Brushing hair keeps it soft

My hair is extremely coarse and unmanageable, and it looks dull. Could you please help me with a remedy? - Anand Seth

Make sure that you brush your hair at least a couple of times a day, as this activates the natural oils from your scalp, making the hair soft and smooth. Take two egg yolks, a tablespoon of honey and a teaspoon of almond oil and beat together to combine. Apply this mixture over your hair and comb through to distribute the mixture well. Leave it in for an hour and then rinse with shampoo. As a final rinse, mix a teaspoon of lemon juice in a tumbler of room temperature water and wash your hair thoroughly with it. Allow your hair to dry naturally. Do this three times a week for healthier hair.

My 50-day-old baby girl has hair around her ears. Could you suggest a remedy to help clear this? I have been following your column for years and believe in your natural home remedies. - V B

Mix two tablespoons of oats powder, a pinch of turmeric and enough yoghurt to make a smooth paste. Apply this on your baby’s ears and face and leave on until it’s semi-dry. Gently scrub off the mask. There’s no need to use a body wash because this will naturally cleanse her skin. This is a simple home remedy that can be done everyday and be used for the face and whole body since it helps soften, smoothe and clear the skin.

I’m a 14-year-old girl with very tanned skin and I have acne. I have heard that rubbing a tomato slice on the face solves both these problems. Is this true? Could you also suggest some other remedies that I could try at home? - Name withheld

Yes, a tomato slice rubbed on the face helps to lighten the skin, shrink pores and clear the skin of blemishes. Alternatively, you can mix a teaspoon of aloe vera gel and six drops of tea tree oil and massage the mixture into your skin. Leave this on overnight and rinse off the following day with cold water. Also, improve your diet: avoid hot greasy foods and drink two litres of water everyday. Also ensure that you use a sunscreen when you step out in the sun.

I am a 24-year-old woman with two problems. The first is my hair, which is very thin and dry. I used to have slightly curly hair, and wanting straight hair, I got a straightening treatment done last year. Now I’m suffering from severe hair loss to the point 
that I can see my scalp. The second problem is with my dry scaly skin, which prevents me from wearing short dresses in the summer. Could you please suggest some remedies for both my problems? Do I need to see a doctor or specialist? Ammu

You might have already damaged your hair by getting it straightened, so start this remedy as soon as possible. Take half a cup of almonds and two tablespoons of fenugreek and grind to make a fine powder. Add half a cup of yoghurt to the powder and mix to form a creamy paste, followed by a tablespoon of castor oil. Apply this mixture as a hair mask, leaving it in for an hour before rinsing with shampoo. Do this every alternate day. The mixture should last you for three applications (you can refrigerate the leftover, but make sure to add a little yoghurt to the mixture when you reuse it). For your skin, take a tablespoon of sugar and mix it with some olive oil, and scrub your skin thoroughly. Repeat this everyday before you take a shower, as this will moisturise and soften your skin. Apply a papaya mask three times a week, as this further helps exfoliate the dead cells and brighten skin tone.