It started off as just a regular pedicure at a nondescript parlour at Bandra, Mumbai, says writer Aditi Ray Bose. “It was near my home and was therefore convenient,” she says. While the technician was cleaning her cuticles, she poked her skin with the instrument. “Some blood oozed, but I didn’t pay too much attention to it then,” she remembers. She was soon forced to. “In a few weeks, the nail began chipping off and the skin below it turned yellow and then white,” she says. Despite consulting a doctor and medication, it took almost two years for normal growth to re-occur.
Being unnecessarily harsh while cleaning beneath a nail can injure the cuticle, says Dr Shwetha Rahul, a consultant dermatologist based out of Chennai. Another problem with regular pedicures: the harsh effects of acetone used to remove nail polish can weaken nails and turn them brittle.
But a pedicure isn’t the only thing that can go wrong. While a parlour is a great place to lie back and relax, the space can be a Petri dish of germs and infection. Think poor technique, non-adherence to basic hygiene, the use of harsh chemicals and the lack of standardised processes in the industry. Have you ever checked if your beautician washes her hands before she touches your skin, for instance? And how would you ever know if the robes and towels are sterilised?
Infections and more
A virus is probably the easiest thing to pick up at a salon. Warts and cold sores caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and herpes simplex virus are especially common, says Dr Renita Rajan, a dermatologist at the Chennai-based Render Skin & Hair Clinic. She adds that a pedicure or manicure, due to the friction involved, often ends up seeding the wart tissue. The best way to avoid this? “Insist on the pit being cleaned thoroughly before you put your hands or feet inside. Ask for a disposable scrubber or carry your own,” says Rahul.
You can pick up fungal and bacterial infections like ringworm and staphylococcus if sterile protocols are not followed. “A reputed parlour, that gives adequate importance to hygiene is always better than one that comes cheap,” points out Rajan, adding that one must avoid visiting even those, if sick, to prevent infection from spreading to other people. Also, “Always have a bath both before and after having been to the parlour. This reduces the chance of infection,” she says.
Harsh chemicals used in hair modifying treatments can also cause permanent damage to it. “This can be minimised by correct after-care, but do avoid having a straightening/smoothening treatment when you have active hair fall. Resting phase hair does not handle the stress of the treatment well, and tends to fall,” says Rajan. Hair irons, if used improperly, can also cause a lot of damage, points out Rahul. “You should not iron very close to the scalp—I have seen people who come in to the dermat’s office with severe burns due to it.” It also damages the hair cuticle, making hair brittle, she says. And never dye your hair when you are pregnant, advises Delhi-based Dr Aparna Santhanam, a dermatologist and writer. Also, “scalp extensions can pull on natural hair and cause more breakage,” she says.
Wedding woes
Aruna Bharathi, a freelance copywriter, still shudders at the memory of a wax she did a few years ago, prior to a wedding. “I waxed my back,” she says. There was a slight itching sensation post the procedure, but she thought nothing of it as her skin always tingled slightly after a wax. But then, “my back broke out a few days later,” she says, recalling the huge patch of sores and boils that stayed on her back for nearly a month.
“Rashes that occur post a waxing or threading, can either be an infection of the hair follicles, or an issue related to in-growth,” says Rajan. The trauma of the procedure makes the skin more sensitive and susceptible to infection, while non-adherence to basic hygiene exacerbates its spread, so, “avoid waxing really sensitive areas like your back, and face anyway,” says Rahul, who believes that shaving or laser treatment is a far better method of hair depilation.
And as for that bikini wax—simply avoid. If you can, carry your own wax, and natural ones are always better than synthetic. Also, “it is always a good idea to use an antibiotic cream like fusidic acid post parlour procedures,” says Santhanam.
Brides, who undergo a variety of beauty treatments prior to their wedding, are especially susceptible to the after-effects of many of these procedures, including waxing, facials, hair spas, even something as simple as a mehendi application. “Always do a patch test before applying mehendi or dye,” cautions Rahul, recalling a bride who came to her for treatment because of a mehendi application that had burnt a permanent pattern across her hand.
Avoid facials, oil massages and hair spas if you’re acne-prone, as these clog pores and can worsen acne.
And even if you don’t have an acne problem to start with, you can pick one up during any of these procedures because, “If your technician has touched someone with acne and then touches your face or hair without gloves, it can spread. I have seen brides with beautiful skin have a breakout after a facial,” says Rahul. Chemical peels at a parlour are an absolute no-no. They should be done only under medical supervision. In fact, it is illegal for a parlour to promise chemical peels at all.
