Skin Bleaching: White Is Dangerous

Skin Bleaching: White Is DangerousMirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? Modern pop-culture and old beauty standards both idealize fair skin. Read more about the risks of skin whitening products.When browsing through the skin-care aisles of shopping malls in China one should be cautious when purchasing a face or body cream – it might contain bleaching agents. Fair skin is a prevailing beauty standard in Asian countries, hence why the demand for skin-whitening products is huge and keeps increasing. But where does the beauty standard stem from and how are Asians, and especially Asian women bleaching their skin?White Skin is a PrivilegeFair skin has been considered an ideal throughout centuries. It visualized privilege and wealth, as it meant you weren’t forced to work in the sun, e. g. on a field. Not only does this have a historic background, but modern pop culture plays an important role as well. K-Pop Idols and other stars are role models for young people and influence their beauty standards – the whiter, the better. The market for skin-whitening agents, treatments and skincare is huge, especially in Asian countries, such as China, Korea and India. But even in the US and Europe the demand for skin whitening and bleaching is increasing.How dark or fair our skin appears depends on melanocytes that can be found in the base layer of the epidermis. Melanosomes, which sit within melanocytes, produce melanin from tyrosine. The melanosomes are then transported to the outermost cell layer (Keratinocytes) of the epidermis, where they form a cap around the nucleus of cells to protect the DNA from UV damage. The more UV radiation acts upon the skin, the more melanin and melanosomes are produced and transported to keratinocytes – the darker the skin. However, there is also a genetic component to how fast we produce melanosomes, how dark our skin gets, and how dark our base tone is. Methods of Skin-BleachingThe market offers various treatment options to bleach and whiten skin. They range from professional treatments by doctors and beauticians to at-home options. Kryo-Peeling: This method, offered by professionals, uses a probe that is cooled with liquid nitrogen and pressed onto the skin. Melanosomes are cold-sensitive and die off or recede from the keratinocytes, which lightens the skin. This option is often used for dark spots, scars, and moles, but is not recommended for larger areas.Professional chemical peels: Applied by professionals, chemical peels can brighten the overall appearance of the skin, while lightening melasma or sun spots. The active compound varies between providers and approaches. Transparency of the provider is key to avoiding scars or a negative reaction by the skin.

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Creams or peels for at-home usage: These can contain different ingredients targeting dark spots and for an overall whitening of the skin. These ingredients usually affect tyrosine production or the conversion pathway from tyrosine to melanin. Some of these agents are toxic or regulated by the EU for skincare usage. However, especially imported skincare can contain active substances that are considered toxic when used topically.

Mercury: Suppresses melanin production by binding to His-residue of the catalytic center of tyrosinase (Key enzyme involved in melanin production). Mercury can be absorbed via the skin and can (in high concentration and regular usage) lead to mercury poisoning. When using an average amount of face cream and body lotion with whitening properties once a day, an individual could absorb as much as 450 µg of Mercury per day. This can lead to neurological damage, allergic reactions or dermatitis. Often mercury is not indicated on labels, so even though it is prohibited in several countries it can still be contained in products. This should be considered for diagnostic purposes and patients should be asked about their usage of skin whiteners.

Corticosteroids: Can help with inflammations stemming from bleaching, but has lightening properties as well, by inhibiting pro-opiomelanocortin. When used over a longer period it can cause severe illnesses, such as Cushing syndrome, Diabetes mellitus, and more.

Kojic acid: is produced by fungi and acts as a tyrosinase inhibitor. While kojic acid has anti-oxidant properties and benefits, it also comes with drawbacks. Due to its storage instability, it could be cytotoxic. With a better formulation of products, as well as using kojic acid peptides over kojic acid these shortcomings could be addressed in the future.

Bleaching and the SunBrightening creams can remove or minimize the presence of Melanosomes, which however could lead to a higher risk of UV damage to the cells and DNA when left without the protective cap of melanosomes. Patients who insist on using bleaching agents should be advised to regularly use sunblock and to avoid sun exposure. Researchers suggest that educating consumers on the potential side effects of whitening creams is fundamental to avoid damage to skin and general health. Consumers should be advised to seek professional support for smaller whitening interventions such as the removal of moles or sunspots. An overall whitening of the skin however can come with risks for health and skin condition. A safe option to avoid hyperpigmentation and melasma is the regular usage of sunscreen, which additionally reduces the risk of skin cancer.

^Sources:

^{C. C. A. Juliano (2022) Spreading of Dangerous Skin-Lightening Products as a Result of Colourism: A Review, Appl. Sci, March 2022}

^{C. R. Hamann et al. (2014) Spectrometric analysis of mercury content in 549 skin-lightening products: Is mercury toxicity a hidden global health hazard?,
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, Volume 70, Issue 2,
February 2014}

^{Priyanka Pahade et al. (2021) Simultaneous detection of hazardous skin whitening agents in Indian cosmetic products using a green chromatographic technique, Journal of Chromatography Open, Volume 1, November 2021}

^{https://www.vogue.com/article/skin-lightening-risks-asian-beauty-market vogue}

Image source: Steve Johnson, Unsplash