The beauty spot

I am in my 50s and I have been colouring my hair with henna. However, I am unhappy with the orange tinge that it leaves when the colour fades out. Is there any way to resolve this problem without the use of chemical dyes?

Parimala Vishwanath

Henna is a good option to cover the grey and it also will act as a natural conditioner to the hair. Your concern that it leaves an orange tint to the hair is justified. Exposure to UV rays adds to hair damage and lightening of the hair colour. Protect your hair by using a scarf or a hat. Use shampoos and conditioners with UV protectors especially made for coloured hair. Proper hair care and conditioning after the henna treatment will go a long way to keep your hair nourished and well protected.

There are a lot of ammonia-free colour dyes available which will not only colour the hair but also protect the cuticles from getting damaged.

I have used shampoos and conditioners across brands but my hair remains dry and brittle. I also have hair fall issues. What am I doing wrong with respect to my hair care routine?

Jude Abraham

Since your hair is dry and brittle, you may use coconut oil on the hair shaft an hour before you wash. Using hair conditioners and serums are a good way to take care of dry and rough hair. Do not use very hot water to wash and rinse your hair. To this routine of your hair care, just include wrapping a hot towel on your hair post conditioning it. This will make your hair manageable.

Moisture is what you need because moisture is what is lost. So drink a lot of water. If you put a teaspoon of cod liver oil in your juices in the morning, eventually you will see a real difference in your skin and hair. Include oral supplements of oil capsules, amino acids, vitamin A to help combat the dryness from within. As far as possible avoid chemical treatment and heat treatments during these months. Our aim here is to flatten the cuticles of the hair that have got lifted due to blow-drying, sunlight, chemical products etc.

I am 18 years old and I have a severe acne problem. I don’t know if it is because of my diet, but is there any way to tackle the condition?

Aditya

Acne occurrence is seen commonly at your age. Not just the diet, the high-stress levels of today’s life, the hectic schedules, irregular eating and sleeping habits, all of it can contribute towards an acne outbreak. What you need to do is get a proper skin consultation done, where the doctor will prescribe certain medications and topical creams to help cure the acne. To aid the treatment further, your doctor may even advise you to get some AHA peels done as well as certain skin cleansing treatments which are meant for acne prone skin.

I am in my late 40s and I have entered a menopausal state. My hair is thinning visibly and I am afraid that I may develop a bald spot. Is there a way to increase the volume of my hair naturally?

Kanta

Severe hair fall is a common occurrence during the peri-menopausal stage and during menopause. It may not be possible to increase the volume of your hair a lot but
to help prevent further hair loss, you can increase the protein content in your diet. Also, take some oral supplements with vitamins like biotin and minerals like selenium, zinc, to help promote hair growth. Application of 2% minoxidil locally on the scalp at bedtime may help temporarily.

Dr Jamuna Pai is a cosmetic physician