A Nephrologist and Senior Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology School of Medical Sciences, Dr Elliot Koranteng Tanor says there are health risks such as hypertension associated with using bleaching and body enhancement creams.

In an interview with JoyNews' Emmanuel Bright Quaicoe, he stated that some bleaching creams contain steroids and mercury that leave the skin with stretch marks which can have a detrimental effect on the body and increase blood pressure. 

Dr Tanor emphasised the dangers of long-term use of these creams and medications, saying that these chemicals can be absorbed through the skin and lead to hypertension, posing serious health risks.

“Some of these creams that they use to become fair have a lot of steroids in it, mercury in it and indeed have hydroquinone. What they don’t know is that, they say I am just applying it on my skin but there are very small vessels that are in the skin so it is invariably absorbed into the system.”

“When you absorb some of these steroids into your system for a long period of time, of course that is what causes them to bleach and that is what causes the hypertension. So steroids directly is a source of hypertension,” he said.

Dr Tanor also noted that some pregnant women take in certain medications with the hope to make their babies fairer, which can harm the unborn child.

“Now it is not just to make themselves fair but they use it when they are pregnant so the children can become fairer.”

“Hypertension exists and if you are told you have it, it’s not a death sentence. If we take our medications, exercise and cut down on salt and eat well and all of that, chances are that we will not get the complications and live our lives to the full.”