fairness cream
esultantly, the 'fairness' market is booming what with men too getting in the line to become 'fair and lovely'. But in the bid to look good, has anyone thought of its side-effects?
Dermatologist Dr Amit Vij, says, "Face whitening creams are harmful for all – be it man or woman. They might be in great demand for the fair look they promise but the only ones who've been regular in using it would know the harm that the creams have caused to their skin. That's not to say that the person didn't achieve his goal – of looking fair, but at what cost?"
But going by the texture of men's skin and presuming that their fairness creams have higher quantity of bleach, are men at a higher risk of skin damage? "Like I said, these fairness creams are bad for men and women alike. And as for men, their skin is only slightly rough on the beard area, rest is as sensitive and prone to reactions."
He continues, "The main ingredient of these fairness lotions is bleach, so you can understand how people turn fair. And it is just that, that causes all the harm."
Warning of the use of these fairness creams in the long run, Dr Vij says, "The obvious side-effect is thinning of the skin. Daily use of these creams leads to the skin losing its tightness and becoming thinner in return. Growth of acne is another harm that these creams cause to the skin."
Elaborating further, he says, "Also, most fairness cream consumers are unaware of the photosensitive reaction which these creams cause. Due to this the more exposed one is to the sun, worse one's skin condition becomes. This would mean anything from getting pink and red rashes – the degree of which would vary from person to person to sun burns, blisters, itchiness to burning sensation, each time the person steps out in the sun.
"Such a skin, that has become photosensitive, could also lead to one having problems if he went in for any kind of packs or massage treatments, for those oils or packs could further react on the skin."
So how much time do these reactions take to show up? "It varies. For someone, it could react immediately, for another it could take months to show signs of a deteriorating skin," he says.
In that case, the best way to acquire a fair skin is "by doing away with the pigmentation," advises Dr Vij. "Fairness creams only hide them, but that's definitely not a permanent treatment and that's the reason why people are tempted to use them regularly. It's important that people realise that bleach can never avoid photosensitivity, which is a big problem once one is struck with it."
hydroquinone
” which has the ability to slow down the rate of melanin production. Know that hydroquinone does not bleach the skin, but it just makes the skin tone lighter. This compound is however banned in Europe since it is found to cause some skin diseases. There are other alternatives of this compound, such as mulberry, kojic acid, Vitamin C etc.
So, do fairness creams help?
If you look at it, the reason for dark complexion lies deep in the skin. But most skin fairness creams work on the superficial layer. They do protect the outer layer of the skin from getting darker. This will be only if the pigment is in the epidermis and not at a deeper layer. One fact you should know about a fairness cream is this – fairness creams can stop your skin from becoming darker, but
cannot change your natural skin color
. And this is a fact proven by research. Let me put it this way. Fairness creams just act as a mop. Let us say, you have dust on the window of your car. If you wipe it with a mop, the window becomes clean. However, this doesn’t mean that the window does not get dirty again. If you stop cleaning it, dust will automatically accumulate. Similarly, you need to continuously use your fairness cream in order to look fair. The day you stop using it, your natural complexion will return. Many dermatologists also say that you achieve a fairness of up to 20%, but not more than that.
So, do skin creams really help in getting a fairer skin? Clearly, no!! At least, they do not help permanently. In fact, they may prove even harmful due to their harmful chemicals. Instead, why not use some natural alternatives? Use lemon, chickpeas flour or turmeric. These can help in removing black spots from your skin and help in removing the imperfections from your skin complexion.
esultantly, the 'fairness' market is booming what with men too getting in the line to become 'fair and lovely'. But in the bid to look good, has anyone thought of its side-effects?
Dermatologist Dr Amit Vij, says, "Face whitening creams are harmful for all – be it man or woman. They might be in great demand for the fair look they promise but the only ones who've been regular in using it would know the harm that the creams have caused to their skin. That's not to say that the person didn't achieve his goal – of looking fair, but at what cost?"
But going by the texture of men's skin and presuming that their fairness creams have higher quantity of bleach, are men at a higher risk of skin damage? "Like I said, these fairness creams are bad for men and women alike. And as for men, their skin is only slightly rough on the beard area, rest is as sensitive and prone to reactions."
He continues, "The main ingredient of these fairness lotions is bleach, so you can understand how people turn fair. And it is just that, that causes all the harm."
Warning of the use of these fairness creams in the long run, Dr Vij says, "The obvious side-effect is thinning of the skin. Daily use of these creams leads to the skin losing its tightness and becoming thinner in return. Growth of acne is another harm that these creams cause to the skin."
Elaborating further, he says, "Also, most fairness cream consumers are unaware of the photosensitive reaction which these creams cause. Due to this the more exposed one is to the sun, worse one's skin condition becomes. This would mean anything from getting pink and red rashes – the degree of which would vary from person to person to sun burns, blisters, itchiness to burning sensation, each time the person steps out in the sun.
"Such a skin, that has become photosensitive, could also lead to one having problems if he went in for any kind of packs or massage treatments, for those oils or packs could further react on the skin."
So how much time do these reactions take to show up? "It varies. For someone, it could react immediately, for another it could take months to show signs of a deteriorating skin," he says.
In that case, the best way to acquire a fair skin is "by doing away with the pigmentation," advises Dr Vij. "Fairness creams only hide them, but that's definitely not a permanent treatment and that's the reason why people are tempted to use them regularly. It's important that people realise that bleach can never avoid photosensitivity, which is a big problem once one is struck with it."
hydroquinone
” which has the ability to slow down the rate of melanin production. Know that hydroquinone does not bleach the skin, but it just makes the skin tone lighter. This compound is however banned in Europe since it is found to cause some skin diseases. There are other alternatives of this compound, such as mulberry, kojic acid, Vitamin C etc.
So, do fairness creams help?
If you look at it, the reason for dark complexion lies deep in the skin. But most skin fairness creams work on the superficial layer. They do protect the outer layer of the skin from getting darker. This will be only if the pigment is in the epidermis and not at a deeper layer. One fact you should know about a fairness cream is this – fairness creams can stop your skin from becoming darker, but
cannot change your natural skin color
. And this is a fact proven by research. Let me put it this way. Fairness creams just act as a mop. Let us say, you have dust on the window of your car. If you wipe it with a mop, the window becomes clean. However, this doesn’t mean that the window does not get dirty again. If you stop cleaning it, dust will automatically accumulate. Similarly, you need to continuously use your fairness cream in order to look fair. The day you stop using it, your natural complexion will return. Many dermatologists also say that you achieve a fairness of up to 20%, but not more than that.
So, do skin creams really help in getting a fairer skin? Clearly, no!! At least, they do not help permanently. In fact, they may prove even harmful due to their harmful chemicals. Instead, why not use some natural alternatives? Use lemon, chickpeas flour or turmeric. These can help in removing black spots from your skin and help in removing the imperfections from your skin complexion.
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