Skin Bleaching Affecting Unborn Children!!!!
Hi guys, check out the effects of skin bleaching,its not all about looking fairer, there are dangerous side effects too.
All skin bleaching products contain one of the two active ingredients--- hydroquinone and mercury.
Siblings of mercury-based cream users are also found to have mercury in their urine. These goes to show that second hand poisoning is possible.
Insights about other harmful effects of skin bleaching:
Skin bleaching destroys the black pigment found in the epidermis (top layer of the skin). Exposure of the dermis layer, underneath the epidermis layer, to the harsh weather will increase the incidence of skin cancer. The dermis cannot compensate for the absence of the epidermis and coupled with the hot sun… one will get a higher risk of cancer.
Thus we can see that despite having fairer skin as desired, skin bleaching is also damaging to our skin.
All skin bleaching products contain one of the two active ingredients--- hydroquinone and mercury.
- Hydroquinone lightens the colour of the skin areas to which it is applied by killing off the melanin-making cells—the melanolyte. It is also the active ingredient in ‘fade-off’ creams for freckles, age spots, etc. Historical background: Hydroquinone was first use in the thirties. Some of the African-American employees found that spots of discolouration appeared on their skin. The chemical substance responsible for it is Monobenzyl Ether of Hydroquinone (Monobonzone for short). Monobonzone thus became a newly discovered bleaching agent. However the daughter molecule of Hydroquinone later replaced it as it caused spots of depigmentation all over even in unapplied places.
- Mercury-based bleaching creams contain ammoniated mercury or mercrous chloride as a bleaching agent.
Case Study
In the Minimata epidemic in Japan, there were 42 brain-damaged children in 400
live births. Only one of the mothers had no sign of having mercury poisoning. Majority of
the mothers had used mercury-based bleaching creams during her childbearing years. Siblings of mercury-based cream users are also found to have mercury in their urine. These goes to show that second hand poisoning is possible.
Insights about other harmful effects of skin bleaching:
Skin bleaching destroys the black pigment found in the epidermis (top layer of the skin). Exposure of the dermis layer, underneath the epidermis layer, to the harsh weather will increase the incidence of skin cancer. The dermis cannot compensate for the absence of the epidermis and coupled with the hot sun… one will get a higher risk of cancer.
Thus we can see that despite having fairer skin as desired, skin bleaching is also damaging to our skin.
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