Side Effects of Skin Whitening Creams or Skin Bleaching

While one is spoilt for choice when it comes to skin whitening products, it turns out that fairness creams are not so fair after all. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning that mercury, which is commonly used in skin lightening products, has the potential to cause serious damage to health.

Mercury is found in most skin lightening products because it prevents the formation of melanin pigment cells, giving skin a lighter shade. However, mercury is rapidly absorbed by the body and can cause a variety of ill effects, from skin rashes and scarring to more serious consequences.

 

Some of the adverse effects of mercury toxicity are:

– Heavy metal and mercury poisoning

– Redness

– Irritation

– Rebound hyper or hypo pigmentation

– Photosensitivity i.e. increased reactivity to sunlight

– Tremors

– Changes in vision or hearing

– Memory problems

– Depression

– Irritability, or numbness, and tingling in the extremities, or around the mouth
 

Some of the serious ill effects of using skin whitening products include:

• Skin Cancer: Compounds used in skin lightening creams such as Hydroquinone, mercury, tretinoin, and steroids have carcinogenic properties. The long-term use of these creams can lead to severe health concerns like liver damage and skin cancer.
• Thinning of the Skin: Exploitation of skin whitening creams can lead to severe bruising, exposed capillaries, stretch marks, etc.
• Reduction of Skin Healing Properties: Our skin has a regeneration property which means that if you get an injury on your skin, then your skin can heal itself. But long exposure to skin whitening creams can eliminate this property from your skin.
• Skin Irritations: Prolonged use of skin whitening creams can lead to redness, peeling of the skin, rash, dryness, and burning.