The Health Ministry of India received a formal written request from the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists for the cause to stop the sales of non-prescribed corticosteroids. The Ministry too thinks that the sale of non-regulated fairness creams laced with steroid is not fair. A proposal from skin specialists is now considered by the CDSCO. The suggestion is to check on the sales of Corticosteroids in the fairness creams causing health hazards.
The task force of Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and Leprologists wanted the sales of corticosteroids to stopped completely unless there is an prescription. The national scientific coordinator of the pharmacovigilance programme (PvPI) and head of the Department of Pharmacology, AIIMS – Dr YK Gupta said “The petition has raised the issue related to the indiscriminate sale of corticosteroids without prescription in India due to the unregulated market, and also makes an effort to sensitize common people about the risks associated with their use”
To be lovely and fair is is becoming a craze among South East Asia especially Indians. An Delhi based Dermatologist, Dr. Deepali Bhardwaj warned, “Applying steroids on skin can induce Rosacea (facial redness) and can also cause permanent thinning of skin, hypo pigmentation, hirsuitism (hair growth), make the skin look transparent and hence the blood vessels become more visible there. Also, it can lead to diabetes over prolonged periods of time too”. A survey is to be planned on the adverse effects of cosmetics containing corticosteroids by PvPI. Proper checks on the advertisements of the cosmetics has also to be done.
Despite of being not approved, the abused steroids are widespread in the Indian cosmetics market. The Drug Controller General of India, Dr GN Singh said that based on the current scenerio, several changes in the Drugs and Cosmetics Act has been recently made. India is going to have more stringent regulations on fairness creams. The current practice of cosmetics regulations and its process of applying is detailed in – Step by Step Process of Cosmetic Registration in India