adminDr Tendai Zuze Health Matters
FOR some reason, some dark skinned women have taken to using skin lightening creams also known as bleaching creams.
These were common in the 80s and there seems to be resurgence in their use.
Most of these creams are meant for medical use in treating conditions like acne, eczema, freckles and age spots.
Unfortunately, these creams are now being sold illegally in saloons and at street corners and putting many unsuspecting women at risk.
Your skin colour is determined by the amount of melanin in the skin. Melanin is a pigment produced by specialised cells called melanocytes.
People with darker skin just have more melanin in their skin. The amount of melanin you have is mostly a function of factors like your genetic makeup, sun exposure, hormones and skin damage.
Certain chemicals can also have an effect. Minor changes in skin colour will often naturally resolve themselves.
In medical use, skin bleaching is a cosmetic treatment to reduce the prominence of skin discolorations.
Skin lighteners have chemicals that reduce the amount of melanin produced by your skin. Some people apply skin lightener to their entire body to change their complexion, but this can be very risky.
Most women, however, only apply skin lighteners to their faces which results in an unsightly difference between the complexion of the face and the rest of the body.
The active ingredient in some skin lighteners is mercury, so bleaching can lead to mercury poisoning.
Mercury is a toxic agent that can cause serious psychiatric, neurological and kidney problems.
Pregnant women who use a skin lightener with mercury can pass the mercury to their unborn child.
The use of mercury as an ingredient in skin lighteners is banned in some countries; however, some mercury containing compounds still find their way into Zimbabwe.
Other chemical found in skin lighteners include hydroquinone, steroids and retinoic acid which all have serious possible side effects.
It’s important to check with your doctor before using a product with hydroquinone and to follow the doctor’s directions exactly.
While one of the most significant risks of using some skin lighteners is the potential exposure to mercury, there are other risks which include:
Premature skin ageing
Increased risk of skin cancer from sun exposure
Increased skin infections, skin thinning and poor wound healing
Side effects of steroids absorbed through the skin
Unwanted and untreatable skin discoloration
Skin irritation and allergic reaction
When you absolutely have to use a skin lightener, talk to your doctor and get specific instructions on particular products. You also need to use sunscreen if you are lightening large areas of skin and make sure whichever product you use does not contain mercury at all.
If you have to be lighter by any means, you can also consider other treatments like chemical peels, microdermabrasion and laser treatments.
In the final analysis, skin lighteners are not worth it and the health risks far outweigh any perceived cosmetic benefits.
If you need more information on skin lighteners, please visit your doctor.
Dr Zuze can be contacted at Highland Clinic on 020-66364.
Online Reporter