Everything you need to know about skin whitening

OR

How to whiten my skin?

Introduction

Undoubted this question is one of the most interested questions ever. 

Try to find the answer at the Internet (to that exact question "How to whiten my skin") and you will result with over 1 million web-sites that offer an answer.

Try to search "How to whiten your skin", "Whiten the skin", "Skin whitening", or "whitening the skin" and you will have 2.15 million, 4 million, 8.28 million and 24.2(!!) million web-sites (respectively) all they want is to share with you their knowledge.

So why is that? Why that subject is so interesting?

To have the answer for that question we need first to look around at our world and the history of human kind.

But first, before we start I would like to explain about this blog. I have decided to write it down BECAUSE of the huge amount of information about this subject, i.e. "skin whitening". All I did was to use my medical knowledge in order to sort-out the most reliable information and to present it in a simple and coherent way. The blog is not recommending  any product, procedure or substance. I am sure that you can see all the ads here that Google add; they are from all kind of advertisers - my only request is – "click" AFTER you read the blog.

And one more thing, I'll be more than happy to receive your comments to this blog. If you think that I should add or lessen something, change, review or edit – just let me know and I will take it under consideration.

Now, let's begin…

List of Content:

Skin Color– Cultural Aspects and Social Status

Skin Anatomy

         Epidermis

Dermis

Fat Layer

Skin Pigmentation and the role of Melanin

Skin Whitening

Chemical Substances

Mercury

Hydroquinone

Tretinoin

Alpha hydroxyl acids

Natural Substances

           Alternatives to hydroquinone:

Mitracarpus Scaber Extract

Uva ursi extract

Morus Bombycis

Licorice Extract

Azelaic acid

Vitamin C

           Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate

Kojic Acid

Niacinamide

Pomegranate Extract

Arbutin

Papaya

Emblica Officialis

Medical/Surgical Treatments

Laser Treatment

Cryosurgery

"Home-made" Methods

     Avoiding Exposure to the Sun

     Lemon Juice Extract

     Cucumber skin mask

     Tomato and lime juice brightening mask

     Exfoliate Paste

     Wheat flour Mask

Skin Color– Cultural Aspects and Social Status

The difference in skin color is the most visible distinction of humans. However, the social significance of differences in skin color has varied across cultures and over time.

Human skin color is quite variable around the world.  It ranges from a very dark brown among some Africans, Australians, and Melanesians to a near yellowish pink among some Northern Europeans.

Skin color is due primarily to the presence of a pigment called melanin. Both light and dark complexioned people have this pigment. Later on I will explain all about melanin and the role it plays in skin's color.

Before the mass global migrations of people during the last 500 years, dark skin color was mostly concentrated in the southern hemisphere near the equator and light color progressively increased further away.  Most of the lighter pigmented people lived in the northern hemisphere north of 20° latitude.

The preferred skin tone varies by culture and has varied over time. Many cultures have historically favored and continue to favor a lighter skin for women.

In Europe, before the 18th century, pale skin was preferred and was a sign of high social status. Only the poorer classes got darker skin from exposure to the sun, while the upper class stayed indoors and had light skin.       In Latin American countries where whites are a minority, light skin is associated with power, as well as attractiveness.      In ancient China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, pale skin was seen as a sign of wealth.     In India, dark skin is sometimes associated with a lower class status.

Exceptions to a preference for lighter skin have appeared in modern times in Western culture, where tanned skin is often considered more attractive.

So what is it this "skin color difference" and why it happened?

The answer for that question is in the next paragraph.

Most of the paragraph is pure medical/scientific information, so if you are getting bored reading this kind of stuff just gives it up and go directly to the successor paragraph (but I do recommend reading it).

Skin Anatomy

The skin is the body's largest organ, covering the entire outside of the body and weighing approximately six pounds (about 2.5kg). In addition to serving as a protective shield against heat, light, injury, and infection, the skin also:

·         Regulates body temperature.

·         Stores water, fat, and vitamin D.

·         Can sense painful and pleasant stimulation.

Throughout the body, the skin's characteristics vary (i.e., thickness, color, texture). For instance, the head contains more hair follicles than anywhere else, while the soles of the feet contain none. In addition, the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands have much thicker layers.

The skin is made up of the following layers, with each layer performing specific functions:

·         Epidermis

·         Dermis

·          Fat Layer

  

Epidermis:

The epidermis is the thin outer layer of the skin.  "epi" coming from the Greek meaning "over" or "upon".  It forms the waterproof, protective wrap over the body's surface. The epidermis itself is made up of three sub-layers:

·         stratum corneum (horny layer) - This layer contains continually shedding, dead keratinocytes (the primary cell type of the epidermis). The keratin, a protein formed from the dead cells, protects the skin from harmful substances.

·         keratinocytes (squamous cells) - This layer contains living keratinocytes (squamous cells), which help provide the skin with what it needs to protect the rest of the body.

·         basal layer - The basal layer is the inner layer of the epidermis, containing basal cells. Basal cells continually divide, forming new keratinocytes and replacing the old ones that are shed from the skin's surface.

The layers cells are formed at the innermost layers. They move up the strata, changing shape and composition as they differentiate and become filled with keratin. They eventually reach the top layer (stratum corneum) consisting of approximately 15-350 layers of dead cells strengthened and made water-resistant by the keratin. The dead cells are then sloughed off, or desquamated, which takes place within weeks.

The epidermis also contains melanocytes, which are cells that produce melanin (skin pigment), and we will discuss it widely since it is the main issue of our discussion.

Dermis:

The dermis is the middle layer of the skin, beneath the epidermis, that consists of connective tissue and cushions the body from stress and strain.

The dermis is made up of the following:

·         blood vessels

·         lymph vessels

·         hair follicles

·         sweet glands

·         collagen bundles

·         fibroblast

·         nerves

The dermis is held together by a protein called collagen, made by fibroblasts (skin cells that give the skin its strength and resilience). This layer also contains pain and touch receptors.

 

Hypodermis (Subcutaneous Tissue):

 

The hypodermis is not part of the skin, and lies below the dermis. Its purpose is to attach the skin to underlying bone and muscle as well as supplying it with blood vessels and nerves.

 

The hypodermis, consisting of a network of collagen and fat cells, helps conserve the body's heat while protecting other organs from injury by acting as a "shock absorber."

The hypodermis contains 50% of body fat. Fat serves as padding and insulation for the body.

OK, now we are ready to talk a little bit about Melanin and Skin Pigmentation.

 

Skin Pigmentation and the role of Melanin

Skin pigmentation is a factor of the amount of melanocytes in our skin and the amount of melanin that they create. 

Melanin is a pigment that is being found in most organisms. In humans, melanin is the primary determinant of skin color. It is also found in hair, in the iris of the eye, at the inner ear and some parts of the brain.

The melanin in the skin is produced by melanocytes, which are found in the basal layer of the Epidermis. Although, in general, human beings possess a similar concentration of melanocytes in their skin, the melanocytes in some individuals and ethnic groups more frequently or less frequently express the melanin-producing genes, thereby conferring a greater or lesser concentration of skin melanin.

Melanin serves not only to give us some color but also as a natural sun block. When the harmful ultraviolet radiation comes into contact with the skin, it could cause serious damage to the skin at a cellular level. However, with the presence of melanin, this problem is reduced because melanin reacts with radiation to form harmless heat. In the process, the melanin goes a shade darker because of a chemical reaction called oxidative stress – an incomplete oxidative reaction.

There are two forms of Melanin -- pheomelanin, which is red to yellow in color, and eumelanin, which is dark brown to black.  People with light complexioned skin mostly produce pheomelanin, while those with dark colored skin mostly produce eumelanin.

But for the determining the skin color, the much more important variable are the number and size of melanin particles.  In lighter skin, color is also affected by red cells in blood flowing close to the skin.  To a lesser extent, the color is affected by the presence of fat under the skin and carotene, a reddish-orange pigment in the skin.

So, now, that we understand almost everything about our skin color physiology let's see if something can be done about whitening it.

BUT,

In order to learn more about skin whitening you need to… buy the article.

"Why should I do so?" You are asking yourself,

"I can find all the information for free in the internet"

 you are may be right...

But,

You will find tons of disinformation, advertisements, nonsense and god-knows-what-else.

Here 
you will fined intelligent & reliable information, with no hidden motivations, or "I-what-to-sale-you-something-that-you-really-don’t-need" agenda.

And Here
you can find all the necessary information about the ingredients of the skin whitening lotions and creams,    information that I am not sure the manufacturers will be happy to share with you,

And here 
you can find some "do it yourself" methods that you are welcome to try at home free of charge.

And all of that for only $1.99 !!

Don’t you think that it worth it?

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