Actress Dayo Amusa before & after
Skin Whitening, skin lightening, and skin Bleaching refer to the practice of using chemical substances in an attempt to lighten skin tone or provide an even skin complexion by lessening the concentration of melanin. Several chemicals have been shown to be effective in skin whitening, while some have proven to be toxic or have questionable safety profiles, adding to the controversy surrounding their use and impacts on certain ethnic groups.
Uses
Specific zones of abnormally high pigmentation such as moles and birthmarks may be depigmented to match to the surrounding skin. Conversely, in cases of vitiligo, unaffected skin may be lightened to achieve a more uniform appearance.[medical citation needed] Long term use of skin whiteners can lead to pigmentation increasing to the joints of the fingers, toes, buttocks and ears. The skin of the face can become thinned and the area around the eyes can have increased pigmentation causing a ‘bleach panda effect’.
2012 sales of skin lightening creams in India alone totaled 258 tons and the global market for skin lighteners is projected to reach US $19.8 billion by 2018 based on sales growth primarily in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Combination treatments
Most skin-lightening treatments, which can reduce or block some amount of melanin production, are aimed at inhibiting tyrosinase. Many treatments use a combination of topical lotions or gels containing melanin-inhibiting ingredients along with a sunscreen, and a prescription retinoid. Depending on how the skin responds to these treatments, exfoliants — either in the form of topical cosmetic or chemical peels — and lasers may be used. New development using LED systems are also showing good results.
Controversy and Negative Health Effects
There is evidence to suggest that some types of skin-whitening products use active ingredients (such as mercurous chloride) and hydroquinone which can be harmful. Hydroquinone had been banned in Europe. However, it is now available again but only when prescribed by a medical doctor. This is also the case in many other countries, where hydroquinone can only be prescribed by a doctor for certain skin conditions.
Late Michael Jackson
A test of common skin lightening creams available in Nigeria showed that they caused mutations in bacteria and were possibly carcinogenic.
There is a growing market in skin lightening products that are toxin-free. However, they are more costly due to their expensive ingredients. Japan and the Pacific are big markets for high quality skin lightening products imported from Europe but my question is, why bleach your skin?
