Driven by society's obsession with fair skin, skin whitening creams have a lucrative market in India. However, the high amount of mercury in these creams is known to cause kidney damage.
The study published in the medical journal Kidney International has revealed that the increasing use of fairness creams with high mercury content is increasing the incidence of membranous nephropathy (MN), a condition that damages kidney filters and causes protein leakage.
MN is an autoimmune disease that results in nephrotic syndrome – a kidney disorder that causes the body to excrete too much protein in the urine.
“Mercury gets absorbed through the skin, and wreaks havoc on the kidney filters, leading to an increase in cases of nephrotic syndrome,” said one of the researchers, D Sajeesh Sivadas, department of nephrology, Aster MIMS Hospital, Kottakkal Kerala. wrote in a post on X.com.
“Widely available in India's unregulated markets, these creams promise quick results, but at what cost? Users often describe a disturbing addiction, with stopping use resulting in even darker skin tones,'' he adds.
The study examined 22 cases of MN reported between July 2021 and September 2023.
Patients presented to Aster MIMS Hospital with symptoms that were often subtle with fatigue, mild swelling and increased foaming in the urine. Only three patients had severe inflammation, but all had elevated levels of protein in their urine.
One patient developed cerebral vein thrombosis, a blood clot in the brain, all with preserved buccal function.The findings showed that about 68 percent or 15 out of 22 were positive for neural epidermal growth factor-like 1 protein (NEL-1).
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Of the 15 patients, 13 admitted that they had used skin lightening creams before the symptoms started.
Of the remainder, one had a history of use of traditional indigenous medicines while the other had no identifiable trigger.
“Most cases resolve upon discontinuing the use of irritant creams. “This poses a potential public health risk, and it is important to spread public awareness about the dangers of using such products and alert health authorities to prevent this threat,” the researchers said in the paper.Dr. Sajeesh also accused social media influencers and actors of "championing these creams" and "perpetuating their use in a billion-dollar industry."
“It's not just a skin care/kidney health issue; This is a public health crisis and if mercury applied to the skin can cause so much harm, imagine what the effects of ingesting it would be. Now is the time to take immediate action to control these harmful products and protect public health.''
The study published in the medical journal Kidney International has revealed that the increasing use of fairness creams with high mercury content is increasing the incidence of membranous nephropathy (MN), a condition that damages kidney filters and causes protein leakage.
MN is an autoimmune disease that results in nephrotic syndrome – a kidney disorder that causes the body to excrete too much protein in the urine.
“Mercury gets absorbed through the skin, and wreaks havoc on the kidney filters, leading to an increase in cases of nephrotic syndrome,” said one of the researchers, D Sajeesh Sivadas, department of nephrology, Aster MIMS Hospital, Kottakkal Kerala. wrote in a post on X.com.
“Widely available in India's unregulated markets, these creams promise quick results, but at what cost? Users often describe a disturbing addiction, with stopping use resulting in even darker skin tones,'' he adds.
The study examined 22 cases of MN reported between July 2021 and September 2023.
Patients presented to Aster MIMS Hospital with symptoms that were often subtle with fatigue, mild swelling and increased foaming in the urine. Only three patients had severe inflammation, but all had elevated levels of protein in their urine.
One patient developed cerebral vein thrombosis, a blood clot in the brain, all with preserved buccal function.The findings showed that about 68 percent or 15 out of 22 were positive for neural epidermal growth factor-like 1 protein (NEL-1).
,
Of the 15 patients, 13 admitted that they had used skin lightening creams before the symptoms started.
Of the remainder, one had a history of use of traditional indigenous medicines while the other had no identifiable trigger.
“Most cases resolve upon discontinuing the use of irritant creams. “This poses a potential public health risk, and it is important to spread public awareness about the dangers of using such products and alert health authorities to prevent this threat,” the researchers said in the paper.Dr. Sajeesh also accused social media influencers and actors of "championing these creams" and "perpetuating their use in a billion-dollar industry."
“It's not just a skin care/kidney health issue; This is a public health crisis and if mercury applied to the skin can cause so much harm, imagine what the effects of ingesting it would be. Now is the time to take immediate action to control these harmful products and protect public health.''
