A Consultant Dermatologist at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, Dr Uche Ojinmah, has warned parents against bleaching their children’s skin.
Ojinmah said using bleaching creams was harmful and could cause greater health risk, especially to children.
Speaking in an interview with Sunday PUNCH, he said substances in such creams could cause skin, liver and kidney damage, rashes and blotchy spots.
Skin bleaching has been reported to be attributable to some skin conditions such as scabies, eczema, severe acne and more serious conditions.
He said, “Bleaching children’s skin is like you start roasting their kidneys very early, depending on the substance you are using to bleach. The longer you take anything, the more likely you have side effects. If children start early to bleach with steroids or hydroquinone or even with mercury, they will suffer the side effects faster.
“When you suppress melanocytes and they don’t produce melanin, you automatically expose yourself to skin cancer from the rays of the sunlight which penetrates your skin and can cause genetic changes to the DNA of the skin which can lead to cancer.
“That is why those of us living with albinism have a higher rate of skin cancer unless they use sun protection.”
Ojinmah noted that a dermatologist is the ideal medical professional to see when on conditions that affect the skin, hair, and nails.
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