New look has risks

Some seemingly harmless cosmetic procedures could lead to infection, hair loss or worse

The effort to look good can range from putting on makeup to braving the risk of skin cancer by basking in the sun to the scary extreme of body dysmorphic disorder -- a condition in which people despise their looks so much that they endure years of serial plastic surgery.

Some efforts border on the ridiculous.

For example, a relatively new form of elective eye surgery replaces a healthy cornea with a colored artificial lens.

And some women undergo foot surgery to help them fit into more fashionable shoes.

Other efforts are more common.

"If a little bit of lipstick and blush allows you to feel brighter, that's OK," says psychotherapist Heather Raznick. "But is it interfering with your ability to function? Is it a way to bypass your interior?"

Raznick blames pressure from the media for many unrealistic goals regarding personal appearance. Women especially are bombarded with images "that are only attainable by a small percentage of people," she says.

Nevertheless, you may be putting your health at risk for the sake of appearances. Here are some examples:

Tattoos and piercings

The biggest danger comes from dirty tools. HIV, hepatitis C, hepatitis B and other blood-borne diseases can be spread with tattoo needles. Even with sterile tools, anything that punctures the skin can push germs from outside the skin inside your body. Also, be aware of allergic reactions to red and yellow dye. Those tend to be mild and short-lived but not so rare.

Artificial nails: Artificial nails can trap germs that cause infections. It's best, doctors say, to use fake nails only for special occasions, then to remove them and go natural. In addition, dirty tools can spread hepatitis, HIV, herpes and other diseases carried in the bloodstream from one customer to another.

Braids: Pulling the hair so tight that it hurts can cause permanent hair loss later in life. If it's painful, it's too tight.

Hair chemicals: Most chemicals are safe and regulated. A debate rages as to whether chemical burns, dyes and straighteners cause hair loss after age 40 or 50. Most hair loss is genetic. But inconclusive evidence points to a lifetime of bleaches, dyes and burns from straightening chemicals as being deadly for hair follicles.