We pay through our teeth, and we’re willing to put up with some pain for a lot of gain in the beauty department. But are some of these beauty fads worth the risk? I list the top 10 beauty fads that are not good for your body. Read on and reconsider.
1. Tattoos and Body Art – Think before you Ink!
It is entirely too easy to get a permanent tattoo done these days. But since it is permanent, why not take a few days to ponder on some pertinent facts before you walk into that tattoo salon? Tattoos are permanent designs made on the skin by injecting dyes deeper into the skin using needles. Since the skin is breached, there is a real risk of infections, allergic reactions and blood borne diseases like tetanus and hepatitis C. Tattoos tend to fade over the years, so they do not look as attractive anymore. Intricate designs may get altered as the skin stretches and sags with age. Circumstances may change and you may no longer like the tattoo. This is especially true for those who tattoo the names of a lover or the face of a beloved movie star. Rarely a tattoo may burn or swell during an MRI done later in life for medical complications. Never get a tattoo done under the influence of drugs or alcohol. And don’t allow friends or lovers to pressurize you into doing it. Your body is a temple; don’t do anything you might regret.
2. Body piercings – Not for the squeamish!
A lot of people express their individuality using piercings on one or more parts of their body. Piercings can vary from the elegant to the bizarre. Earlobe piercings are generally the safest, while tongue and genital piercings carry the highest risk of infection and bleeding. If you got your piercing done at an unregistered practice, then there is a serious risk of blood borne infections (like Hepatitis) from use of un-sterile needles. Scars and painful keloids are another risk. Facial piercings are particularly impulsive and unwise because such piercings can scar your face for life. Tongue piercings can cause speech impediments, and can chip away your tooth enamel. Ear cartilage piercing (in front of the ear) may form a painful abscess which can only be treated by surgical removal of the cartilage. This can permanently deform your ear. Not to mention practical problems like your ring getting stuck in clothing. Or your genital piercing rupturing condoms during sex! Consider your choice with care, and only rely on certified practitioners.
3. Hair straightening creams contain Formaldehyde
Women with straight hair loves curls, and women with wavy hair want poker straight locks. This is old news. But did you know most hair straightening products contain a chemical called Formaldehyde? Even the ones labelled “formaldehyde-free”! Formaldehyde is a sour smelling chemical that can irritate the eyes and nose causing eye watering, breathlessness, itching and rashes when inhaled. What’s even more frightening is that formaldehyde is a carcinogen (cancer-inducing chemical). While salon workers are the worst affected, several U.S based health and safety administrations have issued health warnings on this dangerous chemical. If you want to straighten your hair, use a hair iron instead.
4. Tanning booths are fashionable death beds
No one’s every completely satisfied with the color of their skin. Women of color wish to bleach their skin. And pale skinned women seek the perfect tan. Tanning beds continue to mushroom across the world despite the numerous cautions issued by various health regulatory bodies. The rising incidence of melanoma, the most dreaded of all skin cancers, has been directly linked to the increasing trend of using tanning beds and sunlamps. The industry is driven by teens and youngsters, and consequently, melanoma is now being diagnosed in those as young as 20 or 30. The radiation levels often exceed safety limits. Yet ironically, a tan is considered a sign of good health! Spray-on tans are a health hazard as well. They contain a chemical called dihydroxyacetone (DHA), along with synthetic dyes and fragrances which can be hazardous when inhaled.
5. Fairness creams – Where is the ‘poison’ skull?
Yet another dangerous and completely avoidable beauty bad-habit. Fairness creams containing steroids, hydroquinone or mercury are banned in various countries. But they’re freely available (or smuggled) in several Asian and Middle-Eastern countries, where they do not require a doctor’s prescription and are routinely abused with horrifying side effects. Mercury can cause memory loss, numbness of hands and feet, kidney failure, insomnia and psychiatric disorders. Small amounts of mercury gets absorbed into the blood stream and can even cross the placenta. Imagine the damage it can wreck on the delicate organs of an unborn baby! Even after you stop using the cream, the mercury can stay in your body for a couple of months. Worse, the mercury in the cream reaches breast milk as well, creating side effects to innocent infants. Hydroquinone can cause permanent bleaching, skin irritation and sun sensitivity. Steroid creams are the most frequently abused across the world. These can cause permanent thinning of skin, excessive facial hair, pimples, stretch marks and extreme sun sensitivity. Now these are really unattractive means to achieve attractive looking skin!
6. Cornrows and hair weaves can lead to permanent hair loss
I’ll admit it. Braids and weaves look lovely indeed, and I have been personally tempted on several occasions. However these are fairly expensive styles, which are left unwashed for several days. Which can turn into a serious hygiene horror. But besides this, such hair trends can cause severe damage to your hair roots as well. They lead to a kind of balding called ‘traction alopecia’. The strain on the connective tissue of the scalp can even leave you with headaches and scalp swelling. The good news however is that traction alopecia is reversible. Assuming that you’ve “reversed” the hair situation of course!
7. Permanent make up. a permanent mistake?
Permanent lipstick and lip liner. An artificial mole. Permanent eyeliner and eyebrow tattoos. It might have seemed like a bright idea at the time. But most women go on to regret those high arched eyebrows which don’t suit your face anymore when you’re in your 50’s and the shape of your face has changed. That maroon lip liner might look moronic in THIS decade. A chin mole is no longer in fashion. And pencil thin eyebrows are now dated because thicker eyebrows are suddenly the “in thing”. Colored tattoos like these are impossible to laser away, and most jobs I have seen are badly done. Cosmetic tattoos often have white dye mixed in it to achieve the perfect color. White dye turns instantly black when they’re hit by tattoo removal lasers. Now that’s a fact that most dermatologists are not aware of either. The only thing worse than permanent orange lipstick is permanent black lipstick! Keep this in mind when you’re weighing the pros and cons of getting permanent make up done to your face.
8. Casual use of fashionable colored contact lenses – Don’t you “see” the risks?
Colored contact lenses come in all colors and sometimes in prints and designs as well. The trend is to invest in multiple, cheap and tacky pairs brought off flea markets and malls, so you can have colors and designs to match every outfit. The cheap knock-offs are made of low grade plastic which shut off oxygen and moisture absorption by the corneas. This can lead to corneal tears, injury, infections and even blindness. Contact lenses must be used with care and responsibility. Take the time to get yourself trained in the proper use, care and cleaning of your lenses. Discard them when their time is up. And never, EVER, sleep with your lenses on!
9. Artificial Nails – What’s left of your natural cuticles?
False nails are beautiful and safe when they’re applied by trained professionals and cared for by responsible users. Trouble begins when cheap and poorly fitted acrylic nails are used. These can fester fungal infections, and your natural nails may appear stunted, brittle and dry. The glue used to fix these nails may cause allergic reactions. Many salons use nail glue which contain MMA (Methyl Methacrylate) which is classified as a “poisonous and deleterious substance” by the US FDA. The MMA is generally responsible for the redness and scaling which develops on the skin around the nails. In fact, did you know that a lot of eyelid allergies can be attributed to false nails?
Always get you false nails removed at the salon. Do not attempt to remove them at home; you might end up tearing and splitting your natural nail.
10. Beauty salons can be hotbeds for infection.
Imagine this- Hands and feet soaked in hot tubs shared by dozens of clients in a day. A pedicure brush which was scrapping off invisible fungi and viruses from an infected foot just an hour ago. A waxing stick double and triple dipping in the same hot wax jar used on every client that walked in for a bikini wax that day. A saliva soaked thread pulling out your eyebrows. Every dermatologist knows patients who have ended up with a nail fungus or foot warts after a mani-pedi job. And a lot of women end up with burns or tiny pus filled rashes after a recent waxing. There isn’t much you can do. But you can carry your own mani-pedi instruments to the salon. Insist on the use of disposable gowns and wax strips. Apply antiseptic cream to waxed and threaded skin. And ask your therapist to wear disposable gloves wherever practical. Hospital trips can be painful and expensive, so it’s always better to be safe than sorry!
There is no shame in aspiring to be beautiful. But be knowledgeable and responsible with your choices. Weigh all the pros and cons before you chose any beauty fad that will permanently alter your appearance. Or which could potentially scar you for life. Health and hygiene concerns must ALWAYS come before vanity. If you have enjoyed reading this article, then go to www.facebook.com/yourfamilydermatologist and click ‘Like’ for more interesting snippets on skin, hair and nail care for all members of the family.
