Q: Do skin whitening and fairness creams actually work? Aren't they harmful?

A:If they were really working then the whole of south India which uses tons of such creams would have turned white. Nothing of this sort has happened till now. More often, we see problems related to their use than beneficial effects. People sell dreams and the public succumbs to these tactics, which in turn motivates the dream merchants to continue their business. The cosmetic industry is a multi billion industry of the world. The appearance conscious public of the present generation frequently asks the dermatologist for newer anti-aging therapies. Due to this high demand, a lot of hype gets created by the pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies, which promote anti-aging or anti-wrinkling products to patients in a bid to outlive their skin. Along with the presence of Ayurveda, dermatologists in India as well as elsewhere want their share of this big kitty. Present day skin treatments are being targeted at some kind of controlled therapeutic dermal damage and regeneration of new collagen. The often used supplements in these therapies are topical steroids and skin lightening agents, which actually promote skin thinning, thus making it more vulnerable to the environmental insult than a normal skin.