fairness creams and its bad effects

fairness creams and its bad effects 

nephrotic syndrome 

Researchers from Kerala have reported a series of cases from Malappuram district where the regular use of fairness creams has been linked to nephrotic syndrome. 

after  blood and urine samples seen , high levels of mercury, the toxic effects of which are well-known

 keratin-based hair-straightening 

On the heels of recent news reportson how keratin-based hair-straightening products containing glycolic acid derivatives led to severe kidney injury in women. 

 An analysis of the fairness creams also showed that these contained high levels of mercury — in some instances, 10,000 times above the permissible limit of 1 ppm.

High proteinuria

membranous nephropathy  

1 this  have non-specific symptoms — fatigue, mild edema and frothy urine — but high levels of proteinuria, in the range of 6.5-22.2 g/day.

Proteinuria 

 also known as albuminuria, is a medical condition that occurs when there is an unusually high amount of protein in your urine. Healthy urine contains less than 150 mg of protein per day. More than 150 mg per day is considered proteinuria.

2 Membranous nephropathy (MN) is an autoimmune disease resulting in nephrotic syndrome, a condition when too much protein is released into the urine (proteinuria), ultimately resulting in renal failure / रीनल शब्द का मतलब किडनी यानी गुर्दा होता है. किडनी का काम रक्त को फ़िल्टर करना है. 

3 phospholipase A-2 (PLA2R) 

In approximately 70% to 80% of cases of MN, the target antigen has been phospholipase A-2 (PLA2R).

another antigen, Neural epidermal growth factor-like protein 1 (NELL-1)

 

has been linked to a rare form of MN. A lab in Chennai identified all thesepatients to be positive for NELL-1. 

“In Tamil Nadu, most cases of MN caused by NELL-1 have been traced to use of traditional medicines, most of which have high levels of mercury. But all our patients denied using any indigenous medicines. 

Fairness cream

unregulated brands of cream 

Their study reports 15 cases of MN linked to NELL-1 and in 13 cases, patients had a history of use of fairness creams, most of which were unregulated brands offering rapid results and sold rampantly in local shops and on online platforms.

The key to limiting further kidney damage 

The mercury levels in blood/urine samples dropped within three months of the patients stopping the use of their fairness creams. 

Also, all patients responded well to RAAS (renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system) blockade (the gold standard therapy for chronic kidney disease) and did not need immunosuppression.

Impact of mercury

Mercury 

is a highly toxic heavy metal which is used in fairness/anti-ageing creams as in its inorganic form (mercury salts) it can inhibit the formation of melanin resulting in a lighter skin tone.

 The higher the levels of mercury in face creams, the better the whitening effect.

Chronic mercury poisoning from cosmetics

1 is often missed because different organs and tissues respond differently to mercury, resulting in atypical clinical presentations.

 2 non-specific symptoms

like pain, fatigue, cognitive decline or systemic issues like membranous nephropathy. 

3 The larger public is unaware that mercury in face creams can be absorbed through the sweat glands, sebaceous glands, and hair follicles and absorbed by all tissues. 

4 Repeated topical use results in 

systemic toxicity, manifesting as damage to the kidneys and nervous system. 

The other adverse effects listed by WHO include skin discolouration and scarring, reduction in the skin’s resistance to bacterial and fungal infections, anxiety, depression, psychosis and peripheral neuropathy.

 The Minamata Convention on Mercury

 to which India is a signatory, is a global treaty “to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic emissions and releases of mercury and mercury compounds” and it has been in force since 2017.

Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG) and world of fairness cream

According to a new Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG) report released in October 2023,

 despite being banned by a global treaty, mercury-containing skin lightening products are still sold by some of the world’s biggest online retailers to unsuspecting consumers.

 It said that of the 213 fairness products from 12 countries purchased and tested by NGOs, 191 (90%) had mercury concentrations ranging from 1.18 to 74,800.00 ppm of mercury, way above the 1 ppm limit mandated for cosmetics by many governments as well as the Minamata Convention.