Beauty and Personal Grooming

Prema asks: I use cold wax for removing superfluous hair from my legs. According to the instructions on the jar, it should be used once a month. But my hair has grown back within a week. Why is it so? Response: When the hair is not pulled properly or when it has not been gripped firmly by the wax, it breaks just below the skin and surfaces within a week. Normally waxing lasts for about 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the individual hair growth rate. So, there is something wrong with your waxing method. Do read Waxing at home .

Vanita asks: I am a 24 year old working woman. My problem is that I am far too kind! I am always trying to help the needy. All my colleagues, of both sexes, bring their problems to me and I help them as much as I can. I enjoy this. Occasionally, I get the impression that people do not appreciate my help and that they don't really care about me. Then I feel bad and also angry. But then, in a few days, I go back to my old ways. Is something wrong with me? Please advise.

Priya asks: I am a 17 year old girl who is afraid of smiling. This is because when I smile, I look awful and ugly. My cheeks puff up and my eyes crinkle, making me look like a clown. As I don't smile, I have gained the reputation of being a sourpuss in our college. Please tell me what to do.

M.S asks: My problem is an embarrassing one. I am a 16 year old girl, smart and attractive. But there is one feature of my physique which is bothering me a lot.  My left breast is smaller than the right one. Due to this, I always wear salwar suits with dupatta, although I long to put on shirts and blouses like my friends. Is there any cream or medicine which will help me?

J asks : Whenever my exams are round t or the corner, I find I cannot sleep at nights. In other words I have exam phobia and exam insomnia or sleeplessness. My family doctor has prescribed mild tranquilizers but these are of no help. What can I do? Response : Apparently, anxiety over your approaching exams robs you of your sleep. Tranquilizers can only artificially sedate your nerves. It is wiser to tackle the root of your insomnia problem: anxiety and stress. A good night’s sleep is absolutely essential for a good memory and to recall whatever you have read easily and quickly. Spending sleepless nights before the exams can take a toll on your physical and mental abilities and not help you perform your best. So make some lifestyle changes and try some of these tips and measures to tackle your sleeplessness and tension.

Bina asks: On every hair-removing cream container, there is a warning that, it should not be used near the eyes. However I find it very convenient to shape my eyebrows by removing the extra hairs with the cream. Will it affect my skin, later on?

I am a 22 year old unmarried girl. I keep myself clean and wash my private parts regularly while bathing. Sometimes I notice a whitish sticky discharge from my private parts. It does not pain or itch. I am very worried. Please advise. Response: Some vaginal secretions are normally present which are meant to lubricate the vaginal walls. It’s absolutely normal for your vagina or cervix to produce these clear or white secretions.

Simi asks: My figure is unsymmetrical with a bulging abdomen. My height is 5 feet 1 inch and my weight is 58 kg. I have a fair complexion, but I am afraid that  losing weight will make my skin dark .   Should I take some vitamin pills to prevent these problems? Being a non-vegetarian, should I abstain from non-vegetarian food? All the remedies I have tried so far have had no effect. Please suggest something that works. I am only 20 years old.

I am a 15 year old girl. I started my periods at the age of 14. My breasts are very heavy and hurt sometimes. Do teenage girls often have such feelings in the breast? How do I get rid of the pain? I have also some whitish patches on the sides of my breast. What are these? Please advise. Image Courtesy of marin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Paridhi asks: I often suffer from nausea while travelling, especially in a car. Please help and preferably suggest tips and home remedies for the same.

Minu asks: I’m a 16 year old girl. My problem is that I find I am basically different from other teenaged girls.  While they like parties, get-togethers and other social outings, I prefer to stay indoors. I love nature and can watch the trees in autumn, rain splattering on the roof or birds chirping in bushes for hours together. I know I can paint well but I am always fighting shy or revealing my talent to anyone else. I like to be myself and I retreat into a shell often. Can I be happy in today’s world? Am I an introvert? Am I normal? My parents fear that I have an unhappy future ahead of me.

Shruti asks: I'm 16 years old. I have a quiet and unassuming nature. My friends find in me a good listener and a sensitive companion.  But I secretly envy the personality of some of my classmates who are exuberant and outgoing, They, in comparison to me, seem to be so full of life.   Sometimes, I too force myself to laugh and joke loudly and I pretend to be a big extrovert. But the effort always drains me.  I feel like a hypocrite too. I don't enjoy being something which I am not. What do you advise?

Indu asks: I have noticed that my complexion has become dark since we shifted to our new house. There is a factory near out house that emits black smoke. Does the smoke have any darkening effect on the skin? Please suggest a preventive measure.

M. Asks: My problem is the darkening of the inside areas of the thighs near the private parts. I have tried to scrub this hard but in vain. Can you please suggest some remedy?

I have been bleaching my face, every 15 days, from the age of 19 as there is some superfluous hair on my face. But now, I find that my skin is no more soft and clean as it used to be. Pimples and rashes have started troubling me. Please advise. - Anu

H. A asks:  I used to keep my hair shoulder-length, but on the advice and under the influence of some friends, I had it cut very short. Now I feel very depressed and the sight of short hair grieves me. How can I make it grow back long quickly?

Mitali asks: I had recently coloured my hair with streaks at a beauty parlour. I do not intend doing it again, as my hair has become dull and lifeless. How can I repair the damage at home? I have shoulder-length hair.

M asks: I’m a 20 year old girl and have fine, medium length hair. My hair tends to get greasy within a day or two of washing it and so I have started washing it daily. Is washing the hair everyday good for my hair?

Mrs. M asks  I have a young daughter who is growing up to be a beauty. The only problem is that, while I have thick, long, silky hair  reaching up to the waist, hers has not grown beyond her shoulders. I have tried all remedies suggested by people ranging from egg shampoo to reetha (soapnut) and Shikakai, to Ayurvedic oils but to no avail. Doctors say that the length of a person’s hair depends on genetic factors. Then why hasn’t she inherited this trait from me?

L asks:  My 10 year old son often asks for tea but I reprimand him saying that his skin tone will get darker by drinking tea for that's what I have heard people around me say about giving tea to kids!  I have heard good things about teas like green and white tea, however!  So does drinking tea really make the skin dark? And what about lips - does it cause darkening in lips?  Please enlighten me on this! Response : If drinking tea could make a person dark, then all Irish and English who cannot do without their morning cuppa would have been dark-complexioned!