Fragrantly Beautiful

How far will you go for perfection?

By Allison Kirk

Perfection – a simple three-syllable word with such a complex definition. The meaning is different among individuals, but the determination to strive for it is uniting America’s population. This hunger for flawless beauty is becoming more prevalent in today’s society.

“We are not the only culture to take pride in our looks,” commented Dr. Ann Reilley of Baton Rouge’s Associates in Plastic Surgery. “Other cultures, like Egypt for example, adorned their bodies and faces with paints and jewels. It’s a human trait to alter our looks.”

What are the risks of such surface-based “happiness”?

Simple procedures, such as hair waxing and pedicures can result in serious injuries and even death. More complex procedures, such as permanent makeup tattooing, anti-aging treatments and plastic surgery can also lead to serious complications.

These complications may be the result of lack of proper precautions taken by the doctor/tech or consumer neglect of pertinent information, but some are just uncontrollable.

Hair waxing is a spa treatment in which both men and women frequently participate. Whether waxing eyebrows or backs, there are risks to this seemingly effortless procedure. For instance, the use of a Retin-A based topical product or a glycolic acid cream (both of which are components of certain anti-aging creams) prior to the procedure can result in the removal of skin along with the hair.

The acne medicine Accutane shows similar effects with hair waxing and other beauty enhancing treatments. The FDA lists possible side effects of Accutane on its Web site.

Concerning cosmetic procedures, the FDA warns Accutane users that scarring of the skin may be the consequence of skin-smoothing procedures such as waxing, dermabrasion or laser surgery. These effects are possible within six months of discontinued usage of the drug.
The FDA further states that Accutane makes the skin dry and more sensitive to light, and it directs users to avoid sunlight and ultraviolet light, especially tanning salons, as much as possible when using this product.

Pedicures are another common relaxing beauty splurge that people tend to assume is “safe” because it’s so popular.

“I get pedicures whenever I get the chance,” Giles said.

“I got a pedicure once in high school. My mom talked me into it,” said Jonathan Rose, LSU business and finance senior. “It actually felt good. They just massage your feet and clean your nails.”

However, do people forget the types of feet that swash around in that warm, bubbly water? People have come with fungus under their toenails, bacteria on their skin and infections.
Even though the negative outcomes are few compared to the number of people who get pedicures, they are still possible. The whirlpool footbaths are what WRAL, TV channel in Fayatteville, North Carolina, calls “a breeding ground for bacteria.” Fungi and bacteria, such as Staphylococcus areus, swim around in that system, almost waiting for an innocent toe to pounce on.

Infections can be on the skin or on the nails. For instance, at a California salon, 110 people contracted the Staphylococcus areus and had skin abscesses and boils. Other cases of boils and abscesses have been recorded. Nail thickness and discoloration are other symptoms that result from a fungal infection.

Alexandria, La. resident Denise Laborde contracted a fungal infection six months ago from a local salon.

“I noticed a little thickness to one of my toenails, and didn’t pay much attention to it. My daughter was painting my toenails later, and noticed that it seemed really thick. Another one was cracking with dryness. Instantly, I knew I had a fungal infection,” said Laborde, RN at Christus St. Frances Cabrini Hospital, who had gotten pedicures fairly often.

She immediately called her doctor and got on Lamisil for three months. Lamisil is a pill that requires three months of treatment to cure nail fungus, and it can be expensive.

A few months after her toenail troubles, Laborde read in a magazine a very important article that stood out to her. The article concerned pedicures and stated that “the only safe way to get a pedicure is to bring your own pan and instruments.”

Another modern but potentially troublesome procedure is permanent makeup tattooing. Increasing amounts of women find this procedure intriguing because it’s an easy time-saver for their morning routines.

However, the FDA has issued warnings about this procedure within the past few years due to reactions such as allergies and serious infections. Their main caution is the use of certain shades of the inks and dyes, especially in the red family, but also the act of breeching the skin’s surface is a caution in itself.

Like any breeching, potentially dangerous infections such as HIV and hepatitis can result. Other risks listed on the FDA’s Web site include removal problems, granuloumas (growths on the skin), keloid formation (abnormally growing scars) and MRI complications (burning and swelling of the skin in affected areas and disrupting the quality of the image).

According to a Fox News article, experts also warn of reversing colors by standard laser tattoo removal.

Dermatologist Sumayah Jamal told Fox News, “There are certain dyes used in permanent makeup that, when exposed to a laser for removal, will turn the area injected with the dye permanently black, requiring a complex surgery to fix it.”

Permanent makeup is not the only face fix-up that is becoming ever more popular. Youth has become a desirable treasure in today’s society, with men and women flocking to doctors for invasive, anti-aging cosmetic procedures, such as injections of Botox.

Botox is the shortened name for a toxin produced by a strain of bacteria originally isolated in contaminated meat. It was first used to treat crossed eyes and uncontrollable blinking by San Francisco ophthalmologist Alan Scott.

Botox has a small amount of risks that are usually temporary and associated with the injection. Some of the risks include headache, respiratory infection, flu syndrome, nausea, pain and redness, swelling and muscle weakness. When considering Botox, patients should discuss all medical conditions, current medications and supplements with their doctors.

“I would consider Botox depending on how my skin ages,” said LSU international trade and finance junior, Sara Patin. “Our society has become obsessed with perpetual youth, and I admit I will probably be jumping on that bandwagon.”

Plastic surgery is a rapidly increasing trend.

According to the Web site for A Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Resource, “Over 10 million cosmetic procedures – both surgical and non-surgical – were performed in 2005,” which is “a 222 percent increase over the past eight years.”

It lists liposuction as the most popular surgical cosmetic procedure in 2005 and Botox as the most popular non-surgical procedure.

Dr. Gary Cox of Associates in Plastic Surgery in Baton Rouge has been in the field for 12 years. He discussed the trends he’s seen recently.

“Cosmetic surgery has risen in the last five years. It’s more available to larger groups of people who are interested. It’s become more mainstream, more acceptable and more affordable,” Cox said.

According to Cox, the age range for plastic surgery consumers is 18-70 years old. He continued to list his top procedures for women and men in Baton Rouge.

In Baton Rouge, Cox said that the most common procedures for women are breast agumentation, abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), liposuction, breast lift and eyelid surgery. For men, liposuction, eyelid surgery and nasal surgery are the most frequent.

When asked about the risks of plastic surgery, Cox said, “All plastic surgery has certain risks, but significant problems are infrequent. It’s all very safe.”

Dr. Ann Reilley, also with Associates in Plastic Surgery in Baton Rouge for 21 years, discussed the improvements in surgical procedures.

“We do a lot more outpatient surgery, which therefore has a lower infection rate,” she said. “The operative procedures are faster, and there is less time under anesthesia.”

She used breast reduction as a specific example: “It used to be a four-hour operation, and recovery was four days. Sometimes blood transfusions were even necessary. Now, it’s a one to two-hour operation with no blood transfusions.”

According to Reilley, the most high-risk plastic surgery is a combination of multiple surgeries of the post-bariatric weight loss group. This is the group of people who previously underwent liposuction and now need to tighten or get rid of the extra skin. She said the part that can be risky is staging them properly and the length of the operation time.

She went on to list other risks with plastic surgery.

“There are always high-risk groups of patients, such as the obese and smokers,” she said. “Lengthy procedures are at higher risks because of possible anesthetic complications and blood clots.”

Reilley gave some advice to people planning to undergo plastic surgery, saying, “You want to pick a surgeon that has appropriate training and that you feel comfortable with.”

“You should get a recommendation from another doctor or friends who have used him. Be honest to doctor about your medical health, and follow his instructions to have best outcome possible.”

posted by Cheryl Levesque @ 2:17 PM