I am a 20-year-old undergraduate. Most of my friends are using bleaching cream and I also want to follow suit. However, I read somewhere that bleaching is bad for the body. Kindly let me know if this is true and whether I can also bleach.
Every bleaching product contains two main chemicals, Hydroquinone and mercury, both are toxic. Hydroquinone is a chemical used for photo processing and hair dyes. It is also used in the rubber industry as an antioxidant. Mercury is another product often used in some cosmetic products as a bleaching agent. Incredibly toxic, it can cause skin to go grey or blue black, rather than lighter, and in many cases has resulted in the user suffering from mercury poisoning. Mercury is also a carcinogen. These products both work in the short term to lighten the skin by stopping the production of melanin in the body. The more melanin you have in your body, the darker your skin. Doctors suggest that the two toxic chemicals, hydroquinone and mercury, react with ultraviolet rays and ironically lead to more pigmentation and premature aging. The more this product is used, the less melanin the body produces, and this leads to an increased risk for skin cancer. Also, continued use of hydroquinone, will roughen the skin, making it look like an uneven patch of colors with a patchy appearance. From the above, it is obvious that bleaching is injurious to the body and should therefore, be avoided.
