[www.keralites.net] Fwd: The dark side of fairness creams

 

The dark side of fairness creams! Rupali Mukherjee       Steroids Can Lead To Facial Hair, Infections In the pursuit of becoming a few shades fairer, you may be inviting serious side-effects and potentially grave infections. Popular cosmetics and fairness creams are not the culprit here but topical medications which contain a "cocktail of harmful steroids" supposed to be dispensed only through a prescription. These drugs are increasingly becoming a popular source of attaining fairness, egged on by pressure from society , where fairness is widely believed to be a ticket for success in personal life, and, sometimes even social mobility . In fact, such has been their misuse, that the government has classified all steroids for topicalexternal application (ester, salt, preparation) under Schedule H, the category of drugs which need to be dispensed only through a prescription (not over the counter), and cannot be advertised. Under these new guidelines, there has to be a 5 mm thick red band on the tubepacket of all Schedule H products, with the words `Scheduled drugs' to be printed on it. Certain topical medication containing a cocktail of harmful steroids, form part of the list of 344 fixed dose combinations, banned by the government last year, with the case now to be heard in the Supreme Court. The sale of steroid creams is over half a billion dollar business, almost two-thirds of which are sold without prescription. If the new law is seri ously implemented, it will stop this unethical dishonest business, Dr Koushik Lahiri founding chair, IADVL Taskforce Against Topical Steroid Abuse (ITATSA) told TOI. There are over 1,000 brands of topical steroids sold in the domestic market. Studies suggest the sale of topical steroid account for 82% of sale of topical drugs in India. The derma market is growing double-digit, and is valued at over Rs 6,000 crore. Dermatologists point out simple skin conditions are be coming almost non-treatable.There is also an increase in the number of patients with side effects caused by steroid creams, used either alone or in combination with a topical anti fungal and or anti bacterial. One of the side effects is thinning of the skin, where the skin appears paler and hence steroid-containing creams are being misused as fairness creams. Prolonged use causes other side effects like horrendous acne, unwanted facial hair, stretch marks, aggravation of infections and dependence on the cream, doctors say . "The triple combination creams (steroid + anti fungal + antibacterial ) are bought over the counter, or prescribed by doctors who are unsure of the diagnoses, as a "shot-gun therapy", for any skin rash, with the hope that one of the ingredients will work. When used in the presence of infection, there may be a deceptive reduction in symptoms, but the rash rebounds with a vengeance, resulting in infections that are resistant to treatment, require a higher dose and longer treatment time to recover", dermatologist Belinda Vaz said, adding, topical steroids or steroid-induced creams should be used conscientiously , ethically and scientifically.

 

 

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Posted by: Cool Kis <cooolkis@gmail.com>

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