The perils of skin whitening
Thursday, 17 January 2008
I’ve read about how some ladies in Singapore have been going for this whitening injection on a beauty forum and was rather leery of the idea.
I don’t have much idea about this treatment but it just didn’t sound right to me, to have something injected into our bodies to reverse the skin tone (think Michael Jackson.) And my suspicions were right because yesterday, I learnt of a warning over the news from Hong Kong that such non-regulated cosmetic treatment could be fatal if improperly used. Even if it doesn’t cause death, there are possible side effects including liver failure.
The key ingredient in skin whitening drips is glutathione, a strong antioxidant for treating cancer and AIDS. Its side effects include nausea, vomiting and stomachache and may even be lethal if overused, according to the Hong Kong Department of Health. Another ingredient, tranexamic acid, could lead to liver failure if overused.
Source: Killer cosmetics warning from consumer council from The Standard.
Besides the drips or injection, there are also these L-Glutathione super whitening pills which serves the same purpose of lightening the color of the skin when consumed along with vitamin C for three to six months or more. Apparently this is a very popular treatment in Asia especially for many celebrities and models. I remembered Barbie Hsu had also mentioned about it in her second beauty book.
What was even more scary to me was that some ladies on the beauty forum were actually recommending services of some non-qualified beauticians for such treatments. I certainly hope none were silly enough to take such a big risk.
Like all invasive treatments, whitening injections or super whitening pills ought to be taken with the recommendation of qualified dermatologists or professionals. Even then, you want to make sure you find out exactly what the treatment entails and what sort of side effects you could be exposed to.
Mirror mirror, on the wall, how can I be safely fairer than them all?
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January 17th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Viva,
Im sticking to being natural. My skin is pretty fair but would like it to be fairer but in a safe way. Thanks for the warning. Does Barbie Hsu have her book in english?
Julia: Her books are all in Chinese. I don’t believe I’ve come across a translated version.
January 19th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
thanks for the reply.
Was the book helpful in any ways? I heard something outrageous but not sure if it’s true about her beauty secrets. I really hope i can find a translated version of it.
Julia: Are you referring to her wanting to eat human placenta? I wrote it here if you’re interested.
January 21st, 2008 at 1:05 am
thanks for telling me. this is really extreme for beauty.
January 21st, 2008 at 1:44 am
Scary to think what we put in and on our bodies.
March 19th, 2008 at 10:11 am
Its really scary doing these injections since theres a proliferation of counterfeit products and unlike whitening pills or capsules, injectable glutathione cannot(not yet) be tested for its authenticity. So its really safer and better to take the pills instead since its not invasive and really proven to lighten your skin without any complications.
kazumi: Yes, that’s really true but unfortunately, there’re still girls falling prey to those counterfeits.