Why do I get acne after a quick skin whitening bath?

I have been applying instant whitening cream all over my body every day for over a week now. My skin is whiter but more susceptible to sunburn, I have a lot of acne on my neck and chest, it is very itchy and painful.

Why is that, what should I do? (Minh Thom, 33 years old, Tien Giang )

Reply:

According to the information you provided, you may have contact dermatitis and acne rash due to using unsafe whitening products. However, we do not know the ingredients of this instant whitening cream and your specific skin condition, so we cannot make an accurate diagnosis. You should stop using the product and go to a medical facility with a dermatology specialist soon for examination and treatment.

Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City has treated many cases of side effects and complications due to the use of skin whitening drugs. The most common are acne rash, edema, skin irritation, skin sensitivity to light, hyperpigmentation (patchy skin color), dermatitis, thin skin with visible blood vessels...

The common point of these cases is that the patients use products of unknown origin and ingredients such as mixed creams, freckle creams, skin-peeling medicinal wine, chemical skin-peeling products, and skin-whitening shower gel.

Instant skin whitening products often bring fast but temporary effects and can easily leave long-term side effects, because they often contain banned substances or substances with concentrations exceeding the permitted levels for use in cosmetics such as mercury, corticosteroids, hydroquinone. These ingredients have strong skin bleaching properties but cause many dangerous side effects.

Initially, the medicine erodes the old, dark skin layer, revealing a new, whiter, smoother skin layer. However, skin pigment also participates in the skin's protective barrier, losing the old skin layer means losing the skin's protective barrier. The new skin layer is "forced to ripen" so it is very weak, fragile, and vulnerable. Therefore, the skin is not protected from factors such as UV rays in sunlight, bacteria, germs..., quickly darkening and becoming dark and patchy again. The natural skin renewal cycle takes an average of 28-30 days. Repeated whitening and peeling make the skin weaker and harder to recover.

These instant skin whitening products also cause skin atrophy, thinning the skin, revealing blood vessels that are normally difficult to see in healthy skin. Mercury in particular is easily absorbed into the skin and blood vessels, and if used in large quantities can cause neurotoxicity, liver, kidney toxicity, and cancer.

Currently, skin whitening products licensed and recommended for use in Vietnam are products that do not contain corticosteroids, have clear origins and brands.

There are many methods to help the skin look younger and brighter, but safe methods all take time to take effect. Patients should not rush to apply quick skin whitening methods because they can leave serious and long-term side effects.

MSc. Dr. Pham Truong An
Dermatology - Skin Aesthetics,
Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City

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