TUMPAT: Many teenage girls have been found to use cheap and easily available beauty products that do not have approval from the Ministry of Health (MOH) which are harmful to their skin and facial structure.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon from Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital (HUSM) School of Medical Sciences, Dr Siti Fatimah Noor Mat Johar said the teenagers were found to have facial skin problems due to the use of facial cleansers and moisturisers that contained prohibited ingredients.
She said the deluge of such products is worrying as HUSM’s Reconstructive Science Unit has been receiving patients who suffer from facial skin problems after using products containing steroids which can be toxic at high levels.
She said these products provide no information on the content and ingredients used and are easily available at retail stores.
“Products like these are normally produced using ingredients bought in bulk from Thailand or Indonesia,“ he told reporters after attending a talk on cosmetic safety titled “Beautiful Me with Safe Cosmetics”, here today.
Elaborating, Dr Siti Fatimah said they have also received reports about unregistered beauty clinics offering Vitamin C injections to diminish wrinkles.
“Clinics that offer this kind of treatment usually claim to be qualified to provide jabs after a few months of studying beauty courses in Korea or Thailand,” she said.
She advised teenagers to choose beauty products that have been approved by the MOH because if they use unsafe products the possibility for them to suffer permanent scars and damage to the facial structure is high.-Bernama
