Dermatologists warn skin bleaching could cause kidney failure, cancer

Many bleaching creams contain harmful chemicals like steroids, which can lead to skin thinning and other long-term health issues. [Courtesy]

Every time Caroline* (not her real name) looked in the mirror, she disliked her appearance. Whenever she took a selfie, she would apply filters that made her look lighter than her natural skin tone.

One day, while scrolling through the internet, she discovered a skin-bleaching product that she believed would change her life for good.
"At first, it was all good. I was excited. Then, after a year, I started getting black spots on my bleached skin. My feet began swelling, and the doctor told me that my kidneys had been affected by the bleaching," she narrates.