Skin Whitening Treatment Causes Chronic Kidney Disease in Chinese Woman After 2 Months

The 30-year-old woman, identified only by her surname Wang, had mercury poisoning that resulted in her chronic kidney disease.

Wang received regular, cheap whitening treatments from a Nanjing salon for two months before she began to feel the horrible side effects of the “fast acting” medication, including memory loss and swelling in her arms and legs, according to Chinese media, as translated by Shanghaiist.

It was revealed in a test conducted by a local hospital that the mercury in her urine was ten times the normal level, proving the doctor’s suspicion that toxic mercury exposure was the main cause of her chronic kidney disease and is now undergoing hemodialysis.

Mercury, used in most of whitening products, blocks melanin production, giving the skin and hair its pigmentation. This cheap but effective ingredient was reportedly banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1990.

Poor cosmetic products quality often have incredibly high levels of mercury that pose severe harm to consumers, with prolonged exposure causing damage to a person’s nervous system as well as kidneys.

Other symptoms include, severe mood swings such as irritability and emotional changes, insomnia, headache muscle twitching, tremors and even weakness.

Images via People.cn