Another bikini wax or Brazilian wax mishap has been highlighted in the news. Women’s Health has an article featured on msnbc.com about a woman, Jennifer, that spent 15 days in the hospital after a bikini wax infection. 15 days!

The article claims she received her wax at a reputable New York salon. After the wax, she developed a 102 degree temperature, chills and pain in her left thigh. Jennifer thought it was just a cold (that’s some cold!) and waited 5 days to go to the doctor.

Well, turns out, it wasn’t a cold. Her doctor diagnosed her with cellulitis – a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection of the skin and underlying tissue. She had surgery to drain the infection and was hooked up to an IV that pumped her full of antibiotics and pain-killers. One doctor even said she could have lost her leg.

So how does this happen? Any procedure, no matter how small or how common, comes with risk. But 15 days in the hospital after a bikini wax! I argue that waiting 5 days to see a doctor with symptoms like that isn’t terribly smart.

I wouldn’t say this is a common occurrence, but it’s not the first time it’s happened. New Jersey even considered outlawing bikini waxes because of problems they were causing. That is why it is so incredibly important to visit educated, licensed estheticians you trust. Ask lots of questions of your esthetician and follow all the pre- and post-wax instructions closely.

These recent Brazilian wax and bikini wax headlines got me thinking. What safety precautions and pre- and post-waxing care techniques are current students learning in esthetician school to avoid these problems? What precautions are salons and spas taking to avoid these mishaps and subsequently getting sued? Has anything changed at the place you attend school or work at – or are the normal safety routines still working?

With gentle breezes and warm, sunny days just around the corner, I’m already penciling in some of my summer plans. And by now, I’ve learned not to neglect my skin during these warmer months. Every time I walk into the drugstore or my favorite department store, I see new evidence that the skincare market is booming. The shelves are lined with skin creams and potions that all make pretty awesome-sounding claims, but it can be hard to know where to begin.

What’s a good way of getting back to basics and choosing the right product for your skin? The answer yet again lies in understanding the ingredient list. But as always, talk with your licensed esthetician or dermatologist to get a professional opinion on what products will work for you.

In her article “What Are Those Ingredients?” Stacy Colino asks some dermatologists to decode some of the most common skincare ingredients. Here are a few of the big-name players:

1. Vitamin C:
• Also known as: ascorbic acid, L-ascorbic acid, ascorbate, magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, ascorbyl palimate.
• Great for: almost all skin types, except very sensitive skin
• Treats: aging and sun damage

2. Salicylic Acid
• Alias: beta hydroxy acid (BHA)
• Great for: normal and oily skin
• Treats: acne and skin irritation

3. Ferulic Acid
• Alias: 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid
• Great for: normal and dry skin
• Treats: aging and sun damage

4. Retinol
• Alias: retinoic acid, retinyl palmitate
• Great for: normal and oily skin
• Treats: aging, acne and sun damage

5. Idebenone
• Alias: ubiquinone, coenzyme Q-10
• Great for: almost all skin types
• Treats: aging, irritation and sun damage

6. Hyaluronic Acid
• Alias: sodium hyaluronate
• Great for: almost all skin types, especially for dry skin
• Treats: aging

7. Green Tea
• Alias: epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)
• Great for: almost all skin types
• Treats: aging, irritation and sun damage

8. Niacinamide
• Alias: nicotinamide
• Great for: dry skin
• Treats: aging, irritation, sun damage

9. Alpha Lipoic Acid
• Alias: lipoic acid
• Great for: almost all skin types, except very sensitive skin
• Treats: aging and sun damage

Some of these wonder ingredients have pretty long aliases, but paying attention to the label next time you’re in the skincare aisle can pay off for your skin. Have any great brands to recommend for skincare during the warmer months? Let us know!

If you thought that Botox was just used to treat unwanted wrinkles, then you’d be wrong. After reading some of my favorite beauty blogs, I ran across this posting, Excessive Sweating Ruining Your Life? The post breaks down how women and men are turning to Botox injections to cure excessive sweating. Estheticians inject the Botox into your underarms (I have heard that is painless) and presto! No more embarrassing sweat marks.

I know that summer is fast approaching and this is a good tidbit if you suffer from excessive sweating. Plus, the FDA has approved the treatment of Botox injections to help curb the sweating and might even be covered under your insurance policy. But, the treatment is only for excessive sweating and doesn’t help if there is a problem with odor. That will have to be another blog post altogether!