I've been applying fast-acting skin whitening cream all over my body daily for over a week now. My skin has whitened but is more susceptible to sunburn, I've developed more acne on my neck and chest, and it's very itchy and painful.
Why is this happening, and what should I do? (Minh Thơm, 33 years old, Tiền Giang )
Reply:
Based on the information you provided, it's possible you have contact dermatitis and acne breakouts due to using an unsafe whitening product. However, the ingredients of this fast-acting whitening cream and your specific skin condition are unknown, so a precise diagnosis cannot be made. You should stop using the product and seek medical attention at a dermatology clinic as soon as possible for examination and treatment.
Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City has treated many cases of side effects and complications from using skin-whitening drugs. The most common are acne breakouts, edema, skin irritation, photosensitivity, hyperpigmentation (patchy skin discoloration), dermatitis, and thinning skin with visible blood vessels.
The common thread in these cases is that patients used products of unknown origin and ingredients, such as mixed creams, freckle creams, herbal peeling solutions, chemical peeling products, and skin-whitening shower gels.
Fast-acting skin whitening products often provide quick but temporary results and can easily leave long-term side effects because they often contain banned substances or substances in concentrations exceeding the permitted levels for use in cosmetics, such as mercury, corticosteroids, and hydroquinone. These ingredients have strong skin-bleaching properties but cause many dangerous side effects.
Initially, the treatment exfoliates the old, dark skin layer, revealing a new, brighter, smoother layer of skin. However, skin pigmentation is also involved in the skin's protective barrier; losing the old skin layer means losing that barrier. The new skin is "forced to mature," making it very weak, thin, and vulnerable. Therefore, the skin is not protected from factors such as UV rays from sunlight, bacteria, and germs, quickly darkening and becoming pigmented again. The natural skin renewal cycle takes an average of 28-30 days. Repeated whitening and exfoliation treatments weaken the skin and make it difficult to recover.
These fast-acting skin whitening products can also cause skin atrophy, thinning the skin and revealing blood vessels that are normally difficult to see in healthy skin. Mercury, in particular, is easily absorbed into the skin and blood vessels; if used in large quantities, it can cause neurotoxicity, liver and kidney damage, and cancer.
Currently, skin whitening products that are licensed and recommended for use in Vietnam are those that do not contain corticosteroids and have clear origins and brands.
There are many methods to help skin look younger and brighter, but safe methods all require time to show results. Patients should not rush to apply quick skin whitening methods as they may leave severe and long-lasting side effects.
MSc. Dr. Pham Truong An
Dermatology and Cosmetic Skin Care
Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City
| Readers can submit questions about cosmetic skin treatments here for the doctor to answer. |
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