Why is there a sudden boom in skin whitening treatments in India? Answers cosmetologist Dr Madhuri Sadana

If you recently watched Made in Heaven season 2 then you must've come across the name 'glutathione' treatment in the very first episode. In it, the protagonist, undergoes this treatment to lighten her skin colour and it made most Indians relate to the emotions of 'not feeling beautiful enough because of their skin colour'.

We are talking about this because there are treatments like glutathione, skin lightening, and whitening among others that Indians still go for. Notably, there is an obsession with white skin and the desire to attain a lighter skin tone has deep historical and societal roots in India.

To shed more light on this phenomenon, editorji spoke to cosmetologist Dr. Madhuri Sadana, who has extensive experience in the field of dermatology and cosmetic treatments.

What is glutathione?

We asked about what exactly is glutathione treatment and she broke it down for us: she said glutathione is a naturally occurring substance produced by the liver. This is an antioxidant that fights the free radicals, helps build our immunity, and also helps repair and build the body tissues. It also reduces the signs of ageing.

Dr Madhuri further said that glutathione reduces the production of melanin that gives the brown skin colour. As people age, they start using glutathione orally or through injection to delay the signs of ageing.

A roundabout estimate percentage of how many people go for skin lightening treatment in a year

Dr Madhuri also shared the estimated percentage of how many people go for skin-lightening treatment in a year. She said that in her experience of aesthetic practice, she has observed that around 40-45% of people consult for discolouration and hyperpigmentation issues. Whereas, 10-15% of people are actually looking for skin whitening and lightening treatments.

What are the prices of these treatments in India?

The prices of these treatments range from ₹3000-8000 per session for chemical peels and skin-lightening lasers. Whereas the glutathione injection prices range from ₹13000-30,000 per shot depending on the quality and dosage requirements.

Kajol skin-lightening controversy

Another topic of discussion about skin lightening began when people saw pictures and videos of actor Kajol. Several people claimed that she underwent skin-lightening treatment. However, Kajol in an interview said that she was staying in for 10 years and the tanning that she had went away over the period of time. We asked Dr. Madhuri if was it really tanning or did Kajol really go under skin lightening treatment.

Dr Madhuri said when it comes to sun protection, hyperpigmentation and skin lightening, there are clinical studies that prove that continuous sun protection for a period of a year using sunblock and physical sun protection delays the signs of ageing and hyperpigmentation.

editorji also did a poll in which it was asked 'In today's era of celebrating the range of skin tones, would you consider undergoing a skin-lightening treatment if necessary?' To this question, 91.3% of people said no, whereas, 8.7% of people said yes.

According to health news, people who opt for skin-lightening treatments are already going through severe feelings of worthlessness. Psychologists say that this can lead to negative self-perception.

Also watch: L'Oreal to drop 'whitening' and 'fair' from skin products