Mirror Mirror on the wall, who’s the prettiest of them all. Being pretty is a never-ending race now. The ever-changing definition of beauty has forced many to artificially enhance their looks and that is emerging as a serious health risk.
“The sale of inferior makeup material across the country is the number one reason for skin and scalp diseases,” said Dr. Basit, a senior dermatologist. With the growing number of beauty salons in the capital, it appears that there is no regulation whatsoever to check the quality of products or services being provided to customers.
Dr. Basit believes most of these salons employ self-proclaimed beauticians, who have no professional training to provide the services.
While dermatologist blame the mushrooming beauty salons for the increase in skin and scalps diseases, beauticians believe their products are safe for human use.
“We use quality products without making any compromises,” claimed Aroza Abbas, a brand ambassador for locally produced skincare products. A leading Islamabad-based phycologist said social pressures and the way our society constantly raises the benchmarks are the main causes for seeking cosmetic improvements.
“Peer pressure, pressure from within the family, and even outsiders, trigger the desire to change the way one looks,” she said, adding that media is also responsible for creating new templates of beauty.
Unregulated sale of cosmetic, one expert said, can amount to millions. While companies continue to produce items that are commonly used for artificial enhancements, there is no quality control. Some companies, Dr. Basit, believes use chemicals that are unfit for human consumption.
“In the long run the consumption of such items can cause cancer and other diseases,” he warned. Standards of beauty are also changing for those who appear on the screen. According to one insider who works in the media industry, more and more make-up artists are being hired to ensure flawless appearances on the screen. “The competition to look pretty is getting tougher,” he quipped.
While the bar for beauty is constantly being raised, the city has no real training facilities for the beauticians and makeup artists. One salon owner said: “We offer in-house training to our staff. The government should offer loans a proper training facility for people in this field.”
Responding to a question about causes for other skin related issues, Dr. Basit said: “Poor diet, sleep deprivation, excessive use of mobile phones and stress cause several issues.” The dermatologist said beauty is natural and can only be enhanced with lifestyle changes.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 14th, 2020.
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