4 Beauty Trends That are Ruining Your Health

Creating a professional image means paying more attention to grooming and hygiene. In the business world especially, women do all that they can to maintain their youthful appearance. For some, this means following beauty trends that may not necessarily be good for their health.

These four beauty trends may be doing more harm than good to your health.

1. Tanning

The sun-kissed, bronze look has been in fashion for quite some time now, but indoor tanning greatly increases your risk of skin cancer. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, using indoor tanning beds before the age of 35 can increase your risk of deadly melanoma by 59%. That risk increases with each use.

Indoor tanning beds also emit UV radiation that can damage your skin, cause eye damage, and lead to premature aging.

The Solution: If you want to maintain a bronzed look, try spray tanning. Many tanning salons offer spray tanning services, and you can also buy at-home tanners. Spray tan products have come a long way in recent years. Professional and high-quality tanners look just like the real thing.

2. Bleaching and Dying Your Hair Regularly

Bright, rainbow hair colors have been trendy in recent years, but changing your hair color every other week – or even every few months – can wreak havoc on the health of your scalp and your hair.

Even if you’re not dying your hair crazy colors, simply adding subtle highlights or even darkening your hair can damage it in time.

The Solution: Go with a salon that uses organic hair color or Olaplex, which minimizes damage.

3. Botox

Botox injections are a quick-fix for wrinkles, but they can produce some unpleasant side effects. Botox is actually a medicinal form of botulinum toxin type A, which relaxes muscles for several months. The toxin is produced by bacteria that causes botulism.

Injections are generally safe, but many people experience bruising and pain at the injection site as well as nausea, headaches and muscle weakness. Although the FDA has approved Botox for cosmetic use, it does come with a warning that there’s a risk the toxin can spread to other areas of the body. If this happens, it can cause symptoms similar to botulism.

The Solution: Invest in a good anti-aging skincare routine. Products that contain hyaluronic acid, retinol, vitamin C and peptides can help prevent wrinkles while maintaining your skin’s youthful appearance. Wearing sunscreen and avoiding sun exposure will also prevent wrinkles.

4. Fake Eyelashes

Long, lush eyelashes are in fashion, but they can cause infections, dry eyes and even breakage to your natural eyelashes.

Professional eyelash extensions, which involves technicians applying lashes to each individual lash with glue, can actually cause your natural eyelashes to break off. If this happens, it can take months to recover.

Fake lashes that can be applied at home are less risky, but the adhesive, or glue, used to attach them can also get onto your natural lashes and break them off. There’s also the risk that the glue could get into your eye, causing an infection or irritation.