Hidden dangers?
Looking the “right” way may come with a price. And not just money. Everything from tanning to teeth whitening and Lasik eye surgery to laser hair removal comes with its own risks.
Tanning is one thing people have done to make themselves look better. However, tanning can result in severe sunburns, sun spots and, worst of all, skin cancer, said dermatologist Dr. Kelly Hubbard.
“In the United States, about 10,000 people die from skin cancer every year,” Hubbard said.
Hubbard said skin cancer is usually seen in people in their 50s, 60s and 70s, However, unfortunately, there are more and more cases of younger people in their 20s and 30s getting skin cancer, he said.
“It’s rare, but we even see it in teenagers,” Hubbard said. “So if someone’s trying to look better short term, they are going to pay for it long term.”
Hubbard said he sees individuals come into his office “kicking themselves” and saying, “How could I be so dumb? Why did I do this when I was younger?”
Whether tanning by the sun or tanning from a bed, the effects are the same, he said. The only difference is that when people are out in the sun, they have a natural safety mechanism that kicks in that limits how much sun they get. This is because people don’t like the feel of a sunburn, and when their body feels one coming on it tends to ask for shade, Hubbard said.
People sunburn more in the summer and in the middle of the day, Hubbard said.
A healthier alternative to tanning is to use sunless tanning products, he said.
Hair removal is another popular beauty procedure.
Hubbard said laser hair removal must be taken more seriously than wax removal.
“With hair removal laser, there’s potential for burns and scarring, which is maybe not as serious (as tanning effects) but certainly a more immediate issue,” Hubbard said. “Tanning increases risk of skin cancer, which is more serious, but it’s often a longer term effect. It may not show up for 50 years.”
Who and where an individual goes to get laser hair removal should be of concern to them. Hubbard said many hair laser salons have very little or almost no supervision.
“What happens is the physician will buy a laser and then they technically supervise them, but they’re not on site,” Hubbard said. “So people really need to find out and make sure they’re actually going to be seen by a physician and that the physician is going to be personally supervising the laser treatment and that it is going to be done in the right setting.”
The Food and Drug Administration allows laser hair removal companies to use the term ‘permanent hair reduction’ due to the fact that they can’t remove the hair completely, Hubbard said.
Pain may raise a concern when considering laser hair removal and Hubbard said it is moderately uncomfortable.
“Some of the hair salons will turn the lasers way down so it doesn’t hurt but then it’s usually not effective,” Hubbard said.
Master aesthetician at Valhalla Salon, Angela Branson, who specializes in waxing, said, “(Waxing) is a little painful because it’s ripping hair out of the skin.”
Some risks involved in waxing are ingrown hairs, infected hair and tearing of the skin but if taken care of properly can be harmless, Branson said.
Teeth whitening is another way to change looks.
LeAnn Ashcroft, dental assistant and office manager for Dr. Mark Thornley, said, “One of the most important things you can do to reverse age is to bleach your teeth.”
However, bleaching teeth may come with a price.
“Almost all patients will have some sensitivity with bleaching,” Ashcroft said. “Some more than others, of course, because some people have a higher tolerance than others, and some people are more sensitive.”
She said though most everyone experiences sensitivity, younger people do not get as sensitive as older people.
But having surgery on eyes is something not associated with age. Lasik eye surgery can be a relatively safe procedure when one considers the right doctor, Student Health and Wellness Director Dr. Jim Davis said.
The FDA Web site advises pursuers of Lasik to “be cautious about ‘slick’ advertising and/or deals that sound ‘too good to be true.’ Remember, they usually are. There is a lot of competition resulting in a great deal of advertising and bidding for your business. Do your homework.”
Another cosmetic procedure popular with young adults is acne treatment.
Hubbard said Accutane is an oral medication used for treating severe acne that doesn’t respond to other treatments.
“There are a lot of potential risks for problems, but when managed carefully and appropriately, we see very few significant or serious problems,” Hubbard said.
The biggest risk for women taking Accutane is severe birth defects if women become pregnant, even a brief exposure, Hubbard said.
“There is a very high rate of birth defects, and because of that, the FDA actually requires a federally mandated program that physicians have to follow in order to prescribe Accutane,” Hubbard said. “The program iPLEDGE requires all women of childbearing potential to have to be on two forms of birth control starting a month before and continuing a month after.”
-t.dixon@aggiemail.usu.edu