In the news today is another story of storefront cosmetic procedures gone horribly wrong, and again, performed by an unlicensed practitioner.

Patricia Villegas, a beautician in Flushing, NY, is accused of administering cosmetic injections without a license. Several clients suffered disfiguring infections and scarring. In this case, the injections turned out to be fake. The substances she was injecting into women’s skin were not collagen and cortisone as she claimed.

In the quest for perfection women will go to great lengths and sometimes undergo cosmetic procedures that may not be necessary, safe or approved by the FDA. There have been increasing reports of unlicensed doctors performing cosmetic surgeries and medical procedures being illegally offered in beauty salons. A young woman in Massachusetts died while undergoing an illegal liposuction in a basement.

It’s another reminder to seek medical cosmetic procedures from only licensed professionals. Check credentials and licenses and if your state gives you access to such information, find out if they have ever been disciplined by the state board that regulates practicioners holding that license.

We talk about a lot of cosmetics and tips for achieving beauty here, but remember, the point of cosmetics is to make the most of what nature gave you, to bring out the natural beauty that you already are. The beauty on the outside is just packaging for the beauty inside, and nothing is worth the pain and suffering that can be caused by unscrupulous people who peddle unsafe cosmetic procedures to women whose self-image has been damaged by the computer-altered images of unattainable beauty that are constantly before them.

Who do you think would have the most germs under their fingernails?

a. Someone with long nails
b. Someone with short nails
c. Nail biters

Surprisingly, the answer is b.

You might think that long nails afford the most area for germs or that nailbiters might have germs transferred to the nail from the mouth, but the germ count on both was lower than short nails. Short cropped nails harbor the most germs, long nails harbor much fewer but nailbiters have the fewest of all.

A student at Academic Magnet High School, Jamie Yohn, mentored by faculty members at the Medical University of South Carolina, gathered samples from 30 fellow students for a science fair project. She also surveyed the participants on their hygiene habits. As you might expect, the students who washed their hands frequently had the fewest germs. The most common organism found under nails was staphylococcus.

Andrew Annand, D.O., medical director of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation at MUSC, said that nail biters may have had the fewest germs under their nails, but that may be because they are simply ingesting them instead. That means that no one is recommending that people bite their nails as a hygiene measure.

Whether your nails are long or short, wash hands frequently and use a hand sanitizer when you can’t access soap and water. Remember that your hands come into contact with dozens of surfaces in the course of a day and you don’t know what organisms may be lingering on your hands from that contact. Above all, never bite nails - you don’t know what germs you may be ingesting.

Nail-biters May Have ‘cleaner’ Nails, But Ingest More Germs

Although the FDA states that there is no absolute date when cosmetics should be discarded, there are some safety rules you should observe to keep your makeup free of contaminants and bacteria.

* Keep makeup containers tightly closed except when in use.

* Keep makeup out of sunlight; light can degrade preservatives.

* Don’t use eye cosmetics if you have an eye infection, such as conjunctivitis, and throw away all products you were using when you first discovered the infection.

* Never add any liquid to bring the product back to its original consistency. Adding water or, even worse, saliva could introduce bacteria that could easily grow out of control.

* Never share.

* Throw makeup away if the color changes or an odor develops. Preservatives can degrade over time and may no longer be able to fight bacteria.