What Your Beautician will Never Tell You

18-year-old Ruhina had never been to the beauty parlour but just before the party at the college for freshers’ (first year students) she went to the neighbourhood beauty parlour to get face bleach done because she felt that her skin had got tanned. Post bleach, her face had swollen with red angry rashes all over. She had to rush to a dermatologist and it took more than a fortnight for her to gain her complexion back.

The experience has shaken Ruhina and she vows never to go to a beauty parlour, unless she has verified its hygiene standards. “Sensible decision,” says Dr Rishi Parashar, consultant dermatologist with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

Skin is the largest organ in human body. And it is quite forgiving even when it is ill treated, but sometimes a trip to the beauty parlour can make it react in the form of rashes, boils and scars. 

Beauty parlours can be hot bed of infections. After all, where will you find women with different skin types and conditions sharing towels, waxing strips and combs? Hence, be careful about the hygiene standards of the parlours before you step in.

Beauty and the beast

Waxing—almost all women go for waxing to remove the fuzz from their body. When you go for waxing insist on new spatula and disposable waxing strips. “A spatula that’s used on more than one person can transmit skin infections, like rash, allergy, itching and most parlours, are lax on it,” says Dr Parashar.

When going for waxing be sure that the person giving the treatment is a trained hand and not a novice who is learning at your expense. If the waxing 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. The area is teeming with fungus and if proper care is not taken, fungal infections can be transmitted, doctors say.

Facials—going for facials is the best way to relax and release stress. It also gives glow on your skin, but this didn’t happen with 24 year old Mridu. Just before her marriage she booked an appointment in a salon for facial and on the advice of her beautician tried a new facial. Post facial, rashes erupted on her skin and as the cream used during facial didn’t suit her skin type. Fortunately, her dermatologist was able to undo the damage wreaked by facial.

• Before facial is performed be certain that the beautician has washed her hands well.
• Do not try anything new at the advice of your beautician on the face instead take a strip test at the back of your wrist.
• Demand disposable facial tissues and cotton to wash off excess cream.

Hair dye and hair cut—when you are getting your hair coloured in the beauty parlour, be sure that the beautician has conducted an allergy test, prior to colouring your hair. If you’re not sure about the product used in the parlour, carry one from home. Also it makes sense to tote your own hair colouring brush and comb to be sure that you are not sharing it with someone. Sharing combs can infest your hair with lice, and can cause dandruff and rashes.

Manicures and pedicures—Mrs Verma never gets a pedicure done at the beauty parlour. The reason being that she is diabetic and the last time when she was getting the treatment done the person doing it scrubbed her heels really hard. She got cuts on her heels and had to battle foot infection for more than a month.

Before you step inside the beauty parlour do some research  yourself. Give value to the feedback of people who have visited it. Do not choose a place only because the services offered are cheap. Even a small trip to the place can divulge a lot about the hygiene standards maintained over there and if it’s not satisfactory, begin your search for another place for the upkeep of your looks.

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