Glutathione and social media

Glutathione is an antioxidant capable of preventing damage to important cellular components, like free radicals.

A prominent side effect is hypopigmentation or loss of skin pigment or color (nakakaputi). The Philippine Food and Drug Administration has issued warnings on its use for cosmetic purposes, especially intravenously.

Seeing the photo of a senator’s wife having her IV infusion in her husband’s Senate office for cosmetic enhancement is shocking.

Mariel Padilla looks very healthy so her IV drip is meant to make her skin whiter. I really don’t know whose idea it was to put that photo on social media, which a lot of Filipinos are apt to believe in. So this is a bad influence.

We used to elect officials who are statesmen/stateswomen, but I guess we just have to blame the electorate. Too sad that our culture still believes in “colorism,” and that the lighter your skin, the higher your status is in the community.

We should be happy with the color of our skin. As brown people or people of color, we don’t develop wrinkles earlier than those in the West so we look younger, and the incidence of skin cancer is low.

Maganda ang balat na kayumanggi.

Ida M. Tiongco, M.D., FAAD,

idationgco@gmail.com