TABUK — A woman had her face and parts of her body burned after she used a whitening cream she had purchased online, Makkah newspaper reported. It said the woman's wedding was just three months away.
Consultant Dermatologist and Surgeon Dr. Abdullah Al-Yousef said he received the patient with burn marks on her face and body.
“The patient told me that she had purchased a whitening cream through an account on Instagram. The woman said she used the cream for a month without any side effects, which started showing when she continued use it in the second month,” said Al-Yousef.
He added that the patient noticed darkening of skin, which persisted until the color of her skin completely changed.
“My patient had no previous history of skin diseases or allergies. After running several tests and examinations on the cream, I found out that the chemical component that caused the skin mutation was not licensed in the Kingdom. However, this component was mixed with other ingredients,” said Al-Yousef.
He said the patient might take up to five years to be completely cured of the effects of the cream on her skin.
“Nowadays, there are many accounts on social media selling beauty products without proper licensing. Moreover, beauty products sold online do not give the buyer any warranty. Creating chemical solutions and mixing medical components should be left for certified and qualified specialists alone,” said Al-Yousef.
