Anal bleaching

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Anal bleaching, or lightening, is the practice of bleaching the pigmentation of the skin of medium- to light-skinned people around the anus. Some people have some degree of darker pigmentation of the skin immediately around the anus, which can be mistaken for poor personal hygiene. Discoloration of the anal and vaginal areas can be caused by aging, hormonal changes from pregnancy, diet, and other factors.[citation needed]

Bleaching is used mostly for cosmetic purposes to lighten the color of the skin around the anus, making it more uniform with the surrounding area.

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[edit] Cultural acceptance

Originally, anal and vaginal lightening was used by pornographic film stars, strippers, models, and beauty-conscious celebrities on the forefront of the waxing trend who were "exposed" and wanted to enhance the appearance of the anus, vagina and other areas.[citation needed]

The subject has made headway into the news and has been featured on E! Network's program Dr. 90210.

[edit] Procedure

Some treatments are applied in the office by a medical technician, while others are given as a prescription to be applied by the user. This skin bleaching cream may be[citation needed] similar to prescription acne creams Retin-A (tretinoin) or Azelex (azelaic acid). These creams are often prescribed for a condition called Melasma. Melasma are dark discolorations of the skin in patches.

Skin bleaching cream is also available over-the-counter. Often, Hydroquinone creams are used to minimize spots that occur due to sun exposure, age, and birth control pills. For this reason they are often coupled with sunscreens. However, hydroquinone is a suspected carcinogen and banned by several countries[1][2][3].

[edit] References

  1. ^ "http://www.pressbox.co.uk/detailed/Health/skin_bleaching/_lightening_its_dangers_37431.html". http://www.pressbox.co.uk/detailed/Health/skin_bleaching/_lightening_its_dangers_37431.html. 
  2. ^ "http://www.ofspirit.com/judivance1.htm". http://www.ofspirit.com/judivance1.htm. 
  3. ^ "http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol71/volume71.pdf". http://monographs.iarc.fr/ENG/Monographs/vol71/volume71.pdf. 

[edit] External links


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