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Skin lightening cream: an emerging medical challenge

Rebecca F Goldstein, Helena J Teede and Carolyn A Allan
Med J Aust 2012; 196 (11): . || doi: 10.5694/mja12.10215
Published online: 18 June 2012

To the Editor: A 24-year-old Sudanese woman presented to her general practitioner in 2011 with one month of fatigue, dizziness, abdominal distension and facial oedema. Hypocortisolaemia was present: morning cortisol, 13 nmol/L (reference interval [RI], 240–620 nmol/L), afternoon cortisol, 9 nmol/L (RI, 100–280 nmol/L).


  • Department of Endocrinology, Southern Health, Melbourne, VIC.


Correspondence: beckgoldstein@yahoo.com.au

Competing interests:

Carolyn Allan is a member of the Androgen Advisory Board and has received payment from Lilly. She has also received payment from Bayer Schering Novartis for delivering lectures.

  • 1. Mahé A, Blanc L, Halna JM, et al. An epidemiologic survey on the cosmetic use of bleaching agents by the women of Bamako (Mali). Ann Dermatol Venereol 1993; 120: 870-873.
  • 2. Hengge UR, Ruzicka T, Schwartz RA, et al. Adverse effects of topical glucocorticosteroids. J Am Acad Dermatol 2006; 54: 1-15.
  • 3. Olumide YM, Akinkugbe AO, Altraide D, et al. Complications of chronic use of skin lightening cosmetics. Int J Dermatol 2008; 47: 344-353.
  • 4. Allenby CF, Main RA, Marsden RA, et al. Effect on adrenal function of topically applied clobetasol propionate (Dermovate). Br Med J 1975; 4: 619-621.
  • 5. New Zealand Dermatological Society Incorporated. DermNet NZ. http://www.dermnetnz.org/treatments/topical-steroids.html (accessed Apr 2012).

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