Many Skin Bleach Products Are Wanted But Beware Of Steroid Content Inside

Illustration using steroid skincare (Freepik)

JAKARTA - The current beauty trend shows a high public interest in skin bleach products that promise instant results. Unfortunately, not a few of these products contain harmful substances such as steroids, which should only be used with medical supervision.

According to dr. Arini Widodo, SM, Sp.DVE, FINSDV, a dermatologist who graduated from Harvard Medical School, the use of steroids in skin bleach products is one of the most common forms of abuse.

"Many products in the market are claimed to be bleach, whereas they actually contain steroids without clear information," he said in a health discussion in Jakarta.

Steroids, both in topical (oles) and oral (drinking) forms, can provide quick results in dealing with skin problems such as acne, black spots, and eczema.

However, dr. Arini explained that this instant effect is temporary and can trigger dependence. Once the use is stopped, the skin condition can actually worsen.

"For example, someone has skin complaints, then uses certain products that make the skin look better. But after stopping, the problem arises again and can even be even worse," he explained.

Side effects due to the inappropriate use of steroids can be very serious. Arini said that she often accepts patients with complications such as inflamed acne that had never previously been experienced, excess hair growth throughout the body, to the appearance of permanent red stretchmarks in various areas of the body.

"Imagine the stretchmark which is usually only in the stomach, it can appear all over the body. It's permanent and aesthetically disturbing," he said.

He also reminded that steroid abuse is not only limited to bleach products, but is also found in weight-boosting products. "Not really increasing body mass, but causing swelling so that it looks fat," he added.

Because it is a drug, steroid use must be carried out under the supervision of a doctor. However, in the field, there are still many steroid-containing products that are sold freely without official permission.

"Even though BPOM has intensively monitored and socialized, in fact, this kind of product is still widely circulated in the market," concluded dr. Arini.