Nanjing woman diagnosed with kidney disease after 2 months using skin whitening cosmetics

Beware the cheap pursuit of beauty

A 30-year-old Nanjing woman surnamed Wang has been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease caused by mercury poisoning from sustained use of cheap skin whitening cosmetics, local media reported on Friday.

In China, where a pale, unblemished complexion is associated with female beauty, the cosmetics market has long capitalized on the widespread pursuit of whiteness.

Poor quality whitening agents often contain astronomical levels of mercury, which in the short-term blocks melanin production, but with prolonged high exposure causes severe damage to the nervous system and the kidneys.

After an initial allergic reaction to the “fast acting” whitening treatment she received regularly for two months at a Nanjing salon, Wang experienced memory loss and swelling in her arms and legs.

Testing at a local hospital revealed that she had ten times the normal level of mercury in her urine, confirming her doctor’s suspicions that toxic mercury exposure had caused extensive damage to her kidneys.