Beauty Is a Pain, but Can It Seriously Hurt You?

Historically, people have gone to great, and sometimes painful, lengths to look good -- think foot-binding and constrictive corsets. Some of today's practices are really no better. In fact, some of them could even do you great harm. Here's a look at what some people will do to feel beautiful, though in the long run these practices may not leave them feeling better.

Tanning to Death

In a study published in the April issue of JAMA Dermatol, startling statistics were released: The number of skin cancer cases attributable to indoor tanning was greater than the number of lung cancer cases caused by smoking. More than 419,000 cases of skin cancer in the United States alone were due to indoor tanning, and almost 6,200 of those cases were melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. Indoor tanning -- using ultraviolet radiation from devices to achieve that bronzed look -- has been classified as a known human carcinogen by the World Health Organization.

This method of tanning is especially popular among the younger set: Fifty-five percent of college students and 19 percent of adolescents have admitted to indoor tanning. That's not-so-great news given that the risk of skin cancer is greatest in those exposed at a younger age.

If you want to look good, indoor tanning, let alone tanning in general, may not be best. Not only does it "increase the chances of getting skin cancers of all types -- basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma -- but indoor tanning [also] causes uneven pigment with dark spots and white spots, wrinkles, thickening of the skin and broken blood vessels," says Debra Jaliman, a New York City-based dermatologist and author of "Skin Rules."

There are simply no safe levels of indoor tanning, Jaliman warns. "The safest alternative is to use a bronzing gel or a self-tanner." This advice appears to be catching on: At the Victoria's Secret fashion show earlier this month, 3.5 liters of faux tan were used on models to achieve the desired look.

Beware the Blowout

Some women may view their curly locks as a curse. Beauty salons have responded with what they tout as a cure: hair-smoothing treatments such as the Brazilian Blowout. In 2011, both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Food and Drug Administration warned the industry about this "miraculous" panacea for unruly hair. Both stylists and clients were being exposed to formaldehyde, a cancer-causing agent, at levels that surpassed OSHA's limits.

A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene in August 2013 found that the Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution -- touted as the original Brazilian Blowout and one of several hair-smoothing products known to release formaldehyde -- contained 12 percent formaldehyde despite recommendations that salons use products with no more than 0.1 percent.

When the product is used as instructed, formaldehyde, a colorless, strong-smelling gas, is typically inhaled. Reported reactions have included rashes, nose bleeds, irritation to the eyes and throat, blurred vision, headaches, dizziness, coughing, chest pain and vomiting -- all this, in addition to the fact that formaldehyde is classified as a human carcinogen by the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Yet thousands of salons continue to use Brazilian Blowout products. Want straight hair? It might be best to invest in a flat iron.

Poison in a Jar

The perfect complexion -- it's an ideal many strive for and go to great lengths to get. For some that means using creams containing mercury, a toxic element, which claims to lighten skin, banish blemishes and age spots, fade freckles and treat acne.

In the last four years, some 60 people have been diagnosed with mercury poisoning from skin creams in California alone, prompting the California Department of Public Health to issue warnings about these so-called beauty products. After using said creams, these consumers reported experiencing irritability, forgetfulness, depression, insomnia, fatigue and numbness or tingling in the arms, fingers and hands. "Some of these symptoms haven't been seen as a result of mercury poisoning since the first half of the 20 ^th century," the agency says.

While the United States has set low limits or banned mercury from consumer products altogether, mercury-containing creams are still popular among certain populations in Asia, Africa, Central America and the Middle East, finding their way onto U.S. soil through travelers from such parts. In California, "unlabeled or artisanal products that have caused poisoning in the Latino community have been sold through informal networks or brought into the country by family members. Products sold in Asian markets are purchased from distributors or companies often located in China," reports the CDPH.

Using a new technique called total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, CDPH researchers have been testing skin creams purchased in various ethnic markets around California. What they found was surprising: Not only did these products contain mercury, but some packed as much as 210,000 parts per million, or 21 percent. It's illegal to sells skin creams in the United States that contain 1 or more ppm of mercury. That's an unsettling discovery, especially since mercury-containing skin creams can contaminate the homes in which they are used, the agency says, jeopardizing the health of anyone who comes into contact with or inhales the toxic substance, including infants and children.

The CDPH advises buyers to: "Choose products that follow U.S. labeling laws. All products sold legally in the USA must have all information written in English." And avoid any product that lacks a label or lists mercury, mercurio, mercurous chloride or calomel in the ingredients.

Bleaching Beyond Repair

Home teeth-whitening kits may promise a sparkling smile but the desire for a gleaming grin has led to some troubling results for those who go overboard.

The active ingredients in gel-systems, such as whitening strips and mouth trays, is typically hydrogen peroxide or carbamide, which remove stains and lighten the enamel, the thin outer layer of each tooth. But use these bleaching agents too often or in too high a concentration and irreparable damage can occur.

"While thinking they are doing something good, patients who over bleach -- coined 'bleachorexia' -- are actually doing great harm," says Jeffrey Priluck, a dentist based in Dunwoody, Georgia, and past-president of the Georgia Academy of General Dentistry.

Teeth can become extremely sensitive to temperature change and gum tissue can get burned and blistered, causing gums to recede to levels inadequate to cover tooth roots. Priluck has treated patients who have burned their lips and tongue when the amount of hydrogen peroxide exceeds the recommended 22-percent strength. Excess bleaching "can [also] lead to damage of the pulpal tissue within teeth, which, although rare, can require root canals," adds Priluck.

While striving for pearly whites, you could also end up with discolored teeth. "Patients can bleach their teeth to the point that the chewing edges of the teeth can take on a bluish appearance. In addition, teeth can take on an uneven and splotchy appearance due to the destruction of enamel."

For those wanting whiter teeth through bleaching, Priluck recommends products and techniques approved by the American Dental Association. "I'm very concerned when I find patients who have purchased an unapproved, over-the-counter product or one advertised on television without doing the proper research. Bleaching should be done under the supervision of a dentist and should be monitored carefully using ADA-approved materials only. Beware if the advertisement sounds too good to be true because this product probably is not what should be used."