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More than you bargained for

Beauty parlours are not safe havens where you can close your eyes to the rest of the world. Ignore lack of hygiene at your own peril

PHOTO: K. ANANTHAN

ARE YOU IN GOOD HANDS? Potential problem areas include hairbrushes, scissors, wax spatulas, hair colouring brushes, waxing strips and tweezing threads

Dusky Shreya, 23, had never been to a beauty parlour all her life. Two days before her wedding, she was tempted into a bleach and a facial peel to make her "glow" on her big day. A few hours later, she was rushed to a dermatologist in agony. The skin on her face had turned a bright red and had started peeling.

"She gave us a day to set right her skin. I asked her to tell her future husband to wait a month before he could see her original face," recounts dermatologist C.R. Srinivas. Shreya's condition is called post-inflammatory hyper pigmentation (where the skin becomes dark after inflammation). Luckily, its effects are not permanent and her face returned to normal after a fortnight. After that disaster, Shreya swore off beauty parlours.

Though the human skin is quite forgiving when ill treated, it sometimes reacts, throwing up rashes, pustules, and in extreme cases, even begins to peels off. And one place where one can contract skin infections at the swipe of a tissue is a beauty parlour. Where else can you find so many people with varying skin types and problems converging and, at times, using the same combs and towels?

The hygiene factor

Though branded parlours keep customer safety and hygiene in mind, your friendly neighbourhood parlour many not be all that friendly to your skin. "Potential problem areas include hairbrushes, scissors, wax spatulas, hair colouring brushes, waxing strips and tweezing threads," says Amee Daxini, a medical coordinator at a renowned skin clinic.

How often have you cringed on seeing someone's leftover strand of hair on a comb you use?

Or watched the parlour assistant reusing a wax strip used on someone else?

"The very thought is repulsive. But, unless you object, no one will listen," says Pavithra, who has got her beautician to shift from cloth strips to disposable waxing strips. Dr. Amee agrees. "Even if people think you are finicky, insist that a therapist uses a hand sanitiser in your presence before touching the skin. Demand disposable gowns and sheets."

Doctors say that only stringent quality checks can prevent infections from creeping into beauty parlours. But they admit that in a highly unregulated industry where parlours are mushrooming in every nook and cranny, regulation is near impossible.

"It is up to the people to take a decision. They must be aware that smaller parlours charge less but compromise on safety," says Dr. Amee.

Dr. Srinivas says that the best bet will be to visit a known "trouble-free" parlour. But, finally it all boils down to an individual's skin type. So even a facial, meant to add sheen to a face, can result in a crop of pimples or an acne attack.

Reason: The therapist possibly used a cream that blocked a gland opening or caused undue trauma while massaging.

And waxing could leave you with anything but flawless skin. If the strip is not pulled out right, you might be left with angry white follicular pustules (folliculitis) that erupt if a hair follicle undergoes trauma when being pulled out. Some women, especially models, opt for a bikini line wax. This area is teeming with fungus, and if proper care is not taken, fungal infections can be transmitted, doctors say.

As for threading, the commonest procedure most people go for, warns Dr. Amee: "Ensure that a linen thread is used and that the end held between the beautician's teeth never touches your skin. It can transmit infection from her oral cavity to your eyebrows,"

However, there is a limit to the caution that a person can exercise. "We must realise that the skin is usually quite resistant. More than lack of hygiene, the problem lies with the way in which techniques are delivered," says Dr. Srinivas. For instance, when you opt for a facial peel, look into its strength. "If it is very strong, it can burn delicate skin," he warns.

Dr. Amee wants people to check the creams being used on them. "Lanolin creams should ideally be stored between 8 and 12 degrees C. Often they are not. When stored in a warmer place, the cream de-natures and turns foul."

So, how does a parlour maintain hygiene? "Opt for disposables wherever possible. Though slightly more expensive, it will help in the long run," Dr. Amee adivises. And launder and iron anything that is reusable to kill any remaining bacteria.

SUBHA J. RAO

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