Cheap studs can cause allergies, and if eyebrow rings contain cobalt, nickel or copper, the metal can react with skin and release toxic substances. If the chemicals are washed into the eye, perhaps with sweat, it can damage your eyesight (in rare cases, it can lead to blindness). Tongue piercing, which can result in the tongue swelling to over twice its size once the stud is inserted, may end up shattering your teeth.Hair dye affects some people. "Black and dark brown hair dyes contain a particularly strong allergen. Around 3 per cent of all patients we see with scalp eczema are allergic to hair dye," says Dr White.Even your signature scent could damage your health.

Dr White believes there is an epidemic of perfume allergies in this country. "There are just short of 3,000 chemical substances used in fragrances in the UK and many of these can cause horrendous allergies," he says. "Over the last 15 years, around 8 per cent of patients presenting at my clinic with eczema were allergic to the substances found in perfume." If you notice any rash or scaling of the skin, don't persevere... switch brands."At the moment the fragrance industry is self regulated, which is part of the problem," says Dr White, who is calling for proper labelling on all perfumes. "The only reason we don't have labelling is because of resistance from the industry.

I think the consumer has a right to know if they are buying a product which may contain well-recognised allergens. At least if I could tell you that you were allergic to substance X then you could look at the label and avoid products causing that substance. At the moment, all I can tell you to do is to go fragrance free, which is limiting your choice."You might think that if you forked out a fortune for sunglasses, you would get good value. Not so, says Dr Louise Culham, head of optometry at Moorfields Eye Hospital.

"People think that by buying top designer sunglasses they must automatically be getting good value and guaranteed 100 per cent UV protection, but there is absolutely no guarantee that the higher the pricetag, the better the quality of sunglasses." Sunglasses that don't offer enough protection could cause eye damage.One final warning: as you drag your new purchases home from the shops, don't pack too much into your designer bags (and don't allow one shoulder to take all the weight). Charles Hunt, from the British School of Osteopathy says: "It increases pressure on the spine. Overnight your spine rehydrates and during the day, the fluid is squeezed out. Carrying heavy bags mean the fluid is squeezed out more quickly and more damage is done to the spine. At the worst, women who don't look after their backs could end up with scoliosis or curvature of the spine."Dr Skew, of the National Back Pain Association, would like to see fashion designers taking more responsibility for their products."It would be nice if the major fashion houses looked at how the body was designed and could think about clothes which work with nature, rather than against it," he says. "We should be augmenting the natural beauty of the body, not making it impossible for it to function.".