How Bleaching Affects The Skin

Bleaching is simply means making your skin to be fairer than your original skin. It also means changing the colour of your skin. When you tone your skin, it means you have bleached your skin. Toning and bleaching are the same. Some people go into toning or bleaching their skin just to remove black spot on their skin or to look fresh and appealing to the eyes of opposite sex. When we bleach, the skin cells that produce ''melanin'' are altered. This stops the skin from producing melanin. Melanin is produced by oxidation of amino acid tyrosine. Melanin is the factor that determines the skin colour of any individual. The melanin pigment is produced in a specialized group of cells known as melanocytes. The function of melanin is to protect the skin from the sun's ultraviolet rays which causes skin burn and over time, could reduce its elasticity and can make a person to age prematurely. Bleaching creams cause skin scarring and reduce the skin's capacity to protect the body from ultraviolet rays. Bleaching is of no help to the skin because it exposes  the skin to ultraviolet rays. Too much ultraviolet rays from the sun can damage the genetic material ( the DNA ) in the skin cells. so if enough DNA damage builds up over time, it can lead the cells to start growing out of control which can lead to skin cancer.

There are many toning or bleaching creams used in Europe, Asia and Africa. The growth in bleaching creams are more in Asia, Africa and in the middle East. The reason for the high demand of bleaching creams in those parts of the world is that most of the people in those areas are mostly dark in complexion. As a result of this, many want to change their skin colour by using bleaching creams

Ingredients in bleaching creams 

Some of the ingredients used in bleaching creams include:
1. Kojic acid
2. Azelaic acid
3. Lactic acid
4. Mercury
5.Hydroquinone
6. Gel
7. Sodium lactate
8. Corticosteroids
9. Arbutin
10. Magnesium
11. Niacinamide
12. Alpha - arbutin
13. Topical retinoids
14. Shea butter

Skin bleaching creams exposes the skin to the following problems:

1. Skin breaching exposes the skin to skin cancer
Skin bleaching prevents the production of melanin which protects the skin. As a result of this, the skin is being exposed to sun's ultraviolet rays. Too much ultraviolet rays from the sun can damage the genetic material ( the DNA ) in the skin cells. If enough DNA builds up over time, it can lead the cells to start growing out of control which can lead to skin cancer.

2. Skin bleaching damage the skin
It damages the skin because the skin get thinner, bruises easily, wounds heal slowly and poorly, stretch marks develop easily as well as early wrinkly of the skin.

3. Skin bleaching could lead to severe skin reactions
This skin reactions can be irreversible sometimes

4. Skin bleaching can cause health problems
Skin bleaching contains steroids, mercury and hydroquinone which go beyond the skin thereby causing kidney and nerve damage. Skin bleaching could cause memory problems, depression, anxiety when it moves deeper into the mind. When it enters the womb of  pregnant women, it can affect the unborn babies.

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