Girls across the country will hit the tanning beds, nail salons and hair salons for the next month in preparation for their senior proms. Parents cannot capture photos and memories without their daughter having perfectly bronzed skin, a French manicure and a hair blow-out. However, this beauty ritual is not just designated for high school teenagers. Many college students partake in time-consuming and expensive beauty regimens in order to prepare for graduation. The thought of walking across the stage with unpainted fingernails and pale skin sends shivers down their spines, because looking their best on this important day is a symbol of their preparation for moving onto the next big stage in their lives. Not only do these beauty treatments cost a lot of money, but some studies have shown that they can also have harmful effects on the body.
Latisse, a treatment created by Allergan, the same company that created Botox, is a popular eyelash growth treatment among several other similar treatments available on the market. Although, Latisse is the first and only eyelash growth treatment currently approved by the FDA. In one of Latisse’s commercials, actress Brooke Shields slowly bats her full, thick set of lashes at the camera, bright eyes glowing, in hopes of convincing women that they too can have lashes like Shields’.
However, the advertisement quickly brushes over the medical information Latisse is required to mention. Their website states, “Latisse may cause increased brown pigmentation of the colored part of the eye which is likely to be permanent. Eyelid skin darkening may occur and may be reversible.” The keyword is “may.” There is no guarantee that after using this product, your eye color or skin color surrounding your eye will go back to its normal state. This side effect could be especially damaging for consumers with blue, green or hazel eyes.
Back in 2009, Latisse made national newspaper headlines for misleading consumers by minimizing their product’s side effects. The fact that there is a chance it could permanently create more brown pigment in light-colored eyes stirred debates on online beauty forums. NBC News reported, “Doctors, however, say this side effect is associated exclusively with dropping medication directly into the eye as opposed to painting it along the upper lash line. And that’s extremely rare.”
“Knowing that those are the side effects, I don’t think I would ever use [Latisse],” said Lianne McCarthy, a sophomore allied health major. “I can see that some people would buy it to make their eyes more attractive with longer lashes, but it seems counteractive if you are also getting darkened skin, itchy red eyes and changing your eye color as well.”
Many women go through a lot of effort with products like Latisse to enhance their eyes, because, after all, the eyes are the windows to the soul. But hair is also a major part of a woman’s identity.
The keratin hair treatment, otherwise known as the Brazilian hair treatment, has become popular in recent years. According to Total Beauty, the mixture of formaldehyde and keratin chemicals has the ability to straighten, smooth, defrizz and shine hair for about three to six months, depending on individual hair type. It can even withstand extreme humidity, and it makes it easier to style hair with a curling iron or straightener. After four hours in the salon and at least $150 later, anyone can have this treatment done to their hair. But at what health cost?
The main ingredient, formaldehyde, has been linked to some types of cancer such as leukemia, but this chemical is what actually makes the hair smooth and shiny and therefore a necessity for the keratin treatment. However, some stylists argue that the treatment is still safe for humans as long as salons use proper protection and ventilation while treating the hair, but there is not really a way to know for sure. Also, some salons falsely label bottles as “formaldehyde-free” when in fact they do contain traces of the chemical. Just make sure to do some research before heading to the beauty parlor and to stay clear of the keratin treatment if you have an allergy to formaldehyde or formalin.
Niche Salon in Tampa does not use formaldehyde in their keratin hair treatment.
“The formaldehyde is what makes the straightening last a really long time and actually changes the complex of the hair, but our treatment still lasts several months even without it, and there are no longer any risks,” hairstylist Jennifer said.
Customers used to have to wait at least three days before washing their hair or pulling it back with an elastic band or hair clips after getting the keratin treatment, but Jennifer also mentioned that is no longer necessary. Now, you could put your hair up into a ponytail right after getting the treatment done.
If the idea of getting the keratin hair treatment still makes you nervous, then using a straightening iron is always a more trustworthy alternative if sprayed with a heat protectant beforehand.
Gel manicures have also become popular as an alternative to the standard polish manicure for their lasting wear. On average, gel manicures last two weeks or more, convenient for the woman with little time or money for regular trips to the nail salon.
Despite their appeal, gel manicures may run the risk of cancer according to a statement released by The Skin Cancer Foundation.The gel manicure treatment uses UV radiation-emitting lamps to cure the polish after each coat, sealing it in for the lasting effect. These lights are similar to those used in tanning beds, but weaker with less exposure. Although the risk of cancer is minimal with a gel manicure UV light, “it’s not insignificant,” and “greatest for squamous cell carcinoma (SSC), the second most common skin cancer,” according to The Skin Cancer Association.
“An estimated 700,000 cases of SCC are diagnosed each year in the US, resulting in approximately 2,500 deaths,” said Elizabeth K. Hale, vice president of the Skin Cancer Foundation, in the statement. “SCC is mainly caused by chronic UV exposure and is very common on the hands and around the fingernails.”
According to Susan Taylor, a dermatologist and clinical researcher, UV lights aren’t the only component of gel manicures that make them harmful. In her blog on huffingtonpost.com, some gel manicures contain the chemicals methyl acrylate and/or butylated hydroxyanisol (BHA). The former can cause the skin to break out in a rash, called dermatitis, while BHA is considered carcinogenic (cancer-causing).
To remove a gel manicure, you must soak your nails in acetone, anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes, a process that can dry out the nails, leaving them brittle and peely.
To protect your hands under the UV lamp, The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends applying a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 on your hands to protect from UV radiation.
There are alternatives, however. Can’t live without your gel manicure? Go to a salon that uses LED light lamps rather than UV light. LED lights don’t carry the risk of skin cancer and are the safer route to the glossy manicure.
There are also nail strips like Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips, which last up to 10 days. They offer a wide variety of designs and patterns. If used with Seche Vite, a quick-dry high-gloss top coat, nail strips can last a solid two weeks with minor to no chipping, similar to a gel manicure but without the light. Not only are nail strips cheaper, but they are easier and quicker to apply in the comfort your own home.
Unlike gel nails, tanning beds instantly come to mind when harmful UV radiation comes up. Spray tans have often been considered a safer alternative to sunbathing and tanning beds since they bypass the exposure to UV rays. However, the orangey glow may not be so safe.
Spray tans contain a chemical called dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which “has the potential to cause genetic alterations and DNA damage, according to a panel of medical experts who reviewed 10 of the most-current publicly available scientific studies on DHA,” as reported by ABC News.
The studies did not use human test subjects, “but some found DHA altered genes of multiple types of cells and organisms when tested in different labs by different scientists after the chemical was approved for use in the consumer market,” also reported by ABC News.
ABC news interviewed Rey Panettieri, a toxicologist and lung specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, who said, “These compounds, in some cells, could actually promote the development of cancers of malignancies. And if that’s the case then we need to be wary of them.”
Inhalation of DHA worries experts, who think that lung cancer is a possible risk. External use of DHA, as used in tanning lotions, is FDA-approved, but as ABC News reported, spray-on tans are not.
Anthony Pettenon, a freshman communication major, regularly tans, switching between tanning beds, spray tans and sunbathing.
“Tanning beds aren’t good for you, but if you want to be tan and look nice, I mean, yeah, there’s a lot of risks with them, which when you go into it you should know that they’re bad for you,” Pettenon said. “Spraying is faster and healthier, as you would say, but I know they’re starting to say that’s even bad for you too because [of the] chemicals you could breathe in.”
To avoid harmful UV rays and inhalation of DHA while still getting a golden glow for graduation, opt for a tanning lotion like Jergens Natural Glow or St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse.
These beauty rituals may be harmful, but there are safer alternatives. It is possible to get a perfect tan and glossy, straight locks for your college graduation without risking your health.
Jessica Keesee can be reached at jessica.keesee@theminaretonline.com.
Natalie Hicks can be reached at natalie.hicks@theminaretonline.com.