They say that beauty comes from within, so it makes sense that you should take care of your wellness if you want to look good. It’s pretty obvious that exercising, eating right and looking after your skin health (by applying sun cream etc.) can help you to shine from the inside out, as well as preventing serious health concerns. But does the same happen in reverse? What effect do your beauty treatments and habits have on your overall wellbeing? According to wellness expert Linda Thrasybule, ‘Throughout history, women and men have gone to extreme lengths to look good. Sometimes even at the cost of their health. The same quest for beauty exists today.’ So does that mean your favourite beauty treatments are doing more harm than good to your wellness? Let’s take a look at how your beauty regimen harms your health:
1. Braids and Weaves: Thrasybule details, ‘Getting braids or a weave may contribute to permanent hair loss in African-American women, according to a 2011 study published in the Archives of Dermatology. This type of hair loss, called central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, occurs on the crown and can spread throughout the scalp. Researchers surveyed 326 African-American women about their family and medical histories, and their hair-grooming habits. Dermatologists then performed a scalp examination to grade the women’s hair loss. They found that nearly 60% of the women showed signs of advanced hair loss. Braids and weaves are common hair treatments in the African-American community, researchers said. The treatments can be expensive, so they may be left in “for weeks or months at a time to justify the money spent,” researchers wrote in the study.’
2. Contact Lenses that Widen Your Eyes: In 2010, Karen Riley, an official with the Food and Drug Administration, told the New York Times, ‘Consumers risk significant eye injuries even blindness when they buy contact lenses without a valid prescription or help from an eye professional.’ Thrasybule explains, ‘Circle Lenses, which are contact lenses that make your eyes appear bigger, could cause serious vision problems…The lenses have not been approved by the FDA, and it’s illegal to sell them in the US. However, they’re available for less than $20 on the Internet. The lenses have become particularly popular among teen girls.’
3. Hair Straightening Products: Thrasybule warns, ‘Certain hair straightening products, such as the Brazilian Blowout, contain various chemicals including dangerously high levels of formaldehyde, announced the FDA in a warning letter in 2011. Formaldehyde is a strong-smelling gas that can irritate the eyes and nose, and cause allergic reactions such as asthma-like breathing problems and skin rashes and itching, if inhaled. In fact, the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a hazard alert in April 2011 to hair salon owners and workers about the risk of formaldehyde exposure from working with these products. Hundreds of beauty salons offer the hair straightening treatment, which is remarkably popular despite a price that can run up to $500. Products like Brazilian Blowout are often misleading, labelled as formaldehyde-free when in fact they’re not, according to the FDA.’
4. Tanning: Thrasybule notes, ‘Despite the serious health risks linked with indoor tanning, many Americans, particularly teens, still sit under sunlamps and tanning beds to get a bronzed look, according to a recent study. Indoor tanning beds and sunlamps emits ultraviolet (UV) radiation that can damage the skin, which can lead to premature skin aging, skin burns, eye damage and skin cancer. Nearly 28 million people tan indoors in the United States annually, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Of these, 2.3 million are teens. Moreover, frequent exposure to UV light may lead to an addiction to tanning. A 2010 study in the journal Clinical and Experimental Dermatology found that females, and those who are start tanning at a younger age may be particularly vulnerable to developing a compulsive desire to tan.’