Ravi Shankar, Subish P.
Fair skin in South Asia: an obsession?.
J Pak Assoc Derma Jan ;17(2):100-4.

Fairness creams are a fact of life over much of South Asia. They are over the counter products and are available without a prescription. Doctors and especially dermatologists have an important role to play. They should educate patients that black is also beautiful and skin colour is not the sole arbiter of beauty. The concept of an ideal body image being propagated through the media should be countered. The mechanism of action of these creams can be explained to patients and the public. Dermatologists as learned and respected members of society can lead a debate on the issue of fairness creams and skin whitening. This is a review article.

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