Whenever I shave my legs and bikini line, the skin becomes red and inflamed. How can I avoid this?

These tips will help your problem:

• Always use a good razor with a clean sharp blade, especially made for women’s use. Apply shaving gel or cream before putting razor to skin.

• After shaving, wipe dry and apply a soothing calamine lotion to calm skin.

• A home remedy to treat razor burn is a paste of fresh strawberries and honey. Apply it on the affected areas for quick relief from irritation and pain.

What is hair chalking? My friend uses this technique and she looks gorgeous! Is it safe? I am an 18-year-old girl living in Kolkata.

Hair chalking is, indeed, becoming quite the rage among fashion -conscious women…and men too!! This is nothing but a temporary hair colour which will get washed out after a couple of shampoos. You can get a choice of colours like pink, red,green, bronze, blue, etc, and it comprises a unique water-based ink which coats the hair shafts.

How long the colour remains depends on the porosity of the hair, and is from about 2 shampoos to even 10 shampoos. Once it is dry, it does not come off on clothing, bedsheets or hands. It is perfectly safe, unless you have allergy issues when you may react to the colouring ink.

I am a 24-year-old girl who has always been teased for her sticking out ears. Is there some way I can deal with my problem? I never much cared about this all this time, but my parents are looking out for a good alliance for me, and I want to look good. Please advise.

If your ears stand out for 2 cms or more from your head, these can be termed sticking out. There are simple ways of camouflaging the errant ears by combing hair over them. Avoid pulling hair away from your head to expose ears. You could use a trendy hair band which goes across the top of your forehead and over your ears to pull these back.

For a permanent solution, you can consider surgery in a procedure called otoplasty or pinning. In this, an excess of the concha cartilage and a decrease in the antihelical fold is corrected by the surgeon. You will have a bulky dressing for a week and the healing and disappearance of swelling takes a couple of weeks. You should consult a cosmetic surgeon before taking an informed decision.

I  have an odd problem which is embarrassing at times. I have sweaty palms! When I shake hands with someone, it is very awkward to have wet slippery palms. My doctor says that there is nothing wrong with me, and this is simply a hereditary issue, and yes, even my mother has cold, wet palms. Please tell me how to deal with this issue.

Here are some simple ways of helping you:

• Mix 2 to 3 tbsp of baking powder in warm water and keep your hands dipped in it for about 20 minutes, then wipe dry. The alkaline nature of baking soda is a good remedy for sweaty hands and feet.

• Even dipping your hands in chilled water for about 15 minutes daily will lessen the sweating in your palms.

• Dust your palms with corn starch or talcum powder which will absorb the sweat and keep the skin dry. You can use non-perfumed talcum powder.

• Simply applying hand sanitiser on your palms will dry them out with its alcohol content.

I  have heard about hair mousse. What is this and is it safe to use it on hair? I am a 32-year-old woman from Chennai. My hair is thick, rough and heavy, and I long for smooth, straight hair. Is mousse good for me?

Hair mousse is a product which helps to add volume to your tresses. It also conditions hair and reduces frizz. It usually comes in an aerosol foam sprayer and is dispensed straight from it. Alcohol-based mousse can be used on all types of hair, except dry hair, for which you should use mousse which contains conditioners, softeners and vitamins.

To hide grey hair, use colour mousse. Yes, this can make your hair more smooth and manageable. You could even try straightening in a parlour which will give you smooth, silky hair for at least 6 months. You should follow a few steps to take care of the hair after it has been straightened to enjoy the long lasting results.