By Bisola Adeyemo
A Dermatologist in National Hospital, Abuja (NHA), has warned Nigerians to desist from using skin bleaching which may result in health disorders associated with cancer, diabetes, and other complications.
Dr. Olarewanju Falodun, the Chief Consultant gave this warning in an interview with the Newsmen in Abuja on Sunday noting that the composition of some skin-lightening products may have dire consequences on the entire body.
Recalling back to February 18, the senate directed the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to regulate the importation,formulation and sale of cosmetics within Nigeria, especially skin bleaching products.
Skin bleaching refers to the use of products to lighten dark areas of the skin or achieve an overall lighter complexion through the use of creams, soaps, and pills, as well as professional treatments like chemical peels and laser therapy.
Some people apply skin lightener to their entire body to change their complexion, which experts say can be very risky, as the active ingredient in some skin lighteners is mercury, a toxic agent that can cause serious psychiatric, neurological and kidney problems.
According to the consultant dermatologist, some of the body cream products also contain chemicals such as hydroquinone, steroids, cojic acids and others, and their use for a long time may be hazardous to the skin.
Falodun stressed that the continuous use of creams with such contents would make the topmost layer of the skin to thin out, wrinkle, irritable and may lead to poor healing of wounds.
“Some of these bleaching agents on their own can actually lead to other problems. Some of them contain mercury and that can lead to kidney problem, kidney failure and nephrotic syndrome.
“If you use steroid also for a long period, that can affect the bloodstream and can affect the blood sugar, and can cause diabetes.”
The expert, however, urged the public to seek dermatologists’ attention when facing skin problem for professional medical advice.
He said “for me, I believe that if anybody has acne or any skin problem that is disturbing enough, the person should see a dermatologist, who will advise on the best medication for treatment.”
He, therefore, commended the Senate directive to NAFDAC to regulate the importation,formulation, and sale of cosmetics, especially bleaching cream within Nigeria due to its harmful effects on users.
He advised that people should remain as natural as possible, eat and rest well, and consume lots of water to maintain a healthy and glowing skin.
An Abuja-based general practitioner also advised Nigerians against abuse of bleaching creams, saying the act could cause skin cancer, skin damage and other health complications.
The practitioner, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Newsmen that any bleaching cream used in high amounts, more than five percent could damage the skin, adding that it was good to keep the skin the way God created it than bleaching it.
The expert listed bleaching products to include hydroquinone, steroid cream (Clobetasol propionate) and mercury.
She explained that “hydroquinone is used for the treatment of skin conditions but when cleared, it is advisable to stop just like you take malaria medication and after a prescribed dose, you stop.
“The issue here is the quantity. If the formulation is small, it will not have an effect but if it is high concentration, it can cause skin irritation and kidney damage.”
Similarly, she said, steroid cream (clobetasol propanote), which had strong lightening effect on the skin, could also damage the skin when abused.
“It is also used to treat many skin diseases such as psoariasis and contact dermatitis but after treatment, one should stop because of the adverse effect on the body.
“It can cause stretch mark, green veins and bumps on the face. It can also cause the person to add weight and later lead to hypertension,’’ she said.
According to her, mercury, another bleaching product, has been banned in the market, adding that it can cause kidney damage too.
Also, she cautioned Nigerian to appreciate the natural color or seek help from a dermatologist before applying creams to their bodies