Health Risks in the Name of Beauty

Are you Risking Your Health During Your Daily Beauty Regimen?

You may be surprise by how many beauty rituals are actually cause for concern. Normal beauty care can contain some not so pleasant ingredients that you may consider avoiding, if you only knew.

The Dangers in Hair Dye

Using hair dye may increase your risk for certain types of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a blood cancer involving the lymph nodes. A recent study from Yale University published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that women who started dying their hair before 1980 had a 30% increased risk of getting non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, compared with those who never used hair dye. Among women who began using hair dye in 1980 or later, there was an increased risk only for those who used dark dye.

Read the Label on Lotion

Four lotions, whose ingredients include sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and/or mineral oil, have increased odds of causing skin cancer related tumors. (June 2008 study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology). These four brands of lotion were applied on the skin of UVB-pretreated mice, meaning the mice had a high risk of developing tumors. This is comparable to humans who had heavy exposure to sunlight early in life but developed skin cancer later in life. The study found that these creams increased the rate of formation and number of tumors in mice, compared to a control group who were treated with a lotion without mineral and SLS. The authors of the study note that mouse skin is much thinner and more permeable than human skin and further studies are needed to determine the effects on humans.

Contacts are Not Just for Vanity

The invention of contact lenses was a boon for all of us who were tired of pushing our glasses back constantly. And for those who felt they looked better without their glasses (albeit far less studious), wearing contacts was also a gift to our self esteem. However, using any type of contact lens puts you at risk for conditions like conjunctivitis (pink eye), corneal ulcers, corneal abrasions, visual impairment, and blindness. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns us: do not buy contact lenses without a prescription. To lower your chances of eye damage, make sure your contacts are legitimate. You must get an eye exam from a licensed eye care professional, obtain a prescription and buy the lenses from an eye care professional or vendor that requires a prescription. Care for your contacts include cleaning regularly, disinfecting regularly followed by follow-up eye exams.

Unsanitary Nail Salons

Common manicure and pedicure health hazards, including allergic reactions, bacterial infections, candida (yeast) and warts, can result from chemical exposure, unsanitary conditions and the improper attachment of false nails. In extreme cases, unsanitary conditions can lead to gangrene as well as serious infectious diseases like Hepatitis, HIV, or staph infection. When improperly, nail products can lead to nail diseases like naronychia, onycholysis, according to a 2006 study conducted by Columbia University’s Department of Dermatology. Regular hand washing can reduce the risk of infection. You may want to consider bringing your own nail utensils with you to the salon.

Facial Extractions

A facial extraction is a procedure where an esthetician manually unclogs pores and removes blackheads. If done improperly or done on someone with sensitive skin, extractions can cause broken capillaries and discoloration. You may also find it a little more painful than other spa treatments.

Don’t Dye Your Lashes or Brows

The FDA warns that any hair dye contact can damage your eyes and cause blindness. For more information, read FDA’s guide to hair dyes and relaxers.

Prevent Scalp Burns

Any relaxer can burn your scalp if it is not used correctly. Avoid scratching your head or brushing your hair before using a relaxer. Apply petroleum jelly to your scalp before applying a relaxer. The American Cancer Society says using hair relaxers, even over a long period of time, does not appear to raise a woman’s risk of breast cancer, as once reported.

Bleaching Your Skin

Extended use of creams for lightening skin can result in a condition called exogenous ochronosis, a darkened, bluish discoloration of the treated area. The American Academy of Dermatology stated a 2008 study of skin bleaching cream used by women in Africa found that health complications included impaired wound healing a predisposition to infections.

Toxic Beauty Products

Make up, shampoo, skin lotion, nail polish and other personal care products contain chemical ingredients that lack safety data for humans. Meanwhile, some of the chemicals found in these products have been found harmful in animal studies. Male genital birth defects, decreased sperm counts, and altered pregnancy outcomes have been noted in the animal studies. A recent study in ‘Pediatrics’ found that use of infant lotion , infant powder, and infant shampoo was associated with increased infant urine concentration of three kinds of phthalates which could pose developmental health risks. You can search for the toxicity of your beauty products at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Household Products Database.

Lead in Lipstick

In 2007, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics released a report that found lead in half of 33 brand name red lipsticks they tested. One third of the lipsticks contained lead levels that exceeded the FDA’s limit for candy. The FDA’s position is that it is not a valid comparison between lead limits for candy, which is ingested, and lead limits for red lipstick. However, they are planning on conducting independent testing of a selection of lipsticks. The authors of the 2007 report advise that pregnant women and small children avoid using lipstick because lead exposure can disrupt development.

Sexy High Heels, Painful Side Effects

Wearing high heels or tight shoes can bring painful consequences to your feel and ankles. Ill fitting shoes can cause a variety of foot problems, including hammertoe, bunions, corns, calluses, toenail problems, stress fractures, tight heel cords, and overall foot pain. How sexy is that?

Hair Removal Hazards

People with diabetes and circulatory problems should not use hair removal products. These products should also not be applied over warts, moles, or varicose veins. Avoid such products for the nose, ears, and genitalia. Irritated, chapped, or sunburned skin need not apply. As with chemical depilatories, it is a good idea to do a preliminary test on a small area for allergic reaction or irritation.

If you thought laser removal was your answer, you may want to concern this: side effects of laser hair removal can include blistering, skin discoloration, swelling, redness and scarring. Improper use has resulted in reports of serious and life threatening side effects. Laser hair removal involves using lasers and a topical antithetic product, both of which should be used only under the direction of a licensed practitioner.

Is That Tan Worth the Risk?

For those who engage in outdoor or indoor tanning, you are exposing your skin to a known carcinogen (cancer causing substance). Ultraviolet rays are very damaging. A Swedish study and a World Health Organization (WHO) study found that tanning booth exposure, especially at a young age, increases the odds of melanoma. You are not safer in a tanning bed than in the sun.

Tattoos and Permanent Makeup

Dirty needles are the culprit here. They’re responsible for the spread of hepatitis and HIV. In addition, tattoos can cause scarring, allergies, and MRI complications. Though rare, and short in duration, people may experience swelling or burning on the tattoo when they have an MRI. Check our safety checklist below.

Piercings

A common problem associated with body piercings is an itchy, red skin reaction or hypersensitivity to the nickel found in some jewelry. If this happens, consider stainless steel, platinum or gold jewelry. Read our safety checklist below before getting a piercing or tattoo.

Piercing and Tattoo Safety Check List

If you are considering having a tattoo or body piercing make sure you go to a reputable studio. Look for or ask about the following:

• it clean? The entire shop, including the restroom, should be clean.
• What type of sterilization procedures does the shop follow? Is there a procedure manual of written standards? Ask to see it.
• Is there an autoclave used to sterilize reusable equipment? An autoclave is a machine that sterilizes using heat. Reusable equipment should be sterilized and stored in sterile bags. The date of the sterilization should be clearly visible on the bags.
• How are instruments that cannot be sterilized handled? Make sure that instruments or supplies that cannot be sterilized using the autoclave are disinfected after every use with a commercial disinfectant or bleach solution.
• Are sterile needles used for piercings? Needles should be stored in sterilized packages, only used once, and disposed of in safety containers.
• What type of training does the person doing the piercing or tattooing have?
• Does the person doing the piercing or tattooing wear gloves? A fresh pair of gloves should be used for every procedure. Make sure that the operator washes his/her hands before putting the gloves on. Ask the operator to change his/her gloves if he answers the telephone or does anything else during your procedure.
• Is a piercing gun used for the procedure? Do not have any kind of a piercing done with a piercing gun. These instruments increase your risk of infection because they cannot be sterilized between procedures.
• What kind of jewelry is being used for the procedure? Only use nonallergenic jewelry. Surgical stainless steel, gold, platinum, niobium, and titanium are the only types of jewelry you should use in a new piercing.
  • Do not use nickel or brass-plated jewelry.
  • Choose jewelry that has not been used or worn or that has been sterilized in an autoclave.

Although the piercing industry is not as well regulated as the health care industry, some states do have hygienic regulations to insure safe tattooing practices. Check with your city or county health department to find out whether there have been any complaints about the studio you are thinking of using.