Skin lightening cream induced dermatitis and atrophy

We present the case of a Malian woman who had been using skin-lightening creams for an excess of 5 years. On presentation to our clinic she had multiple areas of atrophy and striae with erythema. She had been using a topical estrogen cream over all effected areas for two weeks. We present this case to draw attention to the serious problem of widespread and unregulated use of skin lightening creams in Africa. Herein we include a review of the literature on the prevalence of the problem as well as associated side effects of commonly implicated medications.