IMAGE: Andersen Ross/Blend Images/Corbis
I remember the first time that I entered into the world of beauty treatments: I had my eyebrows done at a dodgy shop in the heartlands. I say it was dodgy because the shop was also promoting mole removal services. The over-enthusiastic lady would not stop harping on how she could remove my mole with the swipe of a cream.
Was it safe? I asked. Without batting her eyelids, she replied that it was completely safe, and even approved.
I wasn’t actually tempted, but just very curious. I mean, should beauty salons be allowed to apply creams that burn off moles?! The thought of it just made me feel very uncomfortable.
The majority of beauty services are generally safe, but if you’ve ever been concerned over your waxing parlour that practices double-dipping, or whether you should colour your hair while pregnant, I ask the experts for their opinion
IPL Treatments
Short for Intense Pulsed Light, IPL treatments include everything from hair removal to collagen facials. According to aesthetic doctor Dr David Loh, the primary purpose of IPL is to “remove” superficial pigments like freckles and sunspots. And as hair follicles contain melanin, IPL treatments have also become very popular for the removal of unwanted hair.
Although the general consensus is that IPL treatments are safe (as it is just an intense burst of noncoherent light), the bulk of the “danger” lies in the machine and the expertise of its user. For example, in the area of hair removal, the settings of the machine varies depending on the person’s hair texture and colour. If the wrong settings are used, or if the IPL applicator is not placed correctly, you are looking at permanent scars.
“The higher power machines can cause burns. In a doctors’ office this can be treated quickly, minimising any scarring. But its a different matter in a beauty salon. Although it is rare, I have had some patients referred from spa and salons with pigment marks and even scars that may never go away.” quipped Dr Loh.
So how do you avoid it? Dr Loh says you've got to use your better judgement, “There are some pretty conscientious and righteous beauticians in town. Which is why I do not discourage my patients from going to beauticians. I only advise them not to fall for hard sell and expensive packages. And also use their better judgement if the beautician oversells the possible outcomes.”
Waxing
Unless you’re doing it yourself, waxing at a salon may give you unintended germs. For practical and commercial reasons, most therapists practice double-dipping: Where they use an applicator to apply wax on skin, and then return it to the same pot of wax, only to be reused again.
Even if you’re perfectly fine with sharing germs with unknown strangers, the practice of double-dipping can be quite dangerous. Furthermore, wax is not sterile - you can only hope that the heat from the wax pot kills whatever germs the previous person had.
In a worst-case scenario, double-dipping may cause “cross infections”, where germs are transferred between different people through the same applicator. Dr Loh said that when that happens, you can expect a variety of skin inflammations such as pimples or fungus. In more serious cases, you can even be exposed to sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhoea and Chlamydia. Yikes. It might be time to just stick to good old shaving.
Removal of moles
$25 for the removal of five moles, why not? Many beauty salons (or even roadside tents) are offering mole removal services for as little as $5. Compared to licensed practitioners that charge in the hundreds, it isn’t difficult to understand why people are opting for the more budget-friendly version.
Unlike doctors that opt for lasers or excisions to remove moles, most beauty centres use a “burning” instrument or an acidic cream to destroy them. In the cases of some, you are even given a money-back guarantee if the moles return.
And you know how the saying goes: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
For starters, you might end up with scar if the beautician didn’t know what she was doing. In more serious cases, such as if your mole happens to be cancerous, the improper removal might cause the cancer to spread. Which is why MOH and I share the same feelings about this mole removal business: be careful and trust the professionals.
Hair dyes
Whether you do it at home or at a salon, colouring your hair exposes you to chemicals. Studies have shown that hair dye is pretty safe, but it is still good to know that certain ingredients aren’t.
The most common and possibly, nasty, ingredient is Formaldehyde. A known carcinogen, Formaldehyde is so harmful that its use by salons is strictly regulated in the United States. And despite how it is regulated (and we all know its dangers), you might still find it difficult to avoid this ingredient altogether.
Why? Products may be labelled “Formaldehyde-free”, but may still contain other ingredients that release Formaldehyde gas - the fumes that we are all trying to avoid in the first place. So for the lot of us who didn’t score an A in chemistry, this list of Formaldehyde’s many names might help.
And if you’re pregnant or trying to conceive, I will advise avoiding hair treatments altogether. Although doctors say there are limited studies to prove the dangers (which is true), these studies still raise alarming links between dyeing your hair in pregnancy and having your child develop serious illnesses.
Like Beyonce said, Pretty Hurts.
Dr David Loh is the founder of David Loh Surgery at 501 Orchard Road #05-16 Wheelock Place Singapore 238880. For more information, visit www.davidloh.sg and follow the brand on Facebook.