to get rid of them.
A. Skin tags are actually small benign growths and do not cause any harm. However, sometimes many may grow on the face and other areas. If there are many, it may be better to consult a doctor about having them removed. If you wish, you can try the following home remedies. Tea Tree essential oil is said to help in the removal skin tags. Take a cotton bud and apply very little tea tree oil directly on the skin tag. Then cover the area with a band aid. Do this twice a day, till it falls off. Or, you can take 2 parts bicarbonate of soda and one part castor oil. Mix it into a paste. Wash the area around the tags and then apply the paste. Cover with a band aid. Do this twice a day till the skin tag falls off.
Q. I am 52. How can I tighten my sagging skin?
A. Avoid soap and use a cleansing gel or cream. At night after cleansing, apply nourishing cream and massage it on the face with outward and slightly upward movements. Once a week, mix 2 teaspoons wheat bran (choker) with one teaspoon each of ground almonds, honey, curd and egg white, or rose water. Apply on the entire face, avoiding the lips and area around eyes. Wash off after half an hour. Have weekly salon facials.
Shahnaz Husain, internationally acclaimed for Ayurvedic beauty care and a Harvard Subject on “Emerging Markets,” received the Padma Shri Award and is the first woman in 104 years to receive the World’s Greatest Woman Entrepreneur Success Award.