The FDA has ordered a trial involving a new controversial Newuskin procedure shutdown, out of concerns over the procedure’s safety and possible long-lasting side effects. The Permaroma procedure promised patients that their bodies would produce an enduring, personally-tailored smell, removing the need to apply perfume or cologne. While most involved in the Lahaina trials reported no serious side effects, the FDA expressed concerns over a few recipients who suffered major issues involving the Permaroma treatment. Newuskin points out that none of the reported side effects are life-threatening, and says they will support those suffering adversely from the procedure.
For decades people on the go, or just wanting to avoid hours of makeup application, have opted for permanent makeup treatments. Mimicking the look of freshly applied lipstick, eyebrow pencil, lip liner, or eyeliner through a process similar to tattooing, permanent makeup treatments are relatively common these days. The Permaroma procedure was designed to be the next logical step in permanent beauty treatments. Recipients would no longer need to “freshen up” their perfume during the day or between events because their own sweat glands would produce a custom-made scent throughout the day.
Unfortunately, the procedure has not gone as planned in all cases. The most commonly reported issue revolves around the scent itself. Newuskin says that each patient is given a detailed questionnaire to identify their olfactory preferences, and their personal chemistry is carefully studied to match with the most appropriate individual scents. Nonetheless, the procedure does not always hit the mark. Instead of being surrounded by the smell of citrus, vanilla, or flowers, some have found themselves producing smells like: bleach, garlic, sour milk, rotting meat, sulphur, mildew, and even burnt toast. While giving off a bad smell is not life-threatening, it can be socially crippling to those unlucky enough to involuntarily produce them.
“Despite this setback, we believe strongly in the future of Permaroma,” says Newuskin spokesperson Yvonne Masters. “We obviously feel terrible for anyone suffering any ill-effects and are working with them to resolve the matter as quickly as we can. However, I think we should be careful not to throw out the baby with the bathwater in this case. There is no doubt that having your body naturally give off the perfect smell throughout the day is amazing. It saves time and worry, but we think the future of Permaroma goes much further than that. We believe we are close to unlocking the full potential of one of the last mysteries of the body, human pheromones. Imagine if you could literally give off the smell of confidence, calm your children with your scent, or let that special someone know just how much you appreciate them with a sniff. It is our belief that we are on the verge of opening up an entirely new form of human communication, but first we need to better understand why the procedure makes some people smell like garbage. I’m confident we will.”
While giving off a bad smell is the most common negative side effect, it is not the only one. A handful seem to more readily produce their personalized scent than normal. For these patients, the outcome can be just as bad. Scott Stonegate says he and his wife Elizabeth were excited when they learned that she had been accepted into the Permaroma trial, but that excitement turned into embarrassment and regret soon after the procedure.
“It was all Elizabeth could talk about in the days leading up to the treatment, and I was happy that half the bathroom counter wouldn’t be filled with tiny glass bottles anymore. It didn’t take long for the Permaroma procedure to be completed, or for the trouble to start. It was kind of hot that day, and within a few minutes the entire interior of the car reeked of night jasmine. We had to open the windows it got so bad. Things seemed fine when we got home, and we wrote off the incident as a fluke until that night.
I woke up coughing and choking. It was like I had been shot in the face with a lavender cannon. I could see she was having a bad dream, and I felt like I was in a nightmare too. The smell was so strong I could taste it sticking to the roof of my mouth. I shook her shoulders and tried to say her name but it was thick in there, and I had to get out of the room. It got a little better when she got up, but our problems weren’t over yet.
We decided to walk around the neighborhood to clear our minds and sinuses, but as the sun rose in the sky, so did the smell again. Before long, Elizabeth was dragging a trail of citrus and shame many yards behind us. It sounds strange, but I swear all the hyacinth blooms in the neighborhood seemed more fragrant when we walked by, like they were trying to compete with Elizabeth or something. I couldn’t tell what smelled more, the flowers or her. I could see people outside sniffing the air, long after we passed. The warmer it got, the more intense the smell got. It was then that we figured out that anytime she was upset or got too warm, the smell would just go off the charts.
It’s been hard. I’m sleeping on the couch most nights, and we’re forced to keep the house at 60 degrees or the smell gets too strong to stay inside. Elizabeth doesn’t want to do anything but tend to the flower garden. She doesn’t go anywhere because she’s embarrassed, and being embarrassed just makes the smell worse. We’re hopeful that they’ll figure it out, and Newuskin has been very proactive in resolving the issue, but it’s been exhausting emotionally. I’m not sure that we’ll ever get the smell out of my car’s upholstery, and we’ve had to throw away numerous sets of sheets. I guess It’s been hard on Elizabeth too. Who knew that wanting to always smell good, could feel so bad.”
