I am 65, exercise regularly (walking and gentle jogging), and am not overweight. I am concerned because my knees 'creak' and become bloated. I take calcium and aspirin daily for circulation. Can you recommend a treatment for what seems to be 'housemaid's knee'?

Housemaid's knee is a form of bursitis often caused by injury or excess pressure on the joint. The pads, or bursae, around the joint prevent friction during movement, but they can become inflamed and fill with fluid, causing swelling and tenderness. You must rest your knees and avoid putting pressure on them. Give up jogging, since this puts a great deal of strain on them. Swimming or yoga would be preferable forms of exercise once you have rested your knees. Take homeopathic ruta 6c four times a day for seven days. Make a blend of 5 drops juniper, 10 drops Roman camomile and 5 drops of ginger essential oils in 30ml vitamin E oil, and use this to massage your knees daily. This will reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and improve circulation and nourishment to the tissues.

Is there a hair colourant that does not contain harmful ingredients?

It has been shown that long-term use of permanent and semi-permanent hair dyes, especially darker colours, increases the risk of certain forms of cancer such as lymphoma, myeloma, leukaemia and breast cancer. The only 100% natural hair colour is pure henna. Other permanent colours can only be achieved with certain chemicals, such as phenylenediamines, although avoiding ammonia can help reduce the amount that penetrate the scalp. Semi-permanent colouring is much safer and can be achieved with plant ingredients, but washes out in six to eight washes. Some good products on the market are Herbatint, by the Organic Colour Co (020-8960 7968), and Tints Of Nature permanent and Changes semi-permanent colours, by Herb UK (01202 471800).

I get skin complaints, such as athlete's foot, ringworm and skin tags, but warts recur on my face and neck where I shave. My doctor freezes them off occasionally, but they have been persistent for more than 16 years, in fact, since I turned vegetarian. Is there any connection?

Athlete's foot and ringworm are caused by the same fungus, while warts are a virus. Skin tags occur where the skin is rubbed or irritated. Your immune system could be low, allowing the virus and fungus to take hold, and this could be because you lack nutrients. As a vegetarian, you need to eat a great variety of foods for optimum health, such as fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, soya and cereals, and (if you're not vegan) dairy products and eggs. Vegetarians are at risk of vitamin A deficiency, which maintains healthy skin. They are also often low in vitamin D, B12, calcium, and iron, while zinc and vitamin C are important for healthy skin and immune function. Take a good multivitamin and mineral supplement, plus 1,000mg vitamin C daily and 1.5mcg B12 if you are vegan. Take a three-month course of echinacea (such as Echinaforce) to boost immunity. To treat fungal infections, Molkosan (whey) can be diluted one part to five parts water and dabbed with cotton wool on to the affected area. Apply a drop of lemon essential oil directly to each wart twice a day after shaving. For Echinaforce and Molkosan, call Bioforce on 01294 277344.