In a study conducted by researchers from the University of Toronto, they found out that men are subconsciously attracted to women with lighter skin. According to the said study, men relate lighter skin to purity, innocence, and goodness.
This is perhaps the reason why women always aim to have lighter skin. They also see that having lighter skin makes one more attractive. Mass media doesn’t help either. Every day, you see images of light-skinned women donning designer clothing getting the attention of all the men they pass.
But still, it is undeniable that having lighter skin really does make one look more attractive. This is the reason why a good number of dermatologists offer various options for all their clients.
Skin Lightening Treatments in Focus
There are a lot of skin lightening products out there for you to use. You can choose between bleaching creams, skin brighteners, whiteners, or fade. The amazing thing is that all of these products do the exact same thing. The idea for skin lightening is simple, melanin causes our skin to darken so you just need to reduce it. A lot of times, people who undergo skin lightening treatments do so to treat various skin problems like acne scars, age spots, freckles, or other skin discoloration issues due to hormones.
Albeit popular belief, there are little to no dangers when using skin lighteners. Just to be on the safe side, ask your dermatologist about the various treatments and know the risks. Your dermatologists are the best source of information regarding anything skin related.
How does it work?
To understand how skin lightening works, we must first understand how our skin gets its color. In a nutshell, our skin contains a pigment called melanin. Melanin is produced by melanocytes which are specialized cells found on our skin. Now, this treatments work by reducing the number of melanin on your skin. To date, the most widely used ingredient in skin lighteners sold in the western world is Hydroquinone. In the USA, the FDA limits the percentage of Hydroquinone in over-the-counter skin lighteners to 2%. If you want a treatment that has a higher percentage of Hydroquinone, you need your Bradenton dermatologist to write a prescription for you.
Other ingredients present in some lightening agents include drugs such as retinoic acid and some steroids. All these come from vitamin A which means they are relatively safe. Some skin lightening treatments that boast an all-natural formulation use kojic acid. This compound is extracted from a type of fungus. There are also products that use a plant derived compound called arbutin.
Should You Use It?
When used correctly and under the supervision of a certified dermatologist, skin lightening products present little to no side effect. In case you live in Sarasota, Bradenton or Lakewood Ranch area, don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment at Arsenault Dermatology first on what specific product you should be using. Depending on your skin health and allergies, we can offer you a better solution than the one being flashed on your TV screens.
