Trends in Use of Prescription Skin Lightening Creams

Dana S. Saade,Kevin F. Kennedy,Neelam A. Vashi,Eric A. Secemsky,Mayra B. C. Maymone,Henriette De La Garza

doi:10.3390/ijerph18115650

Abstract

The desire for an even skin tone pervades all cultures and regions of the world. Uniform skin color is considered a sign of beauty and youth. Pigmentation abnormalities can arise idiopathically with genetic predetermination, with injury and environmental exposures, and with advancing age, and can, therefore, be distressing to patients, leading them to seek a variety of treatments with professional assistance. In this short report, we describe the trends in the use of prescription lightening creams, particularly in patients with darker skin types residing in the US. Amongst 404 participants, skin hyperpigmentation had a moderate effect on patients’ quality of life, and the most common diagnosis associated with the use of a prescription product was melasma (60.8%). The most common agent prescribed was hydroquinone (62.9%), followed by triple combination cream (31.4%). It is the dermatologist’s duty to gauge the effect of the pigmentation disease on patients’ life in order to counsel, tailor, and decide on the most appropriate treatment option.

Highlights

Uniform skin color is considered a sign of beauty and youth, abnormalities in pigmentation can be distressing to patients, leading them to seek a variety of treatments with professional assistance
Our findings highlight the negative impact that hyperpigmentation disorders can have on those affected, patients tend to feel embarrassed and this feeling interferes with activities of their daily lives. This demonstrates that pigmentary disorders are not merely a cosmetic concern and when examining the effects that hyperpigmentation disorders have on quality of life (QoL), equal importance and a similar sensitivity of the psychosocial impact and disease burden should be given
Since the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) considers physical symptoms that are not relevant to pigmentary disorders, there may be a need for increased usage of specific scales designed for hyperpigmentation disorders in order to truly capture the effects that these conditions have on patients [25]

Summary

Introduction

Uniform skin color is considered a sign of beauty and youth, abnormalities in pigmentation can be distressing to patients, leading them to seek a variety of treatments with professional assistance. The most common abnormal pigmentation results from photoinduced damage to the skin in the form of freckles, lentigines, and maturational hyperpigmentation [2]. Known as skin bleaching, refers to the use of products to lighten dark areas of the skin or achieve an overall lighter complexion. These products include creams, soaps, and pills, as well as professional treatments such as chemical peels and laser therapy. Since darker-skinned individuals have more melanin, hyperpigmentation disorders and the use skin depigmentation agents are common among people with skin of color both in the US and worldwide [5]. (US) prescription lightening product trends and its association with patients’ quality of life in those with disorders of hyperpigmentation

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