I am Sunil, age 23. I have dark skin and want to lighten it by a few shades. I wanted to know more about skin lightening pills. Are they safe? Do they have side effects?

The colour of your skin cannot be changed. However there are few natural remedies to improve the glow of your skin. Drink plenty of water, 2-3 litres per day to keep the skin hydrated and flush out toxins. Avoid soft drinks, sugar, chocolate and junk food. Keep your skin very clean. Choose your cleanser with care. When cleansing, massage your face well with your fingertips, using an upward and outward motion. As lemon is a natural bleaching agent, rubbing a slice on your face can also lighten your skin tone. You can use few face scrubs. Mix powdered oats with rosewater to make a great face scrub. Oatmeal buffs the skin, gently removing impurities. Its soft cleansing action soothes the most irritated and sensitive skin. Mix cucumber, curds and almonds, grind it, apply on the face and leave it for 15-20 minutes and then wash your face. Half an hour before taking bath, apply on your face half teaspoon each of lime and cucumber juice mixed together. Tomato is thought to be a natural face cleanser, swap the regular face cleanser for tomato pulp – just massage some gently on your face to get rid of the grime. Two spoonfuls of besan (gram flour) mixed with a pinch of turmeric powder and a few drops of lime make a good face pack.

I am a 25-year-old woman. My problem is that my skin is very very dry. I use a body lotion everyday all over but in around two hours time, i start getting white flakes on my skin especially near the shoulders. It is very embarrassing. Please help me.

Dry skin needs plenty of thorough but gentle cleansing, regular stimulation with massage and generous quantities of oil and moisture. It also needs extra careful protection. Avoid using hot water for bathing. Washing dry skin with soap and water not only removes grime but also the natural oils protecting the skin. A moisturiser increases the water content of the outer layers of the skin and gives it a soft, moist look. Drink plenty of water, atleast 2-3 litres per day.

I am 15 years old. I have some hair on my upper lip and looks like a moustache. It looks very odd. Please give some remedy to remove the hair from their roots and make me look better.

The different ways of removing the hair are by waxing, threading, electrolysis, laser therapy, etc. Hair removed by waxing takes much longer to grow than hair removed by shaving and waxing also weakens the hair's root, making the hair on the treated area to grow thinner. Types of Lasers used for hair removal are Diode, Ruby, YAG laser, etc. Please consult an endocrinologist so that the various reasons of hair growth on the upper lip can be assessed and appropriately managed.

YOUR QUESTIONS
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