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Fashions can make you sick

In the days of whalebone corsets, women actually damaged their internal organs by forcing their waists into unnatural curves. But are those crazy days over?

Sadly not. There are modern fashions that are similarly detrimental to your physical health.

Stepping high. High heels can permanently damage your feet. Shoes with 3cm heels will not land you at the chiropodist, but 6cm stilettos could. Really high heels cause your body weight to be shifted from your heels to your front metatarsals (say podiatrists) - and they can take only so much. Some women have spent so much time on high heels, their foot muscles have shortened and they can no longer walk barefoot or in flat shoes - hence the appearance on the market of slippers with high heels. In short, if really high heels were a good idea, men would be wearing them.

Below the radar. When they are tight-fitting, hipsters can be extremely uncomfortable if you sit down for lengthy periods. One of the main reasons is that they do not catch you in a natural 'bend' of your body. Circulation to and from your lower body can be hampered, leaving you feeling tired and sluggish.

Dying for a tan. The UV rays of the sun are dangerous and sun exposure could lead to skin cancer. Sunbeds and tanning lamps also emit UV rays and are unsafe, even though advertisements may claim the contrary. In fact, the rays emitted by sunbeds and tanning lamps can be as dangerous as the UV rays emitted by the sun at midday.

Clawing your way to the top. Many women spend fortunes on having false nails put on. The problem is that they get stuck onto your real nails, cutting off air supply to them. Underneath the false nail there is now a hot and humid space that cannot dry out - fungal infections thrive in these spaces. And these can take months to go away.

Thin, thinner, anorexia. In Many young girls equate success with being as thin as possible, and set about achieving this in the most unhealthy ways. Lack of essential nutrients can lead to long-term complications and this obsession with weight loss, could result in anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

Rings and stings. When having tattoos or piercings done, go to the professionals. Dodgy parlours could be very unhygienic and lead to serious bacterial infections. Rings protruding from your body could also catch on things, causing nasty rip injuries, so watch where you go.

The last cut. Not only will consistent bleaching or perming damage your hair severely, but there are studies that periodically appear, indicating that constant exposure to certain hair dyes could lead to bladder cancer.

Plastic-coated skin. Synthetic fabrics may be fashionable, but your skin cannot breathe through them. It's a bit like wrapping your skin in a plastic bag. In heat, your skin will become distressed and skin rashes and heat rashes become a distinct possibility. Wearing nylon panties could also lead to or exacerbate vaginal infections.

Goggle-eyed. You don't have to spend thousands on sunglasses, but do check what their UV protection factor (A and B) is. If the glasses have no UV protection, you could damage your eyes, as your pupils dilate in the darkness, giving the UV rays a chance to damage your unprotected eye. It is better to squint in the bright sunlight than to wear sunglasses that don't protect your eyes.