Dark Complexion, Whitening Pills, Supplemental Vitamin C, Skin Brightness For Short Duration. Recommendation?

Posted on Sun, 10 Jun 2012

Question: I am planning to buy whitening pills from WWW.WWWW.WW for my wife. My wife age is 25 years and having dark complexion. Whenever she goes out in sunlight gets tanning all over the body. To overcome this problem we have consulted few doctors in Bangalore but couldn't get it right. As she applies the prescribed liquid/lotion to her face for few mins it appears to be bright but again turns dull & dark. Currently I am in US and read reviews about Glow2Thione whitening pills. The reviews says its not chemical instead supplemental vitamin C, doesn't have side effects and after constant intake of pills skin will turn white. So I need your suggestion whether it has any health side effects OR any reaction to the skin. If not do you suggest us to go for it. If not which else pill/medicine you suggest.

Answered by Dr. Gaurang Krishna (3 hours later)

Hello,

Thanks for your query.

First of all, I would like to mention here, that there is no treatment in the WORLD that will turn anyone white or fair. All this is just a marketing gimmick. The basic colour of anyone's skin cannot be changed.

Coming onto Glow2thione, this pill contains glutathione, Vitamin C, alpha lipoic acids. Basically all these ingredients are anti-oxidants, so they may prevent photo ageing in the long term. Vitamin C taken orally or applied on the skin is known to reduce pigmentation to some extent.

Side-effects, though I have never prescribed this pill to my patients- I doubt it will have any side effects as all the ingredients are naturally present in the body. but having said that, I dont think it will "whiten" the skin either.

So using it or not, is entirely your choice. Do not have too many expectations. If you do decide to use it anyway, just be informed that there are many such products available at a much cheaper rate.

As for the main problem of tanning, People with a darker skin tone are particularly susceptible to sun induced tanning. This is a tendency of the skin and it cannot be changed. So the best bet is to avoid sun exposure. For this your wife needs to wear a 26 spf sunscreen regularly ( atleast twice daily) and use an umbrella, cap or scarf when she goes out in direct sunlight.

Even the best sunscreens give 50-60% sun protection in direct sunlight and the effect weans off after 2-3 hours of application.

Finally my suggestion would be- Any sunscreen 2-3 times daily, physical sun protection in direct sun light.

Consult a Dermatologist for hypopigmenting steroid free creams and glycolic peels.

I hope I have answered your query.

Thanks.

Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E