Skin bleaching is one of the most talked about treatment when it was first launched. It is because many people out there especially women love to have light skin tone, especially those who live in Asia and other countries that have tropical climate where they get more sun shine that can make their skin appear to be darker.
Other reason why this treatment become popular is because it can bring very visible effect to the person doing this treatment yet on the other side there is also contradiction whether this treatment can be considered as fully safe to be done.
In this article we are going to share with you what is actually skin bleaching, what are some treatments that you can get to bleach your skin and also are there any natural compounds that we can use to make safer skin bleaching material?
WHAT IS SKIN BLEACHING
Our skin naturally produces pigment in our skin that is called melanin. Different people will have different level of melanin in their body or skin. The higher level of melanin level in a person’s skin will make their skin appear to be darker.
Outside factor can also enhance the production of melanin in our body such as the UV rays from the sun as well as pollution and free radical that we face daily can creates blemish and freckles in our skin which eventually can cause our skin tone to be uneven or darken.
Skin bleaching is the process of using chemical or other cosmetics product to control the production of melanin in our body. The purpose of using this product simply to make our skin looks more fair or lighter or even only to even out the discoloration that our skin shows.
WHAT IS INSIDE THE SKIN BLEACHING PRODUCTS?
When skin bleaching products are easily found nowadays, however, there are some disadvantages of long term use of these chemicals. This is because most of the content in these product are mercury.
Mercury has been studied to be one of the causes for neurological, psychiatric and kidney problems. If a pregnant women use any products that contains mercury, they can pass the effect of this harmful substance to their unborn child.
Even though not all of skin bleaching products contain this compounds, and some countries have banned the use of mercury in their skin bleaching cream, however, of course some other products still contains this mercury substance in certain level.
The other ingredients that are commonly used for skin bleaching product is hydroquinone. In the U.S, the regulation stated that a skin bleaching product can contain maximum 2% of hydroquinone, whereas dermatologist can prescribed skin bleaching products that contain about 4% to 6% of hydroquinone depending on a person’s skin condition.
THE HIDDEN RISKS
It is important to consult with your dermatologists when you want to use bleaching product that you buy from the counter. This is to avoid any unwanted side effect such as, early aging skin, skin infections, skin thinning, and acne breakouts. The mercury can be absorbed in your body and cause further disease.
Long term use of hydroquinone can also be damaging to your health, ironically this can also contributes to ochronosis or untreated skin discoloration. Allergic reaction can also appear on your skin if you use too much of products containing hydroquinone.
TYPES OF SKIN BLEACHING TREATMENTS
After knowing the above fact of skin bleaching, it is always better to discuss with a professional dermatologists first about what type of skin bleaching that is best for you. Below are some references of what are the types of treatments that you can opt.
1.Skin Whitening Crème and Lotion
This type of skin bleaching usually is the most commonly recommended by dermatologist. You can also easily get the topical crème or lotion for skin bleaching sold at the pharmacist or other cosmetic stores.
The content of this skin whitening product can vary from hydroquinone to kojic acid, azelaic acid, monobenzyl ether, mequinol, retinoids, tretinoin, and niacinamide. All of this chemical should be in certain level otherwise this can bring harm to your skin.
Some bleaching cosmetic can also carries natural plant that has bleaching effect to your skin such as licorice, soy, blueberries and cranberries extract as well as pear leaves. All this compounds can prevent the formation of new melanin on your skin and also enhance the new cell to grow in your skin which can result in a more glowing and whiter skin.
2.Skin Laser Resurfacing
The second type of skin bleaching that your dermatologist may recommend is by using series of laser rays onto your skin. This can include concentrated and short pulsating laser beam shot to the area on your skin that you want to be made lighter.
The purpose of this treatment is to remove the epidermis and the heat that exist under your skin surface. This action can enhance the growth of new collagen bars in your skin that can make your skin look brighter.
This treatment is also good to treat uneven skin color and acne or scar and blemish that appear on only certain area of your skin.
3.Cryosurgery
No, don’t make the term surgery in this treatment scares you. Cryosurgery involves only liquid nitrogen that is patched on the skin area that you want to make whiter. Your dermatologist will use cotton swab to pat the marked dark spots on your skin.
What this treatment does is that it freezes the dead cells on your skin and then it will leave chances for the newer cells to grow. Once your cells are regenerate, your skin will naturally look brighter and fairer.
NATURAL RECIPES FOR SKIN BLEACHING
We talked about several ways of how you can bleach your skin with chemical and treatment at your dermatologist. Now, in this section we would like to share with you some ingredients that you can find at home that is more natural for your skin bleaching treatment.
1.Lemon
Lemon with its high level of vitamin C has been believed to be one of the best home remedies for skin bleaching. It helps you cleanse your pores from deep within and also help you to even out your sun burn or skin tan.
All you need to do is cut your lemon into halves and rub the juice onto the skin that you want to make brighter. Leave the lemon juice for about 10 minutes and rinse it with cold water. Repeat this treatment every day for about 2 weeks. Important note when doing this treatment, do not stay under the sun when you have lemon juice on your face.
2.Papaya
The same with lemon, papaya also contains high level of vitamin C that can help your skin to exfoliate naturally. This in the end can make your skin look brighter and whiter.
Dice some fresh peeled papaya and place them into your blender. Blend them to smooth paste and apply that onto your clean skin. Leave the mask for about 20 minutes before rinsing it with cold water. Dry your face well and repeat using this mask daily to have a brighter skin.
3.Rose Water
Adding rose water to any of the above face mask can also enhance the bleaching process of your skin. This is because rose water contains many compounds that can become natural exfoliator to your skin and help your skin to cleanse its self from the inside.
All you need to do is add rosewater to your papaya mask or lemon halves before applying them to your skin. Simply pat rose water to your skin before bed time can also help you to make your skin looks brighter.
CONCLUSION
Again, not all of the cosmetic that is found in your drugstore are dangerous for your health. However, it is always good to be careful when picking which product to buy to bleach your skin. Consulting with professional dermatologist is always recommended. Choose for natural remedies when possible is always better.
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