WASHINGTON – The saying goes that pain is beauty, but recent findings show that many common beauty practices are painful for your health.
The Huffington Post reports that beauty trends, such as keratin-straightening systems, fish pedicures and even injections in the backside, can cause serious health problems.
Tanning
Having a year-round bronze glow sends many to the tanning booth. However, The Huffington Post reports that a study published in the British Medical Journal in October 2012 found that tanners are 29 percent more likely to develop basal-cell carcinomas than those who never visited a tanning salon.
Silicone injections
While many are trying to lose inches around the backside, a new beauty trend is to augment the derriere. The Huffington Post says unlicensed people called “shot girls” are injecting silicone into people’s backsides at homes and in offices – a practice that can lead to serious infections.
Keratin hair treatments
Many people flocked to the salons this past year to trade curly ringlets for straight hair by way of a keratin treatment. However, the two biggest manufacturers of the popular treatment will be required to warn users about the health effects of formaldehyde gas that is emitted by the product, The Huffington Post reports.
Fish pedicures
Are your feet fish food? Many posh spas boast of fish pedicures where toothless carp nibble away the callouses on a person’s feet. However, a recent analysis shows something fishy. The fish commonly used for pedicure purposes carry antibiotic-resistant bacteria, which can cause pneumonia and other serious infections.
See the full article for a complete list of unhealthy beauty practices the study cites.
WTOP’s Rachel Nania and Randi Martin contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter.
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