I am 18 year old girl. I wear glasses from past seven years, as a result of which I have  dark circles and wrinkles near my eyes. I’m pretty fair and the dark circles look really bad when I wear my contact lens. I'm using a cream which reduces dark circles but there has been no great difference. Please suggest.

Dark circles under the eyes have always been considered a sign of late nights and lack of sleep. The cause of these dark circles is often blamed on stress, too much sun, too little sleep, menstrual disorders, kidney dysfunction and even too many fried, frozen and canned foods, although it is often a hereditary trait.

Dark circles under the eyes are known to be a classic symptom of an allergy, together with a host of other signs including edema and fatigue. Other rare causes may be sinusitis or illness. They can be managed by depigmenting agents.

Drink plenty of fluids and lots of water atleast 2-3 litres per day, sunburn dehydrates the body. Eating high protein food will help with tissue repair. Apply almond or apricot facial scrubs twice a week. Practice yoga or relaxation exercise regularly 3-4 days a week. Dark circles may be managed by rest and relaxation.

I`m an 18-year-old boy with hair long enough to exceed the shoulder by two inches. I`m very keen on growing tall but many people tell me that people with long hair are unable to grow tall. So should I cut my hair in order to grow tall or is there any alternate method?

Cutting hair does not help in growing tall. Doing swimming, skipping or any other physical activity may help you in growing tall.

YOUR QUESTIONS

Every week, Living will feature an interactive
column, ‘Well-being’, where your questions on health, fitness, diet and nutrition will be answered by experts. Send your questions to Living, c/o Deccan Herald, # 75, M G Road, Bangalore-560001 or mail us at living@deccanherald.co.in