I am a 22-year-old girl. I have never coloured my hair before. I really want to colour my hair but am very confused about what kind of colour to go in for. Are highlights still in? Will colouring damage my hair?

Colouring your hair for the first time can be scary but only if you are not in the right hands. Avoid picking up something off the shelf and colouring yourself at home..it is a professional service and should be done by professionals. Consult a senior stylist who will guide you with exactly what kind of colouring to go in for. The right hair colour for you is the one that flatters your complexion the most.

Your natural hair colour, eye colour and skin tone are important deciding factors when it comes to choosing the right hair colour. Also, important are factors like your lifestyle and dressing style etc.

Colouring, Highlights, Streaking will all only improve the look of the hair and bring out the style and personality better if done well. Indian skintones in general carry off honey, golden browns, auburns, mahoganies, reds and burgundies very well. You can go in for innovative techniques of highlights with just few flashes here and there initially so that the change is not too bold for you, yet it is different. Your concerns about the texture of the hair after colouring are natural, though unnecessary. Just the right products after colouring and occasional hair spa treatment will make sure the texture stays good and healthy.

I am around 20 years old and I have two problems. I have blackheads on my nose. Are there any home remedies? My skin is a mixture of both dry and oily. One more thing is that I have lot of dandruff. The colour of my hair is black and my hair is quite long and straight. The problem is, when I wash my hair it becomes clean, but after 2 or 3 days my head looks as if I have applied a lot of oil. I have tried many popular shampoos but in vain. Because of dandruff, I get small bubbles on my forehead and my face becomes oily.

Blackheads tend to occur over oily zone due to retention of dead Keratin and other secretions in skin pores. From what you have mentioned it is apparent that you have a combination skin.

Some parts of your skin are oily and some parts dry. Hence, you should treat your face in two separate ways. It is important to cleanse the oily area and exfoliate it to get rid of the blackheads and free from dirt and grime. On the other hand the dry part of your skin should be nourished well, because excessively dry skin can also be itchy and irritated and lead to acne. Few clinical treatments at a good beauty clinic by a professional will help you clear blackheads along with maintaining the skin moisture.

Dandruff is a constitutional problem as a result of excessive turnover of surface dead skin.
Dandruff tends to aggravate during winter months and due to lack of cleanliness of scalp. Since your scalp is very oily it becomes greasy and sticky. Avoid using any oily, greasy applications on your scalp and shampoo your scalp regularly to keep it free from oil, dirt and grime. Dandruff can also be a reason for your blackheads on the forehead and over the face hence, it is important to get rid of this problem first. If your hair tends to get oily and dirty over 2-3 days after your wash you need to increase the frequency of your washes. Wash it alternate days if required to make sure it is clean.

Avoid using products and shampoos just available openly in the market, they are strong and will just irritate the scalp more. Some high frequency treatments with Ozone and Spa treatments for dandruff and oily scalp can be given.

I want to know how to get rid of hair growth in the underarms permanently. Are hair removal creams better than  razors?

The best option available for permanent hair reduction for underarms is Intense Pulse Light (IPL). It helps reduce hair growth over few sessions considerably without any risk of hyper pigmentation or skin burns. It targets hair at the root level and destroys them. Over 4-6 sessions you can achieve up to 70-85% hair reduction.

It is painless, skin friendly and very economical than any other laser. Use of hair removal creams over a long term may tend to give you sensitive, itchy and dark skin. Razor is a safer option for day to day hair removal but it leads to ingrown hair if not used properly.

YOUR QUESTIONS

Beauty expert Manjul Gupta answers queries on style  and grooming. Write to her at Living c/o Deccan Herald,  No. 75, M G Road, B’lore -1 or email: styletips@ rediffmail.com