In a quiet corner of Kerala, where the desire for fair skin is deeply rooted in the culture, a startling medical mystery has emerged, shedding light on the dark side of beauty standards.
In recent months, an unusual influx of patients with a rare form of kidney disorder, known as Membranous Nephropathy (MN), has sent shockwaves through the medical community.
This prompted a detailed probe into these cases by Dr Sajeesh Sivadas and Dr Ranjit Narayanan, nephrologists at MIMS Aster. The test results of eight patients were alarming.
“In simple terms, using some beauty products with harmful ingredients can damage our kidneys, causing them to leak essential proteins into our urine,” explains Dr Sankaran.
“Fairness creams, particularly those that aren’t tested or approved by recognised regulatory bodies, have inorganic mercury. This metal is absorbed into the bloodstream” says Dr Girish MS.
Continuous exposure to mercury can lead to kidney stress, impairing their function and, in severe cases, causing renal failure. some of the fairness creams also include steroids.
While steroids can effectively reduce inflammation and suppress melanin production, their systemic absorption can have harmful effects. It can affect multiple organs with exposure.
“Unfortunately, several well-known products that are there in the markets also use high levels of mercury in them. This can make these products more appealing,” Dr Girish adds.