Depigmentation Bleaching Is a Major Cause of Body Cancer- Physician
The outrageously scandalous phenomenon of bleaching practiced by many today in line with the mythical believe that ‘’lighter is better’’, is simply an easier way to inherited dangerous diseases with indelible repercussions, health officials say.
According to Dr. Ndam Mama, chemicals used for bleaching today were initially designed for other illness. In the course of using them, it was realized that the chemicals uniformly whitenedthe skin. This is why many healthy persons today have decided to consumed them so as to becoming snowy, while unknowingly to them are inoculating diseases in their systems.
The three active ingredients used in skin whitening are hydroquinone, mercury and various corticosteroids. Bleaching leads to the destruction of melanin in the skin, which is accountable for providing the black colorant in the body. ‘’ The absence of melanin in the body exposes the body to skin cancer,’’Dr. Ndam Mama told this reporter.
Hydroquinone and tretinoin (used for discoloration) present in bleaching chemicals make the skin considerably more sensitive to UVA and UVB rays. This makes the users more prone to serious sun burns and cancer. The users of these chemicals thus have to avoid the sun. Hydroquinone has been shown to cause leukaemia in mice and animals. It also affects the production of the enzyme tyrosinase formation.
‘’Bleaching delicates the integument, so in case of any surgery, stitching the ulcer becomes a challenging commission. They (patients) spend more time in the hospital for the worn to be healed, and could even risk death,’’ said Dr. Ndam Mama. He added that skin lightening goes a long way to affect a woman’s unborn offspring, as the baby’s own mother destroys some important chemicals in her body needed by the baby.
According to Grace Ngoro, a dermatologist, “the use of bleaching chemicals has secondary effects on health systems in that it is closely associated with kidney dysfunction, hormone imbalance and liver diseases.’’ She added that ‘’ bleaching chemicals are relatively very expensive. A single injection for instance isFCFA250, 000, and it is injected twice a year.’’ Dr. Ndam Mama on his part noted that some injections are done monthly, thus push some woman to extra miles to get money for it. ‘’….some housewives are therefore oblige to play over the money given to them by their husbands, in order to have money for their injection at the end of the month’’.ssss
Corticosteroids which acts as vaso-constrictors or agents which narrow blood vessels effectively reduce the flow of blood to an area, rendering the skin white. Research has also proven that ammoniated mercury used in skin whitening chemicals leads to tissue accumulation in a long run.
Again, depigmentation lives the body with rashes, diabetes, burning sensation, excessive redness and irritation. It also causes ‘ochronosis’, which leaves the body with blue-black dark patches on certain body organs. Most often, those who bleach appear to be ugly and rejected by many in the society, as many friends turn to cut off their relationship with such persons. This leads to stigmatization and a spirit of regret.
Ingrid Kengne