Oncologist called beauty procedures that can increase the risk of developing cancer

In the modern world, there are many procedures that help us become more beautiful, but are they all safe for health? Oncologist Vladislav Evseev told Doctor Peter which beauty procedures can increase the risk of developing cancer, and which can be done even for those who are treating a tumor right now.

So, visiting a solarium increases the risk of malignant skin tumors – melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basalioma. For example: the risk of melanoma increases by 2% for each solarium session. More frequent trips to the solarium (over 10 times a year) additionally increase the likelihood of developing basal cell carcinoma by 1.5 times. Another important factor is the age at which a person begins to visit the solarium. The earlier, the higher the risk of skin tumors, therefore, in some countries, visiting a solarium under the age of 18 years is prohibited. Age 30-39 or 40-49 at the time of visiting the solarium increases the risk of melanoma by about 1.5 times.

Those who have already been diagnosed with cancer should remember that against the background of anticancer therapy, going for artificial tanning can provoke complications from a number of drugs. The fact is that some drugs make the skin very photosensitive. In such a situation, even a very short visit to the solarium can lead to sunburn. As a rule, if such treatment is prescribed, the doctor warns that you need to wear closed clothes and use sunscreen.

Gel polish. Gel polish itself is not dangerous from the point of view of oncological diseases, but the use of ultraviolet lamps to fix varnish can lead to an increased risk of tumors on the skin of the hands. True, so far this is more of a guess, and not a well-established fact: at the moment there have been no large studies that would show whether gel polish using ultraviolet lamps leads to an increased risk or not. However, scientists have found that the ultraviolet radiation in these lamps can damage the DNA of skin cells and promote the formation of mutations in them, which in theory can lead to an increased risk of tumors such as melanoma, basalioma and squamous cell skin cancer.

Hair biowave and hair lamination. There are no high-quality studies that show an increased risk of developing cancer after biowave hair. Therefore, at the moment there is no reason to avoid this procedure. But the frequent use of hair straighteners can increase the risk of developing cancer of the uterine body (endometrial cancer). It is not yet clear whether it is necessary to undergo a periodic examination for those who regularly did this procedure, but, most likely, such recommendations from doctors will not appear. You just need to be more attentive to your health.

Eyelash and hair extensions. Eyelash and hair extensions do not lead to an increased risk of developing cancer. This procedure can be carried out quite calmly for those who have already overcome cancer. But against the background of the treatment of oncological diseases with hair loss, this technique may not help in any way, since often eyelashes and hair fall out too much and there will be nothing to stick artificial ones on.

Hair coloring and hair dyes. During hair coloring, chemicals from the dye are applied to the skin and can be absorbed into the bloodstream in small amounts. In this regard, concerns have arisen: could these chemicals lead to an increased risk of cancer? Hairdressers and barbers may indeed be more likely to develop bladder cancer. At the same time, people who simply dyed their hair do not have such a risk. For other types of tumors, it is impossible to speak of a clearly increased risk.