I am a 13-year-old girl who came down with chicken pox nearly two months ago. My face was clear before that but, at present, I have got a lot of chicken pox scars that have spoilt my appearance.

I thought they would disappear on their own but it’s been almost two months with no go. Could you please 
suggest a solution as soon as possible because I’m a dancer and my shows are round the corner? Any make-up I put on only highlights my scars and makes my face look really ugly. I also have a lot of hair fall and thin hair. — Nisha

I am so happy to hear you are 
a dancer and sincerely hope 
you remain focused on your talent. Scars can take up to a year to 
fade so please be patient. Add 1 tbsp green papaya pulp to corn flour and rice powder. Apply this mask every day and scrub off after 
an hour. Every night, massage vitamin E oil over the scars. Leave overnight. For your hair, massage a mix of fruit jelly and ½ tsp castor oil. Apply this thrice a week and leave on for an hour or overnight.

I am a 12-year-old girl with long but rough hair and a lot of split ends. I keep trying new shampoos and conditioners but they don’t really make a difference. How can I have silky hair? I have a lot of pimples on my cheeks, please suggest a remedy.  — Asees

For rough hair, take 2 tbsp yoghurt, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp honey and ½ tsp lemon juice; mix well and apply on hair. Keep on for an hour and finish with a mild shampoo. Cinnamon and honey masks work best to clear pimples. Apply the paste on the areas. Leave overnight or for a couple of hours daily. Rinse with cold water.

I am 43 years old. The hair fall started when I was around 16 and was aggravated after the delivery of my only son. I tried many types of oils and medicines — from allopathy, ayurveda and homeopathy. All doctors agree that hair fall is severe but hair growth is also moderate — the only reason I still have hair on my head. I have done a lot of tests, including T3, T4, TSH — all returned normal. My hair is very rough and dry. I request you to suggest a suitable remedy. I was told olive oil with equal parts of almond and coconut oil works well. Please advise. — Jayasree Satish

I read your entire story with great interest and here’s what I’d suggest: make a very creamy mask using 1 small banana, 1 tbsp yoghurt and 1 tbsp honey. Massage all over hair and into the scalp. After 30 minutes, rinse off the mask and use a baby shampoo to wash your hair (but avoid conditioner); do this thrice a week. Monitor the progress of your hair. There should be a visible difference in quality.

I read your column every Friday and I hope you can help me. I am 11 years old and have dandruff and hair fall. I know the pimples on my face are due to this. I also have very dry skin. I have been drinking a lot of water but in vain. Please give me a quick remedy. — Name withheld

Massage the scalp with apple juice. Apply it all over the hair too. Use a mild shampoo after an hour. Your hair will be clean with a healthy sheen. Make a mask using a few drops of glycerine and 1 tsp honey. Leave on for 30 minutes on the face. Rinse with warm water followed by cold water.

(Rima Soni is a Dubai-based  beauty consultant and 
Olay Ambassador, Arabian 
Peninsula. She is now working on her second book. Write to her at: 
wknd@khaleejtimes.com)