January 16, 2010

Interesting article on the growing use (and misuse) of skin-lightening cream. This misuse is leading to severe side effects. People are using over-the-counter creams which have prescription-strength steroids in them. The creams are found in beauty supply shops, places like bodegas and Korean markets, and online. A doctor interviewed for the article said that there are creams that include clobetasol propionate -- which is "the most potent topical steroid we make in dermatology...And it's basically provided to people as cosmetic products. It's illegal." One skin-lightening cream contains the warning to use only as directed by a doctor -- but many don't follow that or read the labels. Moreover, not all the ingredients are disclosed on the labels. Counterfeit versions of the creams (with undisclosed ingredients) have also turned up in stores. Some creams even contain mercury. One doctor said this misuse and it's subsequent side effects are "happening more because the internet has been a great source for these patients to get physician-strength or prescription-strength products."

One woman, who bought some lightening cream at a beauty supply store, was putting on twice-a-day applications until her skin became so thin that a touch would leave a bruise, her capillaries became visible, and she developed bad acne. A doctor told her that these were all side effects of prescription-strength steroids, found in her cream. Long-term use of a lightening cream with topical steroids can lead to hypertension, high blood sugar, and suppression of the body's natural steroids. Some doctors have seen a side effect in which there is a blue-black darkening of the skin. A spokeswoman for the Food and Drug Administration would not say whether the agency was pursuing these violations. She said, "As a matter of policy, we do not discuss enforcement actions."

"No major studies have focused on the use of such creams in this country. But dermatologists with practices that cater to darker-skinned women say adverse side effects are on the rise. Ethnic beauty stores, whose clerks often shrug at selling prescription creams over the counter, report that sales are strong." A dermatologist at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn said that at least once a week the medical center sees a case of severe side effects from skin-lightening creams. She said the patients are "Ph.D.'s to women from corporate America, teachers to engineers -- the entire broad spectrum of women of color."

Some are using the cream to even out the tone of their face, or to lighten dark spots caused by acne or brown patches caused by pregnancy or menopause. However there are others that use the cream to lighten their entire face or various different parts of the body. This is a practice common in developing countries like Senegal, India, and the Philippines, where the cream is promoted as a way to elevate one's social status. Evelyn Nakano Glenn, a professor of gender and women's studies at UC Berkeley (and president of the American Sociological Association), said the use of these creams is "a growing practice and one that has been stimulated by the companies that produce these products. Their advertisements connect happiness and success and romance with being lighter skinned." Dr. Glenn added that dark-skinned women are not just imagining this bias towards lighter skin, "Sociological studies have shown among African-Americans and also Latinos, there's a clear connection between skin color and socioeconomic status. It's not some fantasy. There is prejudice against dark-skinned people, especially women in the so-called marriage market." (Full Story)