In the pitfall of using fairness creams, two individuals who were using different fairness creams suffered from kidney disease. Among those fairness creams, one was procured from a local barbershop, and the other was purchased from the market with a 'made in Malaysia' label.

The first individual, 24-year-old Ms. Namita Shinde (name changed), was applying fairness cream prescribed by the local doctor for 8 months.

The second individual, a 54-year-old civil engineer, Rajesh from CBD Belapur, visited a salon in Sector 11 (Belapur) in September 2022. Rajesh was provided with a fairness cream for daily use. He continued using the product for a few months, purchasing a new pack as and when required.

He was also told the product was herbal. He applied the cream every night before sleeping. By March, he had noticed abnormalities in his urine; it had become a little frothy. This was a sign he chose to ignore. Rajesh visited a diabetologist in Dadar, as his blood sugar levels soon dropped. After that, they consulted a kidney specialist and did a sonography there, but nothing was found.

The family was not satisfied, so Rajesh got more tests done at a hospital in Navi Mumbai. The tests were done by July 2023, and his wife had made him stop using the cream altogether for the last two months. They even had a biopsy done.

Rajesh is being treated at Medicover Hospitals, Navi Mumbai. As per the report of Mid-Day, the nephrologist at Medicover Hospitals, Navi Mumbai, Dr. Amit Langote, said that the biopsy showed frothy urine, which meant there was a leakage of protein and also showed NELL-1 antigen. The NELL-1 antigen is associated with cancer and the presence of other heavy metals.

Afterward, Rajesh was asked to do a positron emission tomography (PET) scan to detect cancer, but the results were normal.

Last month, Rajesh was asked if he used any face cream. Dr. Langote said Rajesh and one other female patient had presented similar symptoms a month apart last year. But, due to the age differences between the two, it had not occurred to him to ask Rajesh about beauty products.

They performed a blood test to search for mercury presence, which he confirmed using a fairness cream. High amounts of the metal, typically used in fairness creams, were found.

Early last year, at Parel's KEM Hospital, another such case was diagnosed. Borivli's Salon & Beauty Parlor Welfare Association recently raised similar concerns with the local police and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Many skin-lightening creams cause health issues because they contain high levels of mercury and hydroquinones. Mercury poisoning and kidney damage can be caused by mercury exposure. Long-term exposure to hydroquinone can also damage the kidneys and liver.

The existence and advertising of these products negatively affect the mental well-being of people of color and reinforce racist ideas of beauty.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Komal Bhoi/MSM)