Skin bleaching is a health hazard - Dr. Delle

Regardless of the form skin bleaching takes, being it applying the chemical directly onto the skin, swallowing pills or injecting chemicals, the act is very dangerous and serves as the quickest way in getting skin cancer, according to Prof. Dr. Edmund Nminyem Delle, a dermatologist of a high repute and a onetime Convention People Party’s (CPP) chairman.

Speaking on one of the radio stations in Accra, Hit Fm, Dr. Dele, a dermatologist who has been in active practice for over 40 years, expressed his repulsion in the act of skin bleaching and the people who indulge in it oblivious of the grievous consequences thereafter.

"The best I can do is to keep preaching about the dangers of skin bleaching, this is a ventured I embarked on since 1975 when I came to Ghana as a young dermatologist, but still the problem persists, and is even getting worse each passing day," Dr. Dele lamented.

He further stated that, those at a very high risk are those who have resulted to swallowing pills-something they have termed ‘quick action’- and those who inject skin bleaching/toning substances.

Dr. Delle posited that, "hardcore bleachers use illegal ointments containing toxins like mercury, a metal that blocks production of melanin, which gives the skin its colour, but can also be toxic."

He stated that people also result to the use and abuse of steroids to tone their skins. Adding that although steroids can be useful in treating some skin diseases, such as psoriasis and eczema, but "this must take place under the supervision of a skin specialist, because unmonitored use of high-dose steroids can lead to many problems".

"Unfortunately, many skin-lightening creams contain illegal compounds that can damage your health. The most common compounds are high-dose steroids", he said.

He averred that "a cream that you buy over the counter is not necessarily medically approved and could permanently damage your skin", stating further that depigmentation, a medical treatment that lightens or fades skin, is sometimes used in the treatment of vitiligo (a condition that causes pale patches on the skin).

He warned that skin lightening treatment uses prescription medication and needs medical supervision. It's not suitable for everybody, especially those of us in Africa with unfavourable weather conditions, but suitable to our skin types.

"Using chemical bleaches for whitening and bleaching skin can cause harm to your skin in the long run. Therefore, it is essential to use natural remedies for having clean and flawless skin," he warned.