Did you know that wearing skinny jeans and high heels can damage your body beyond repair?
Read on to find out why and how it can bring you harm.
Photograph: Jaime Saldarriaga/Reuters
You're excited about the latest fashion trend but, before you jump on the bandwagon, should you not check how it could impact your health?
No, we are not kidding. Fashion can actually harm you.
Recently, a 35-year-old woman's legs went numb because she constantly wore skinny jeans.
Doctors had to cut the jeans from her body. Her legs had swollen to such an extent that the jeans could not be peeled off the normal way.
She had to spend four days in the hospital before she could go home.
Here, then, are some popular fashion trends and the heath problems they can cause.
Skinny Jeans
Photograph: Pradeep Bandekar
Yes, those skinny jeans or tight fit pants may make you look thinner, but here’s what they also do to your body.
They compress the nerves on your legs and can cause numbness.
A recent study suggests that skinny jeans can also cause varicose veins.
Tight trousers may also cause dyspermia (difficult or painful emission of sperm during coitus) in men due to overheating of the testes.
Blood circulation in the pelvic area is hampered.
You can get boils caused by the sweat sticking to the body as it cannot evaporate.
It can cause fungal infection as well.
Corsets
Photograph: Anthony Harvey/Getty Images
The purpose of this constricting female undergarment is to give the body the desired svelte shape, confining any extra fleshy parts.
The corset -- which was popular in 16th century Europe -- fell into disuse over the years but came back into fashion at the turn of the 20th century when the dancers at the popular Parisian nightclub, the Moulin Rouge, wore it.
Since then, many fashion conscious women -- Kim Kardashian is a prime example -- have made ample use of the corset.
Whatever wonders it may do for your body shape, this most uncomfortable of undergarments is likely to wreck havoc with your breathing, eating and other bodily functions.
It prevents the lungs from expanding fully, thus makes breathing difficult.
It also makes it difficult for the wearer to digest food completely.
Indigestion can in turn lead to several health problems, including acidity.
If worn constantly, it can lead to severe constipation.
Wearing a corset for long periods of time can lead to muscle atrophy and lower-back pain.
Due to the tight lacing, the pectoral muscles become weak.
The weakened muscles tend to encourage the wearer to rely even more on the corset.
High Heels
Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com
Wearing high heels can make your legs look longer and more slender.
While this may boost your confidence, it will ruin the balance of your body.
When wearing high heels, your body weight isn’t dispensed evenly across the foot; instead, it is forced forward, which puts a lot of pressure on the knees, thighs and lower back.
If you are like wearing high-heeled shoes, make sure they have a properly constructed toe-box.
Narrow toe-boxes force the toes to be 'crammed' too close together.
It is important to ensure that room exists for the toes to assume normal separation.
ALSO SEE: How to wear high heels without killing your feet
Neckties
Photograph: Pradeep Bandekar
Yes, wearing a tie can make you look quite smart.
You can also step up the fashion quotient if you opt for an ascot, bow tie, bolo tie or cravat. But do remember these tips.
Don’t wear the tie tightly around your neck. It will decrease blood flow to the brain and cause neck pain as well.
Tight neckties can increase the risk of glaucoma (an eye disorder).
There can be increased fluid pressure inside the eye which can prove dangerous for people with weakened retinas.
Overly tight ties can cause the blood vessels in the neck to constrict.
If you are working on a machine, you necktie could get entangled in it, causing you harm.
Oversized handbags
Photograph: Courtesy Lakme Fashion Week
A handbag is an essential accessory for women, not just for carrying money but personal items and even shopping. But large handbags encourage one to carry more stuff, adding to the weight.
Heavy bags can damage the spine. This may lead to imbalanced back muscles and a slanted, disfigured posture.
Carrying a heavy bag constantly on the same shoulder compresses the muscles on one side, while stretching the muscles on the other.
So, if you like large handbags, here’s what you can do.
Switch to a lighter bag -- or keep the bag light -- whenever possible. Also, switch shoulders often.
Heavy earrings
Photograph: Courtesy: Azva
Ear piercing is one of the oldest forms of body modification that has written references from ancient cultures around the world.
Heavy earrings increase the pressure on ear lobes causing them to stretch and even tear.
Large hoop or dangling earrings can get caught on objects or tugged by children and pets, causing the earring to be ripped off the ear, producing a laceration and earlobe rupture.
Remember to wear nickel-free earrings to avoid allergic reactions or infections.
Tattoo
Photograph: Danny Moloshok/Reuters
Once used by tribal populations, body tattoos have become extremely popular today. But those permanent marks on your body can sometimes do more harm than good.
Tattoo inks can cause skin allergies and infections because the process involves cutting the skin.
The most common dermal reactions to tattoo pigments are skin infections like granulomas and lichenoid diseases.
If needles are reused without sterilisation, you could get infected by hepatitis or HIV.
Finally, if you decide you don't want that tattoo any more, removing it is a painful and expensive process.
Body Piercing
Photograph: Claro Cortes IV/Reuters
Body piercing -- when a part of the human body is punctured or cut to create an opening in which jewellery may be worn -- is a common practice among both men and women and has been around for more than 5,000 years.
Favourite body piercing spots are the ears, nose, navel, tongue and eyebrows.
The most common problem is an allergic reaction to the metal nickel. You could also develop a skin infection.
Piercings take time to heal.
Bacterial and viral infections can spread during this period.
Like with tattoos, reusing needles could lead to a hepatitis or HIV infections.
To avoid these problems, ensure the piercing is done under sterile conditions.
Cosmetic Contact Lenses
Photograph: Reuters
Invented in 1949 as an alternative to spectacles, contact lenses have evolved so that they can be worn through the day today.
But, if they not used with care, they can harm your vision.
They should not be worn for long periods else they can cause eye infections like conjunctivitis.
They can also cause ulcers in the eyes.
If the lenses are not cleaned carefully, bacteria can form on them and cause infections.
Note: All images used for representational purposes only.
Always wash your hands thoroughly before handling your contact lenses.
