In many parts of Asia, fair skin is held up as ideal, and skin-lightening techniques have long been popular. Now, a new lightening method is making headlines thanks to a viral video of a man undergoing a skin-whitening procedure on his p enis. According to Newsweek, an employee at Bangkok's Lelux Hospital posted the video to Facebook earlier this week, where it quickly racked up millions of views.
French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that the clinic started offering the *****-whitening procedure, which, reportedly costs an equivalent of $650 for five sessions and uses lasers to break down melanin, last year. Now, Lelux Hospital claims it's hugely popular. "These days a lot of people are asking about it. We get around 100 clients a month, three to four clients a day," Bunthita Wattanasiri, a manager for the clinic's skin and laser department, told AFP. She said most patients who undergo the procedure are between 22 and 55 years old, and many are from the LGBTQ community.
The procedure is not risk-free. Wattanasiri told AFP that they "have to be careful because it's a sensitive part of the body." And the viral news was enough to elicit a response from Thailand's Public Health Ministry, which issued a warning against the procedure. "***** laser whitening is not necessary, wastes money and may give more negative effects than positive ones," Thongchai Keeratihuttayakorn, a physician for the Ministry, said in a statement reported by the BBC.
Darren Smith, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City, expanded on the risks. "The main problem is that these are fragile and sensitive areas of the body that can be prone to injury (e.g. burn)," he told Allure. "This is especially problematic as non-invasive procedures such as this are often adopted by under-qualified providers, as there is less regulation in place to protect the patient."
Beyond the health risks, the procedure could affect sexual feeling or enjoyment. "Aside from appearance-related complications from a burn, sensation can also be permanently diminished or eliminated," Smith said.
Of course, skin lightening is also pursued with less invasive methods, in Asia and around the world. Some companies like like Nivea (in Africa) and Thailand's Seoul Secret have come under fire internationally for selling products touting the superiority of light skin. The *****-whitening procedure has its critics, as well. "The obsession people nowadays can't embrace their own skin color," one Facebook user commented on the Lelux Hospital video, according to AFP. "Oh god what ever happened to the world?" wrote another
French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that the clinic started offering the *****-whitening procedure, which, reportedly costs an equivalent of $650 for five sessions and uses lasers to break down melanin, last year. Now, Lelux Hospital claims it's hugely popular. "These days a lot of people are asking about it. We get around 100 clients a month, three to four clients a day," Bunthita Wattanasiri, a manager for the clinic's skin and laser department, told AFP. She said most patients who undergo the procedure are between 22 and 55 years old, and many are from the LGBTQ community.
The procedure is not risk-free. Wattanasiri told AFP that they "have to be careful because it's a sensitive part of the body." And the viral news was enough to elicit a response from Thailand's Public Health Ministry, which issued a warning against the procedure. "***** laser whitening is not necessary, wastes money and may give more negative effects than positive ones," Thongchai Keeratihuttayakorn, a physician for the Ministry, said in a statement reported by the BBC.
Darren Smith, a board-certified plastic surgeon in New York City, expanded on the risks. "The main problem is that these are fragile and sensitive areas of the body that can be prone to injury (e.g. burn)," he told Allure. "This is especially problematic as non-invasive procedures such as this are often adopted by under-qualified providers, as there is less regulation in place to protect the patient."
Beyond the health risks, the procedure could affect sexual feeling or enjoyment. "Aside from appearance-related complications from a burn, sensation can also be permanently diminished or eliminated," Smith said.
Of course, skin lightening is also pursued with less invasive methods, in Asia and around the world. Some companies like like Nivea (in Africa) and Thailand's Seoul Secret have come under fire internationally for selling products touting the superiority of light skin. The *****-whitening procedure has its critics, as well. "The obsession people nowadays can't embrace their own skin color," one Facebook user commented on the Lelux Hospital video, according to AFP. "Oh god what ever happened to the world?" wrote another
