Your 9 Most Embarrassing Beauty Problems Solved!

Q. I have long hair, and after a wild sack session, I end up with a massive snarl at the back of my head. My man calls it "hump hair"! What can I do to avoid this tangle?

A. Besides having sex on the kitchen table or sticking to the girl-on-top position, it's tough to prevent long hair from knotting up in bed. To minimise snarls, use a detangling conditioner when you shower, and brush your hair before getting frisky—the smoother it is when you get into bed, the less tangled it'll be when you get out. Try Schwarzkopf Professional's Bonacure Moisture Conditioner. Women with thin, long hair are the most prone to naughty knots, so try wearing sexy schoolgirl braids in bed to keep hair sleek. Also, invest in silk or satin sheets. "Your hair will encounter less friction than it does with cotton," says Pancho Soekoro, a stylist at NYC's Pierre Michel Salon. If you're still stuck with -post-sex snarls, well, it's better than having perfect locks but no nooky!

Q. I have broken capillaries around my nose, so it always looks red. Can I get rid of them?

A. "Broken capillaries are a result of excessive sun exposure or usage of steriod creams over a long period," say dermatologists at Kaya Skin Clinic. Both factors thin the skin, so the capillaries show through. To start with, use a good sunscreen to prevent further damage to the skin. You don't need more than SPF 15 for everyday use. If this doesn't help, try something like Kaya Skin Clinic's Photo-Rejuvenation Treatment. The laser technique takes away the ill effects of the sun over four to six sittings, depending on how damaged your skin actually is.

Q. I suffer from a double curse: I have hair and acne on my butt! I'm tired of being embarrassed to show my heinie!

A. "Hair and acne often go hand in hand, because they can be caused by the same hormonal and genetic influences," says NYC dermatologist Dr Laurie Polis. Use an alpha-hydroxy acid cleanser to bust the buttne, and grab some easy-to-use waxing strips to get rid of the hair. Try L'Oréal Plénitude's Body Expertise Exfotonic New Skin Revealing Exfoliator and Sally Hansen's Hair Remover Wax Strip Kit, Rs 760. But the best solution is laser hair removal, since nixing the need to wax will help eliminate the pimples.

Q. I have dark patches of skin on my inner thighs and -underarms and around my neck. What are these, and please, how the *#$@ can I get rid of them?

A. Those blotches of darker skin are called (and this is a mouthful) acanthosis nigricans, and they appear -because of increased skin friction, usually due to weight gain, says Dr Jeanine Downie, MD, Image Derma-to-logy, New Jersey, US. To get rid of them, find a diet and exercise plan that works for you. "Most of the patches will fade as you lose weight and there's less friction in the skin folds," says Dr Downie. Also, ask your doctor for a prescription fade-cream.

Q. My under-eye area is always so puffy and dark. I constantly look like I pulled an all-nighter. Help!

A. Make sure your eye cream has both anti-inflammatory  (to de-puff) and skin-thickening (dark rings are often veins showing through thin skin) ingredients. Try La Prairie Cellular Sculpting Eye Gel. If you simply can't beat under-eye puffiness, consider surgery. "If you have loose skin or a pocket of fat that's poking out, then removing it is the best LOoption," says NYC dermatologist Dr Paul Jarrod Frank.

Q. I'd love to get a Brazilian bikini wax, but even regular wax leaves me with a gross rash that's so ugly I'm embarrassed to undress in front of my boyfriend. What can I do to avoid massive bikini bumps?

A. What's the use of being hair-free if your skin is angry? "Dead skin cells and bacteria trapped in hair follicles are what cause those pimple-like bumps, and a -salicylic acid anti-acne cream will reduce them. Apply it half an hour before you wax and again two hours afterwards," says Dr Polis. Try L'Oréal Paris' Pure Zone Anti-Regreasing Moisturiser. Also, prevent swelling by popping an aspirin an hour before you wax and applying a hydrocortisone cream before and after, says Cindy Barshop, owner of the Com-pletely Bare salons in NYC. Her final pro tip: request your salon to use an aloe vera gel or toner instead.

Q. My face is as fuzzy as a peach. I have fine hair all over—under my nose, on my chin, and down the sides of my cheeks. What should I do?

A. "This is an extremely common problem among young women," says Dr Frank. Check with your derm to rule out a hormonal irregularity and ask for a cream that chemically slows down hair growth. There are also many over-the-counter lotions that can make hair less visible within six weeks. Try Bioré Beyond Smooth Moisturizer. These creams work best when combined with waxing. "Waxing damages the hair follicle. This makes the hair thinner, therefore it grows out softer. Eventually, it can even reduce hair growth," says Dr Frank. The fastest way to lose it for good: the Nd-Yag 1064 laser treatment, which can permanently reduce hair with minimum or no side effects on your skin. 

Q. My armpits are like a waterfall. I sweat excessively and stain all my clothes a nasty yellow! What's the best antiperspirant I can use?

A. The strongest sweat-stopping ingredient is aluminium chloride. "Although it's not available in India, a 20 per cent aluminium chloride lotion can be prepared by your doctor," says Dr Ravi Joshi, senior consultant, Dermatology, Apollo Indraprastha Hospitals. Also, ask your derm to give you a local examination for bacteria in the hair follicles that might be causing the odour and excessive sweating. "The best solution for this problem however is botox, since it dries up the sweat glands," says Dr Joshi. If the rest of your body sweats as much as your underarms do, there could be a number of causes including high blood pressure. Get a thorough internal check-up done to rule out any other illness.

Q. Thirty minutes after I wash my face, my skin is so oily again that you can see a film of grease on my nose and cheeks! What can I do to prevent it?

A. First off, don't be tempted to wash your face more than twice a day. "If you dry out your skin, it'll just react by producing more oil," says Hema Sundaram, a derm and cosmetic surgeon in Washington DC, and author of Face Value: The Truth About Beauty—And A Guilt-Free Guide To Finding It. Wash your face morning and night, using a tea tree oil-based cleanser to battle oil and control bacteria, then use a toner to remove excess oil. Try Lotus Herbals' Tea Tree Absolute Oil Control Face Wash, and Vichy Laboratoires' Normaderm Purifying Astringent Toner. To prevent oil slicks throughout the day, carry disposable de-sensitising pads with you. We like Avlon Overseas Cosmetics' Fresh N' Soft Makeup Removal Wipes, which contain soothing camomile. "You can use them three or four times a day when you're feeling oily," says Dr Frank.