Reduce pigmentation naturally

I am an avid reader of your beauty tips. I am a 48-year-old woman with several dark spots on my face. Due to extensive sunlight exposure in the past few years, these pigmentation spots have become permanent on my face and look really bad. Is there a way to get rid of them permanently? It's almost eight years now since the spots appeared. Kindly help.
- Name withheld
The first rule to reducing pigmentation is to avoid strong sunlight when going out; always wear sun protection. A regular massage with coconut milk, a little almond powder and honey will be very helpful. First, rub a piece of papaya on the face. After 30 minutes, rinse and apply the coconut milk mask. Scrub off after 30 minutes. Soak licorice (mulethi) sticks in rose water. After five days, store this in the refrigerator. You don't need to remove the sticks; every night, use a cotton pad to dab this tonic on the pigmented areas. This helps both tone and lighten pigmentation. Once it dries on the skin, apply a thin film of aloe vera gel and leave overnight.

I'm a 25-year-old girl, getting married in a few months. My hair has been falling at an alarming rate for the past few months. Also, I have a lot of facial hair: thick and long sideburns and hair on the cheek. I have dark armpits too that I want to lighten. Please suggest some home remedies for these issues.
- VN
Steaming the hair helps to improve circulation and unclogs pores, while arresting hair fall. Do it every day and massage aloe vera gel deep into the scalp. Leave this on overnight. Aloe vera makes the scalp healthy, deep cleansing it and improving the hair's condition. You will need to wax the thick hair on your face professionally. For dark armpits, scrub them every day with potato juice mixed with oats powder and a pinch of turmeric. This will exfoliate dead skin and lighten the skin.

I am a 13-year-old girl who reads all your columns. I have long hair with a lot of nits. I want some natural remedies to make my hair thicker and free of nits.
- Kadeeja
Tea tree oil is a disinfectant. Rub drops of this between the strands of your hair. Cover your hair with a cotton scarf and leave overnight; next day, using a fine comb, brush through your hair. Do this thrice a week. Always shampoo after you comb off the nits. For thick hair, mix 3 tablespoons warm coconut oil with 1 tablespoon castor oil. Apply on hair and leave on overnight. Shampoo after three days. But you will need to get rid of the nits first.

I am a school student and have black marks on my knees. Could you suggest a remedy?
- Name withheld
Apply a few drops of vitamin E oil to a few drops of coconut oil. Damp your knees and massage the oil deep into the skin. Leave on overnight. Do this every day for best results.
(Got a beauty-related query? Write to Rima Soni at wknd@khaleejtimes.com)

• Beauty Basics