Beauty and fashion habits that might be bad for your health
| 2 min read
“Beauty hurts.” It sounds like a cute little saying, but the truth is that some daily beauty and fashion habits can actually hurt your health. Here are a few appearance-boosters that might be doing more harm than good.
- Wearing high heels It’s not just your feet that suffer when you put on pumps. According to the American Osteopathic Association, wearing high heels for an extended time has also been linked to a number of other health issues, including low back pain and osteoarthritis of the knee.
- Popping pimples Resist the urge! Picking at your zits can cause scarring and bacteria to spread. If it’s red and inflamed, press a cold, wet washcloth on it a few times a day to reduce swelling.
- Tweezing ingrown hairs We know it can be tempting, but the truth is you will never actually be able to get to that ingrown hair. And digging at it causes scarring and can lead to possible infection. It’s best to not mess with it at all since most go away on their own.
- Squeezing into Spanx They may be dubbed a girl’s best friend, but your body may think otherwise. Gastroenterologists have started to warn women today about how many organs get compressed by shape-wear, including the colon, intestine and stomach. This can result in heartburn and acid reflux.
- Getting a gel manicure The nail polish may last longer, but the side effects aren’t worth it. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, ultraviolet-emitting devices used in the process are carcinogenic to humans, and although the skin cancer risk associated with nail lamps is low, it’s still there. If you can’t resist, apply sunscreen to your hands before your gel manicure.
Photo credit: Kaleidoscope View Photography
