Monday 20 July 2015

The True Price of Beauty


How many times have we looked in the mirror and thought to ourselves, I wish....

Whether that be whiter teeth, bigger boobs, less wrinkles, thinner, curvier, the list is endless. For me? I hate my nose, I wish it was straighter. 

I'd like to share some information with you today, did you know that 4 out of 10 people who are in a relationship would consider cosmetic surgery to keep their partners happy! I found that quite shocking, if my husband turned to me and said "I think you should get lipo," he would probably get a high five to the face! (although I did ask my husband if he'd have surgery to keep me and he said yes!) In a recent survey, the top "keep partner happy" procedures were:
  • 19% Dentistry
  •  11% Hair Removal
  •  9% Liposuction
  •  4% Implants
Scarily, dentistry is one of the least regulated industries and this came top of the survey! I always wondered when I've past salons with teeth whitening services if they really are qualified, surely that kind of thing should only be done in your dentist's office? But you shouldn't think your safe just because you go to a dentist over a salon, as the whole industry is poorly regulated make sure you do your research and make sure the person carrying out your procedure is fully qualified (and that goes for ANYTHING you have done, not just teeth!).   

Now that's the big stuff but the small stuff matters too! Do you use home hair dyes? And do you always patch test before you use it? I'm pretty sure there's a lot of you who don't but it's actually so important, even if it's one you regularly use. A colleague of mine coloured her hair from blonde to brown and she had an awful reaction to it, her scalp and neck looked burnt and sore. She was lucky, a lady DIED in 2012 from a hair colour reaction. It was reported that she had a black henna tattoo in 2007 and this increased her reactions to her hair colour. There is a reason there are henna warnings on hair colour boxes as black henna (which is ILLEGAL in the EU) contains a chemical known as PPD which causes lasting damage to the skin and increases reactions to this chemical. Years later, this chemical was in her hair colour and because of the tattoo she reacted badly and lost her life. If you go to a salon to have your hair done you will be required to have a patch test every time so why wouldn't you do this at home!


It's not just hair colour that can cause reactions, fake tan and even wax can cause reactions too! How many people do you know who have had a bad experience at a salon? A friend of mine went to a salon to have her legs and bikini line waxed as she was going on holiday a week later and the salon required her to have a patch test which she did, and the test area went a bit red. She pointed this out when she went for her treatment but they said it would be fine and she had it done anyway. Unfortunately, she came out in a horrible lumpy rash in all the areas she had waxed (yes legs and bikini line!) which required a trip to the GP and needless to say it was not a good look on her holiday. 

So what can you do?

  • Always have a patch test (and ask for one if not offered! I would probably seek another salon if one is not offered)
  • Always go to consultations before your appointments
  • If you get a reaction go to your GP and DO NOT use the product again
  • See a specialist to pin point the cause of a reaction so you know what to avoid     
Finding a good salon is imperative! There are lots of great salons out there but there are also some bad ones. 


There are lots of things you can do to make sure you are going to a reputable salon. When I first moved to a new town I asked my work colleagues where they go to get their hair and beauty treatments done and where to avoid too! Word of mouth is a great source of information for many things.


You can also look online, social media is huge and many salons have their own Facebook and Twitter pages where their customers will leave comments and a quick Google search might bring up customer reviews.


You can also check qualifications. No salon should be offended if you ask about the qualifications of the staff. You can even casually ask about their training and what it was like. A conversational piece, if you like. 


And if it all goes wrong? In serious cases keep any appointment cards as proof you were there and take photos of injuries and also photos of how any injuries progress (such as bruising, rashes etc) as evidence and find yourself a good solicitor!

    





I know this isn't my usual kind of post but I hope you found it informative as I think it's important. 

For more information click HERE

Thanks for reading,

Wench x


* I was approached to do this post, I didn't HAVE to and I was not compensated for it.

Sources of information and thanks to:
  
Hudgell Solicitors
www.searchlaboratory.com 
www.bbc.co.uk 

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