Branton Matondo
Following a recent rush for presumably no-side-effect skin lightening creams, a medical expert based in Gweru has warned people using these skin bleaching chemicals to stop the practice forthwith as there are resultant permanent biological repercussions.
Majority of Zimbabweans have of late joined the ‘yellowbone’ bandwagon through the use of multiple skin lightening substances that have grossly infiltrated the nation from neighbouring Zambia, South Africa, Malawi and Mozambique.
Zimbabwe Professional Nurses Union (ZPNU) President Robert Chiduku has called everyone using skin lightening substances to stop as they will encounter high medical risks and permanent body damage.
“People who are doing skin bleaching should stop. It is highly dangerous not only to your skin but to the rest of the body,” said Chiduku.
He added that skin lightening lotions and substances come with a lot of dangerous effects chief among them being inflammation and redness, which then result in long lasting damages.
“Skin bleaching causes skin blistering, redness of the skin which results from inflammation and there is a 90 percent chance of skin ulcers because your blood vessels are protruding due to the affected skin cells,” added Chiduku.
Most skin lightening substances have dominated the black market for the past decade as they contain restricted ingredients.
Chiduku said that most bleaching lotions and injections do contain large contents of mercury and mercury is naturally hazardous to skin formation and pigmentation.
“There is mercury poisoning because most of these formulations use mercury during manufacturing. The level of mercury toxicity is alarming. Mercury poisoning is shown by skin redness, inflammation, blisters, skin acne, swelling, dry scaly skin. Probability of the skin scaling off is actually high because the skin is always under high levels of mercury,” he said.
Though females tend to be high users of skin lightening materials male counterparts have also seen a surge in the numbers of consumers.
He added that people should be worrisome of exogenous ocronosis which is the abnormal skin disorder causing blue black pigmentation.
Though majority of effects seem to be centred on skin structure, Chiduku added that people using these brands will be weak in fighting diseases and pathogens.
“At the same we should also recognize that use of bleaching agents reduces your capacity to fight infections which means one’s susceptibility and vulnerability to infections is too high. When an infection kicks in, they cannot fight it let alone see it. Surgical procedures are difficult to carry out because your skin will be extra thin,” he added.
