Nothing fair about fairness products
By
Muqaddasa Wahi
Many studies conducted in the recent past in Sri Lanka revealed that school-going children- as young as 13 -used fairness creams to be fair and the usage was high among the youth and young adult population including students and garment factory workers. Fairness creams, skin lightening products and medication, skin lightening injections are sought after by most Sri Lankans due to the belief that fair skin makes one beautiful and more successful.
However, most of these products are unregistered and some components are not approved for medical or cosmetic use by the National Medicines Regulatory Authority (NMRA). This can cause adverse health effects. Due to this the Cosmetic Dermatology subcommittee of Sri Lanka College of Dermatologists (SLCD) organised a public awareness campaign titled ‘Colour of Beauty is the Colour You Own’ which was launched on January 22 at Galadari Hotel.
The event was organised under the patronage of Dr Sudarshini Fernandopulle, State Minister of Primary Health Care, Epidemics and COVID Disease Control, Dr Chandani Udagedara, President of SLCD, Dr Nayani Madarasingha, Head of the Cosmetic Dermatology subcommittee and Dr Januka Galahitiyawa, Secretary of the Cosmetic Dermatology subcommittee.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was invited as the Chief Guest, sent in a special message that was read out at the event. Consultant dermatologists, mental health specialists, oncologists, other medical professionals, Health Ministry officials and celebrities were present at the event.
“Many young school going children also use fairness creams because they want fairer skin to look ‘beautiful.’ This is dangerous – Dr. Nayani Madarasingha Head of the Cosmetic Dermatology subcommittee”
“A beautiful skin is a healthy skin. And for a healthy skin, we need to provide the necessary nutrition, protect it from harmful sun rays and get enough rest. The colour of the skin does not matter when it comes to beauty,” said Dr Madarasingha. She went on to explain that the colour of the skin was dependent on the geographic location of the person and the weather conditions of the area. “People living in countries like Sri Lanka- which is closer to the equator -have dark coloured or tan skin because of the excess melanin that is necessary to protect the skin from sun’s harmful rays.
In countries further away from the equator, people have lighter coloured skin due to the climate and weather conditions of the area.” said Dr Madarasingha. She noted that in Sri Lanka, people had a misguided notion that lighter coloured skin was necessary to be beautiful and to succeed in life. She opined that this was due to the wrong messaging conveyed by advertisements. Due to decades of such messaging this misguided belief was deep rooted in the Sri Lankan society. “Many young school going children also use fairness creams because they want fairer skin to look ‘beautiful.’ This is dangerous,” she shared.
The price to pay for ‘fair skin’
It was revealed that glutathione injections used to lighten the skin was not approved by the NMRA and could lead to adverse health conditions such as kidney disorders. Steroids, that were present in skin lightening products, have been found to cause skin problems such as pimples, redness of the skin, blemishes, excessive hair growth on the skin, skin thinning and stretch mark formation. Long creams results in extreme skin discolouration.
Dr Madarasingha also noted that heavy metals such as Mercury, Lead and Arsenic were found in extremely high levels in these products. “Only a minute percentage of Mercury can be used in cosmetics but in these unregistered fairness products, the amount is beyond this percentage. Such high levels of heavy metals can accumulate over time and cause cancers,” explained Dr Madarasingha.
She also shared that skin lightening products destroy melanin in the skin which can lead to inadequate melanin in the skin. “Melanin is very important as it helps to protect our skin from sun’s harmful rays. Insufficient levels of melanin can cause these harmful rays to enter the skin and this would result in skin cancers.” said Dr. Madarasingha. She pointed out that the results of the skin lightening do not last long because the skin regularly sheds and regrows, therefore people would have to use these products repeatedly to maintain the light skin colour.
“Not only are there adverse health effects but there are psychological effects too. When people think they should be fair to be successful or beautiful, they lose their self-confidence and are down mentally. This can lead to various psychological issues and can affect their lives,” she remarked.
The way forward
NMRA along with the Ministry of Health are currently drafting up laws and regulations pertaining to the registration of skin lightening products and advertisements of such products. Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Sri Lanka Girl Guides Association and Interact Clubs will be supporting the SLCD in creating awareness on skin lightening products among the youth while garment factory owners will be creating awareness on the same among garment factory workers. SLCD will also be releasing series of awareness posts and videos on social media to create public awareness.
“Your skin colour is your identity. There is no need to change your skin colour for anything. The only beautiful skin is a healthy skin and it’s important to keep your skin and yourself healthy. Every colour is beautiful because the colour of beauty is the colour you own,” shared Dr Madarasingha.
