Skin lightening: India’s obsession that is becoming a medical problem

The trend of skin whitening pursuit in India

This is not one of the newer generation X or generation Z trends. The glorification of a light skin tone has existed in Indian society for a long time, albeit in subtler ways. Over time, this has set a firm footing in the mindset of people. It presents itself as an actual stigma when people ditch potential compatible partners just for their skin tone being darker. Also, darker-skinned people are often thought to be coming from poorer backgrounds, when this might not be the case in point at all. Sometimes employers prefer whiter-skinned people over their darker counterparts, regardless of skill level. Dealing with such things could be a major setback not only in one’s life and career but also in their self-esteem.

Salons and beauty parlours in India have continuously reported a growing number of not just women but men too seeking skin whitening methods. These include undergoing various forms of expensive treatments, which reflects how far people are willing to go and how much they are willing to spend. Why they do so is just because of the stigma that exists not just in society at large. But these growing numbers only suggest how far the stigma has gotten, and why wishing for a fair skin tone would be completely understandable.

The reasons behind the skin tone stigma in India

A preference for a whiter skin tone over a darker one has +always existed in India. However, it was never a social issue, until some specific driving factors fuelled it to that point. The social stigma faced by people is motivating people to delve into various skin whitening methods. Amidst the top of these modern methods right is the use of glutathione tablets for skin whitening. These pills are based on modern solutions to problems that are rooted deeply and firmly in Indian society.

Bollywood has always preferred actors and actresses with a white skin tone, whether in terms of the cast or their roles. Such glamorization of whiter skin tones hasn’t helped with these stigmas rooted in Indian society either. The thought process probably starts at a young and budding age, when children are told in a seemingly benign manner of fair-skinned girls being beautiful and darker-skinned girls probably not so. Children are super impressionable at this age, and the dogma that they later find around in society only works to further affirm this mindset.

Ads for skin whitening creams once used to glorify a fair skin tone directly and bluntly, to the point of demeaning dark-skinned girls. They would even imply how you cannot land a good job, no matter how skilled you might be, just in case you happen to have a dark skin tone. While this style of advertising is now strictly prohibited, it was things like this that somewhere along the line aggravated the issue. What was once a harmless stigma, just like several others with no impact at large, is now a major concern, as it poses not only a social threat but a medical threat too to Indian society at large. For example, people are injecting themselves with glutathione for achieving immediate effects, rather than taking the otherwise safe glutathione tablets for skin whitening and pigmentation removal.

Risks associated with the skin tone dogma in India

There is no denying that there are several skin products in the market that exist today, and a lot of them are healthy. For example, people with naturally dry skin could use few moisturizing creams, to keep their skin oil levels balanced. Sunscreens do help the skin from the intense glare of the sun, which is especially an issue during the peak summer months in India. However, a number of these manufacturers have started to capitalize on the stigma over skin tone that exists in India.

Skin products often use words like “whitening” or “lightening” in their branding and advertising. Reports and surveys have suggested that such a strategy does lead to a huge boost in sales, but whether the efficiency of these products is guaranteed scientifically is never proven. It is to be noted here that some other alternatives like glutathione pills for skin whitening are based on a scientific understanding of medical science. It is better to invest in something verifiable than fall into the traps of modern advertising.

The ease with which people fall for said branding techniques has made it easy for manufacturers of skin products to use ingredients that would lighten the skin tone but at serious costs. The serious costs come not only in the form of high priced products, but potential and unwanted medical risks. Surely selling a product at a high price through its branding and promotion results in huge profits for the manufacturer. But are they keeping in mind what is best for you, as a consumer? Probably not, as some manufacturers are compelling people to try out skin whitening products with dangerous medical side effects. What’s worse is that in many cases the consumer isn’t even aware of these medical risks or the ineffectiveness of the solutions they opt for. Keeping this in mind, it is the safer bet to use glutathione tablets for skin whitening, as their effectiveness is proven and rooted in how medical science works.

Are your glutathione tablets for skin whitening safe?

People in India are driven to go too far extent to achieve whiter skin tones. They might do so if a girl faces rejection from her lover because she “isn’t white enough” and therefore “not beautiful”. Another girl might not get selected in a ballet group just because her darker skin tone “wouldn’t fit the group of dancers”. After facing such stigma it is completely understandable if you feel the need to use skin products or tablets for achieving lighter skin tones.

While administering glutathione injection supposedly has a more significant and faster effect on the skin tone, it comes with a lot of risks as administering an IV yourself is never advisable. Also, it involves taking a large dose of glutathione at once. In contrast, consuming glutathione in the form of pills over some time will minimize its side effects to none, making glutathione pills for skin whitening completely safe, besides effective.

What exactly is glutathione?

While skin tone has no semblance with one’s beauty or skills, the clear stigma that exists in Indian society justifies the emergence of products such as glutathione tablets for skin whitening purposes. Glutathione is in its natural form an antioxidant that protects the skin from UV rays. In its natural form, it is a healthy thing that the body manufactures itself. In the lack of this natural glutathione, UV rays could cause major skin damage, such as pigmentation in its tone.

It has been recently discovered that taking external doses of glutathione can have radical effects on your skin tone. It lightens the skin tone to a great extent, far beyond most other existing skin whitening methods. People have reported that their skin turned multiple shades lighter, existing pigmentation went away, and that this effect lasted for as long as a year.

Where exactly is the risk?

Glutathione, albeit readily available in the market both for IV uses and in the form of glutathione tablets for skin whitening, has yet to be fully and thoroughly tested. Some medical experts claim to be unsure of its long term effect. Because of this, in case you are using glutathione in IV forms, this is where the risk lies, as you are consuming glutathione in a large dose at once. In contrast, consuming it over a longer period in the oral form will make any potential side effects minimal if any, while maintaining the effectiveness. You can easily find trustworthy and reliable sources of glutathione pills for skin whitening in the market.

Despite the potentially serious effects that injecting any substance directly through IV carries, by opting for the IV form you are also posing yourself to the risk of contracting skin infections. You could also contract diseases such as HIV in case your needles turn out to be contaminated. No matter how many YouTube videos you watch and how well-trained you think you are, there is a high chance your one-time shot might go wrong. Therefore, it is wisely advisable that you take glutathione in its tablet form. This is because this will eliminate the risk of these serious hazards. These glutathione tablets for skin whitening aren’t over-priced either, and they are easy to find in the market. Just make sure you purchase them for the right source, and your skin tone will never come in the way of what you wish to achieve in life.