The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporters
Health experts have warned that the prolonged abuse of chemical substances that supposedly enhance beauty and enlarge body parts will lead to serious ailments that affect vital organs such as the heart, liver and skin. Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (Mcaz) spokesman Mr Richard Rukwati said individuals using these chemical substances were putting themselves at risk.
“Medicines such as Cyproheptadine, which is meant to treat allergic reactions, are now being used by people seeking to gain weight and lighten skin.
“The problem is self-medication brings with it a host of problems. A lot of people risk complications and this would be outside the intervention of a doctor or pharmacist.
“In addition, the excessive use of Corticosteroid will result in the thinning of the scalp, leading to more sustained hair loss later in life.
“A lot of skin lighteners also contain substances which lead to skin damage.
“A host of these substances have over 50 known side-effects affecting the liver, heart, eyes, blood and many other physiological systems in the human body.”
Dr Tendai Matore, a Harare-based dermatologist, said it was scientifically proven that most skin lighteners contain a harmful substance known as hydroquinone, which destroys the skin’s protective outer layer.
It may also cause temporary or permanent skin discolouration.
Other known neurological effects of hydroquinone include headaches, dizziness, delirium and convulsions.
Dr Donald Mutangadura, a specialist dermatologist, said consumers were being cheated as most of the products were incapable of achieving the desired results.
He said hydroquinone products have also been banned in the United States, South Africa and Europe.
“Generally, it is a myth that some of these substances are capable of enhancing or altering a human’s physical appearance. Skin-lightening creams have been proven to also contain high levels of mercury which can cause damage to the brain, kidney and lungs.”
