There is growing concern over the increasing number of individuals of African descent who are now using skin lightening products also known as bleaching creams, whiteners, or skin brighteners. Many people use these products to lighten naturally dark skin, but these products do come with some risks.
Skin lightening phenomenon in the Caribbean
Many doctors say the skin lightening phenomenon has reached dangerous proportions in many Caribbean countries including Anguilla. The reasons for this are not clear. Some women mistakenly believe that transforming their darker complexion will make them more attractive to men and that a fairer skin could be a ticket to a better life. Others see it as a manifestation of low self-esteem associated with their skin colour, and others see it as a remnant of slavery. In recent times it has been shown that not only females are using these products but also some men as well.
What determines skin colour?
Skin colour is determined by the amount of melanin in the skin. Melanin is a pigment produced by specialized cells called melanocytes. People with dark skin have more melanin.
How much melanin your skin has is mainly a matter of your genetic makeup. Sunlight exposure, hormones, skin damage, and exposure to certain chemicals can also affect melanin production.
What is skin bleaching?
Skin bleaching is a cosmetic treatment to reduce the prominence of skin discolorations and even out the colour of the skin. You can buy bleaching creams over the counter and by prescription.
Some people apply skin lightener to their entire body to change their complexion, but this can be very risky. 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 medical disorders such as mental illness, nerve damage and kidney disease. Pregnant women who use a skin lightener with mercury can pass the mercury to their unborn child and this can result in birth defects in the newborn.
How do skin lighteners work?
Skin lighteners contain an active ingredient or a combination of ingredients that reduce the amount of melanin in the skin where it is applied.
The most widely used ingredient in skin lighteners is hydroquinone.
Other skin lighteners use drugs such as steroids and retinoic acid, which comes from vitamin A, as active ingredients. Some skin lighteners use natural ingredients such as kojic acid — a compound that comes from a fungus — and arbutin, a compound found in various plants.
It is important to check with your doctor before using a product with hydroquinone and to follow the doctor’s directions exactly.
What are somerisks of skin lighteners?
One of the most significant risks of using some skin lighteners is the potential exposure to mercury.
There are other potential risks of skin lighteners. Those risks can include the following:
• Prolonged use can contribute to premature aging of skin.
• Long-term use may increase the risk of skin cancer from sun exposure.
• Steroids in some skin lighteners may increase risk for skin infections, skin thinning, acne, and poor wound healing.
• Applying steroids to large areas of skin may put you at risk for health problems related to steroid being absorbed by the body.
• Hydroquinone may cause unwanted and untreatable skin discolouration.
• Various bleaching agents, including natural ingredients, can cause skin irritation orallergic reaction.
Special precautions when using a skin lightener
Many doctors feel that many skin lighteners are dangerous, but if you still decide to use them the following are recommended:
• Talk to your doctor before using a skin lightener and ask for specific instructions for the product.
• Make sure there is no mercury in the product. Mercury is sometimes listed under other names such as calomel, mercuric, mercurous or mercurio.
• Make sure an over-the-counter skin lightener with hydroquinone has no more than 2% of that chemical.
If you have any questions about a product you are considering, talk with your doctor or pharmacist to be certain it is safe.
Conclusion
There is growing concern with the use of skin lighteners by many residents in the Caribbean. There is no doubt that the use of these products can be dangerous to your health, especially if mercury is in these products. I am strongly opposed to the use of skin lightening products, but if you still decide to use these products make sure you consult with your doctor prior to using them.
Ask Your Doctor is a health education column and is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. Dr Brett Hodge is an Obstetrician/Gynaecologist and Family Doctor who has over thirty years in clinical practice. Dr Hodge has a medical practice in the Johnson Building in The Valley.
