In pursuit of beauty perfection, women are self-administering skin treatments or receiving them at beauty salons by staff un-qualified in dermatology. The result can sometimes be disastrous with women suffering short-term irritation or even scarring.

Ma Nandar Lwin went through her teens without a single spot. But when the young computer operator, now aged 21, noticed in her mirror a few blackheads, she thought she knew what to do. With the help of her cousins, and plenty of free advice from cosmetics advertisements, she decided to apply facial treatments at home.

But the problem didn’t go away. In fact, as pimples began to break out on her face, it got worse.

“I just wanted to remove the acne as quickly as possible, so I used various kinds of skin-care products and herbal creams that my friends recommended. But they didn’t work and, as a result, my face was badly scarred. I really want to get my spotless face again,” she sighs regretfully.

Postgraduate student Ma Hinn Ei Aung made the same mistake, liberally applying antiseptic creams to get rid of a small outbreak of pimples.

“They are popular and very cheap compared to brand-name products. I also heard their reputation that many people use these antiseptic creams and they are good for facial problems. So I tried some and it worked at first. I really thought it could heal my face complaints completely,” she said.

“But the longer I used them the more I felt itchy and irritated. My face had become diseased and I couldn’t bear to look at it in the mirror. So I went and saw a dermatologist and followed his instructions. I’m recovering now — but I still have scars.”

The traumatic experiences of Ma Nandar Lwin and Ma Hinn Ei Aung highlight the problems of women tempted by the cosmetics industry to believe that beauty can come out of a bottle.

A dermatologist says people often fail to consult with beauty professionals, and that the consequences can be long-lasting and painful.

“People rarely go and see a dermatologist about beauty treatments — they only go when they have serious skin problems,” said Dr Soe Win Oo of the Department of Dermatology in Yangon General Hospital.

“Many of them wrongly use skin-care products such as antiseptic creams. They are good for preventing infection in wounds, but they are too strong for facial skin, which is approximately 10 or 15 times thinner than skin elsewhere on the body. If you apply these products, the strong ingredients can upset the balance in your skin. This results in broken blood vessels, skin eruptions and lowered sensitivity to sunlight.”

He said some skin-care products come without clear instructions. “The instructions on some products from abroad are not written in English, and some don’t come with instructions at all. People use them blindly without knowing what they are good for or how much they should use. It’s very dangerous.”

Skin diseases can also be caused by the unskilful use of beauty treatments, he said, adding that these are more widely available in today’s mushrooming spas.

“Nowadays, more and more beauty salons compete with each other in enticing people with attractive offers. Some provide courses of injections that only doctors should give.”

He said some treatments like Botox and filler injections for wrinkles should be carried out only under the guidance of a dermatologist or a licensed beautician. If not, side effects such as headaches, blurred vision and allergies, may become a serious threat to health.

“Although injections aren’t as serious as surgery, they can leave scars if the person giving the treatment is not skilful. It is not safe even for nurses to do it,” Dr Soe Win Oo said.

“For some treatments, it is necessary to know the patient’s medical history. But in salons, they don’t analyse the patient in detail before starting the treatment. If something un-pleasant happens, they won’t take responsibility. So people come to us, but this kind of situation is more difficult to heal than the original disease.”

Dr Soe Win Oo also advised people to beware of the beauty salons that made inflated promises for the success of their treatments.

“When choosing a doctor, make sure he or she is well-qualified in dermatology and can provide the right treatment. Don’t believe every ad. And you shouldn’t expect them to use better methods than those in use abroad.”

According to him, the most popular beauty treatments at present are chemical peel, a process that uses products made from the useful acid in fruits, and laser therapy, which is intended to reduce unwanted cells and scars for better skin.