7 Shocking Beauty Treatments That Are Now Illegal In The US

You won't believe what novocaine was used for as recently as 1982.

21 March, 2018
7 Shocking Beauty Treatments That Are Now Illegal In The US

You won't believe what novocaine was used for as recently as 1982.

Fish Pedicures

Fish pedicures, in which people allow garra rufa fish to nibble the dead skin off their feet, reached the U.S. in 2008 when a spa in Virginia offered the service. It wasn't before long that states started to ban it. The CDC said the fish and the pedicure tubs are impossible to sanitize, and a handful of states also reasoned that forcing fish to eat only dead skin is animal cruelty.

1Fish Pedicures

Fish pedicures, in which people allow garra rufa fish to nibble the dead skin off their feet, reached the U.S. in 2008 when a spa in Virginia offered the service. It wasn't before long that states started to ban it. The CDC said the fish and the pedicure tubs are impossible to sanitize, and a handful of states also reasoned that forcing fish to eat only dead skin is animal cruelty.

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Japanese Eyelash Perms

A Japanese eyelash perm involves adhering your eyelashes to a rod with a chemical solution that curls the lashes semi-permanently — usually for about a month. Although some pros are working toward safer, gentler versions, a number of states have outlawed the treatment. Colorado, for example, banned eyelash perms in 2004 because the FDA reported that the chemicals can cause serious eye injuries.

2Japanese Eyelash Perms

A Japanese eyelash perm involves adhering your eyelashes to a rod with a chemical solution that curls the lashes semi-permanently — usually for about a month. Although some pros are working toward safer, gentler versions, a number of states have outlawed the treatment. Colorado, for example, banned eyelash perms in 2004 because the FDA reported that the chemicals can cause serious eye injuries.

Polypropylene Breast Implants

Polypropylene breast implants (or string implants) were developed in the 1990s to purposely irritate in the implant pocket, promoting fluid production and continuously expanding the breasts. The procedure appealed to a number of adult-industry stars, but it was banned in 2001 due to concerns that breasts could grow unevenly and far beyond the patient's desired size.

3Polypropylene Breast Implants

Polypropylene breast implants (or string implants) were developed in the 1990s to purposely irritate in the implant pocket, promoting fluid production and continuously expanding the breasts. The procedure appealed to a number of adult-industry stars, but it was banned in 2001 due to concerns that breasts could grow unevenly and far beyond the patient's desired size.

Brazilian Blowouts

Sorry, Canadians, your quest for straight hair is a little more challenging than in the U.S., where various versions of the "Brazilian Blowout" are still available. Consider it tough love: Only 0.2% formaldehyde or less is considered safe in cosmetic treatments (the chemical can cause cancer); the ones banned in Canada contained as much as 12%! 

4Brazilian Blowouts

Sorry, Canadians, your quest for straight hair is a little more challenging than in the U.S., where various versions of the "Brazilian Blowout" are still available. Consider it tough love: Only 0.2% formaldehyde or less is considered safe in cosmetic treatments (the chemical can cause cancer); the ones banned in Canada contained as much as 12%! 

Tape Worm Diets

The pressure to lose weight is nothing new, but thankfully, one wonky method people used to slim down over a century ago is no longer legal. It involved consuming tapeworms, which sucked away at excess calories but also necessary nutrients. Did we mention they're alive the whole time they're in your system — including on the way out — and that they can be felt moving? HARD PASS. 

5Tape Worm Diets

The pressure to lose weight is nothing new, but thankfully, one wonky method people used to slim down over a century ago is no longer legal. It involved consuming tapeworms, which sucked away at excess calories but also necessary nutrients. Did we mention they're alive the whole time they're in your system — including on the way out — and that they can be felt moving? HARD PASS. 

Novocaine as an Anti-Aging Treatment

In 1982, the common dental block novocaine was banned by the FDA for non-anesthetic use. Some people believed it had youth-restoring applications, like reversing hair loss and even recoloring hair. There were rumors that celebrities like John F. Kennedy and Salvador Dali had it administered via IV, but studies simply couldn't prove that it had the effects some claimed it did.

6Novocaine as an Anti-Aging Treatment

In 1982, the common dental block novocaine was banned by the FDA for non-anesthetic use. Some people believed it had youth-restoring applications, like reversing hair loss and even recoloring hair. There were rumors that celebrities like John F. Kennedy and Salvador Dali had it administered via IV, but studies simply couldn't prove that it had the effects some claimed it did.

Lead-Based Hair Dye

Queen Elizabeth I made red hair cool in the 16th century, but she and her admirers achieved it in a not-so-cool way: a dye mixture of lead, sulfur and quicklime. (Basically a recipe for nosebleeds and vomiting.) The U.S. allows for a certain amount of lead acetate to be present in hair dyes today, but both Canada and the European Union banned it in the mid-2000s.

7Lead-Based Hair Dye

Queen Elizabeth I made red hair cool in the 16th century, but she and her admirers achieved it in a not-so-cool way: a dye mixture of lead, sulfur and quicklime. (Basically a recipe for nosebleeds and vomiting.) The U.S. allows for a certain amount of lead acetate to be present in hair dyes today, but both Canada and the European Union banned it in the mid-2000s.

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