Dangerous beauty trends are things we don’t often think about. We’re always looking for hacks or tips to make our beauty routine easier. But these beauty hacks or beauty trends could actually be hurting you. The dangers of beauty trends are something we don’t often consider. DIY beauty trends can often lead to allergic reactions or skin irritations. Some big name beauty brands can even leave out information that leads to illness or harm of your health. Although we all love to stay up to date with the latest beauty trends, we need to know these underlying health risks that go along with them.
Heels
Stuffing one’s feet into high heels can seriously damage your feet. The pointy, cramped toe boxes can lead to bunions—painful, bony bumps, usually on the big toe joint, that tend to run in families. The downward pressure and awkward angle of your foot in high heels can also cause metatarsalgia—severe pain in the ball of your foot—and even stress fractures in the bones of your feet. Switching to wider shoes with lower heels can help, but in some cases the damage is extensive enough that surgery is needed.
Tanning Beds
The government classifies tanning beds as actual carcinogens, right alongside tobacco and asbestos. And yet nearly 10 million Americans willingly lie down in them on a regular basis. Using these indoor beds before age 35 can significantly raise your risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, as well as your risk of squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. Sunless tanning sprays and creams, which usually use a color additive called dihydroxyacetone to darken the skin, are safe.
Heavy Purses
Toting a big, showy purse on your arm shifts your center of gravity in the direction of the handbag. You subconsciously compensate by leaning in the opposite direction, possibly leading to repetitive stress injuries and back pain. The larger the bag, the more likely you are to fill it up with more and heavier items. When choosing a purse, stick with those that don’t exceed 10 to 15 percent of your body weight when filled.
Bikini Waxing and Shaving
Pubic hair grooming injuries among women increased six-fold between 2002 and 2010, according to an analysis in the journal Urology, sending nearly 7000 women to the emergency room with cuts, abrasions, rashes, and more. Razor lacerations accounted for the vast majority of bikini-related ER visits; overheated bikini wax was a cause, too. Bacterial infections, some life threatening, are also possible if proper hygiene guidelines aren’t followed.
Waist Training
It is an appealing thought that if you continually constrict your waist with corsets that it will end up shrinking. Unfortunately there are some seriously negative side effects if done incorrectly. Ribs can get fractured, breathing impaired, and organs getting displaced are just some of the worst problems that can happen.
Anti-Wrinkle Cream
When it comes to attacking wrinkles, topical retinoids are a popular choice. Applied to the skin once a day after cleansing, they work by boosting collagen and slowing and preventing UV-related aging. However, they can also be quite irritating, leading to excessive dryness, redness, and sensitivity to UV light. Start with a small dose and work your way up, and always wear sunscreen with at least SPF 15 to protect your skin from sun damage.
Putting Straight Hydrogen Peroxide On Your Teeth
Hydrogen peroxide is used in most teeth whitening products, so when beauty tips tell you to use straight hydrogen peroxide in your mouth for whiter teeth, it kind of made sense. Except you actually should not do that. Researchers and doctors make products using hydrogen peroxide specifically for your mouth – if it’s not made with that in mind, it can damage your teeth, gums, and the soft tissue in your mouth. In other words, it can seriously mess up your mouth.
Age Spot Faders
Creams that fade age spots typically work by interrupting the formation of melanin, the pigment responsible for tanning. For years, hydroquinone—a skin bleaching agent—has been the treatment of choice for many dermatologists. But in 2006 the FDA proposed a ban on over-the-counter hydroquinone because oral ingestion was linked with cancer in rats and mice. The FDA has asked for studies before making a final ruling. Hydroquinone has also been linked with ochronosis, a condition in which skin actually darkens—the exact opposite of what an age spot suffers wants.
Hair Straightening Treatments
For some curly-haired women, the allure of straight hair, even on humid days, seems worth almost any risk. But the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has found that some hair straightening products contain formaldehyde or release formaldehyde at unsafe levels during use. Besides being a known carcinogen (cancer-causing substance), formaldehyde can cause eye irritation, bloody noses, rashes, coughing, and wheezing in people exposed to it. OSHA recommends avoiding seven brand name products, including Brazilian Blowout Solution, Acai Therapy, and Natural Keratin Smoothing Treatment.
Setting Your Makeup With Hairspray
I’ve heard tons of beauty bloggers, vloggers, editors, and even professional makeup artists advise people to set their makeup with hairspray instead of spending money on setting spray. While doing this isn’t going to kill you or cause crazy damage, it’s just frankly not a good idea. Hairspray can clog your pores, leaving you more susceptible to breakouts and irritating your skin, especially if it’s sensitive. Plus, you really don’t want that stuff that close to your eyes or mouth. It’s worth it to just get the setting spray.
DIY Dry Shampoo
Many dry shampoo recipes include fragrant oils, like lavender or lemon oil, to ensure you smell nice, but those additional ingredients could clog pores around your hairline or on your scalp (which can lead to painful cysts), explains Jaliman. And even though lavendar is well-known as a calming ingredient, Jaliman says it can irritate sensitive skin. Next time you notice your roots are getting greasy, use a little baby powder or rice powder to soak up excess oil between washes.
Old Eye Makeup
Even the healthiest eye is naturally home to bacteria. When you touch a mascara wand or eyeliner to your eye and then dip it into your makeup, you’re transferring some of those bacteria to your cosmetics. Over time, bacteria levels can build up, increasing your chances of developing an infection or allergic reaction. To protect your eyes, switch out your old cosmetics every three to four months for new ones. Avoid sharing makeup with others. And never use your saliva to moisten your makeup; the bacteria from your mouth can grow in your mascara or eyeliner.
Pedicures
Foot baths in nail salons can be contaminated with Mycobacterium fortuitum, fast-growing bacteria that can cause a serious infection called furunculosis. Although rare, outbreaks of this infection have been linked to pedicure salons in several states. In California, more than 100 patrons of a single salon contracted furunculosis in their legs after using a whirlpool footbath while getting pedicures. Be sure your salon does not reuse old pumice when exfoliating your feet, and ask how often staff sterilizes the foot baths and other equipment.
Juice Cleanses
This diet is purported to help you lose weight and toxins quickly. Starvation is the main reason people actually see results. Doing this cleanse, especially multiple times, can break down muscle tissue and also damage the heart.
Jelly To Grow Lashes
Thick, dark, and fluttering eyelashes are gorgeous, yes, but trying to achieve them with this beauty hack can clog pores and potentially lead to acne or milia, which are little cysts under the eyes. The jelly can also get into your eyes and cause vision impairment. You can learn more about the dangers here.
Laser Hair Removal
This is another growing trend. Laser hair removal saves people time by not having to shave or get treatments very frequently. During the laser process, dangerous chemicals are released into the air. Inhaling these fine particles and chemicals can lead to health problems in the future.
Using A Sharpie As Eyeliner
Remember when Taylor Swift revealed that she uses a Sharpie for eyeliner to get her famous cat eye when she’s in a pinch? Yeah, that’s a terrible idea. The basic premise of this article is that you shouldn’t use products on your skin if they are not made for skin. And a Sharpie certainly isn’t, especially for your super sensitive eye area. The smell alone can irritate your eyes and the skin around your eyes.
Anything To Do With The Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge
Remember when “The Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge” was a thing? I do, unfortunately. People were literally putting ups over their lips and sucking to make their lips look bigger. GUYS DON’T DO THIS. Use a lip plumper. Or leave your lips alone. Do. Not. Do. This. It can damage the blood vessels around your lips and cause serious scarring as well as loss of lip function.
DIY Fruit Masks
All natural ingredients may sound great (who wouldn’t want to smell like fresh kiwi or strawberries), but the acidity found in fruit disrupts the skin’s pH barrier. When that happens, it upsets the bacterial balance of your skin, giving bacteria the chance to flourish and create acne. Pineapple, orange, kiwi, and other acidic fruits have a lower pH balance than the normal one of your skin. It can cause breakouts, burns, redness, and peeling. If an acid peel for glowing skin is what you’re after, go to the professionals. They’re trained to apply them properly and can protect the skin both during and after treatment.
