4 Dangerous Beauty Salon Treatments
A salon visit is one of life’s guilty pleasures for many women. There is no better way to relieve the stress of a hectic week by being pampered and fussed over. However, some of the most commonly indulged beauty treatments can cause some serious health risks, from infections to even cancer. Here’s a list of four common salon treatments explaining how to avoid the dangers and stay beautifully healthy.
Ear Candles
Ear wax blockage can be annoying and painful. One solution offered by some salons is ear candles – hollow cones that are actually burned in one’s ear. Defenders say they improve hearing, remove the wax, and remove toxins and impurities in the process.
If the procedure sounds scary to you, you are absolutely correct. It can be very unsafe. The FDA warns that ear candles can cause burns, ear canal blockages, and ear drum perforations.
Gordan Sigel, M.D., an associate professor of clinical otolaryngology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, says, “The ear is a sensitive organ. I don’t think that I would trust any sensitive organ to a salon.”
Sigel compares the procedure to sticking a vacuum cleaner in one’s ear. The damage may heal in time, but in some cases surgery is necessary and long-term hearing loss can occur.
If you’re bothered with ear wax, over-the-counter products are available that soften the wax, and then remove it with syringe irrigation. Your best bet, however, is to prevent build-up by applying a few drops of half peroxide/half water mix in the ear. Don’t clean inside the ear canal with a cotton swab as it can push the wax back into the ear or cause a perforation.
And if you decide to try ear candling anyway, be sure to visit a homeopathic practitioner.
Pedicures
Doesn’t everyone love a pedicure? Unfortunately, pretty toes are a high price to pay for a viral infection (such as warts), bacterial infection from aggressive filing, or a fungal infection of the toenail.
Jackie Sutera, a New York City podiatrist, recommends bringing your own tools such as a nail file, toe clippers, cuticle nippers and finally a foot file. “That’s one of the dirtiest things in that whole salon,” she says. “There’s a misconception that because they put it in a blue solution or because they put it in a thing that looks like a toaster oven, it’s clean — but it might not be.”
Sutera also suggests getting an early appointment before dozens of feet have soaked in the same bath your feet will be in. Also, don’t linger over a relaxing soak – in less sterile salons foot baths can be a cesspool of germs.
And forget about the foot razors that promise to shave your heel callouses for those sexy sandal feet. “It’s really dangerous,” Sutera explains. Going at the heels too hard can reveal deep layers of skin that should never be exposed, which can lead to permanent damage or even scarring. Just keep a pumice stone in your shower to keep up with the daily maintenance yourself.
Gel Manicures
Getting a gel manicure is like sending your hands to a tanning because the UV-A nail lights used in the treatments may contribute to an increased risk for skin cancer, according to a study published in the Archives of Dermatology.
Other possible health problems include possible nerve damage, so please make sure the manicurists have had proper training before putting your hands in theirs.
Bikini Wax
A smooth bikini area may make you feel sexy and confident , but if you’re not careful, getting one can send you to the hospital. New Jersey banned the Brazilian bikini wax entirely when two women suffered complications that led to hospitalization.
Just like with eyebrow waxing, burns are a possibility with any kind of bikini wax. Because the skin is damaged when the hair is torn out, there is a risk of fungal, bacterial, and viral infection. But what makes Brazilian waxes even riskier is that the skin area in the back is in closer proximity to bacteria.
Make sure your salon complies with state licensing procedures and watch out for questionable moves such as “double-dipping,” or placing a wax stick back into the community bowl after it has contacted your skin.
If you’re now thinking that you may need to forego your much-needed salon pampering, no worries – you don’t have rough it from now on. Forewarned is forearmed. Now that you know what to look for, feel free to indulge in your guilty pleasure, but without worrying that you may be sacrificing health for beauty.
