For a lot of women, bleaching skin turns out to be the go-to practice to lighten the appearance of skin and mask blemishes. If you’re considering this procedure for your skin or hair before attending a party this weekend, you should know popular skin and wellness expert Dr Kiran Sethi has to say about the side effects of bleaching.

In a recent Instagram post, Dr Sethi highlighted that bleaching might not be the best way to add glow to your hair or skin. In fact , she deems it as a “hell to the no” option.

What is bleaching?

Bleaching is a commonly used cosmetic practice by people who desire a lighter complexion. Some people also use it to hide excess facial hair, apart from using it to lighten hair. It is a chemical dye technique to strip colour from your hair.

Whether it’s used on your skin or your hair, bleach is a harsh invader that breaks apart your hair proteins to remove colour.

Bleaching involves using chemicals like hydrogen peroxide on your skin to lighten and even out your skin tone. But due to its acidic nature, hydrogen peroxide can be quite harmful to your skin.

Side effects of bleaching skin

1. Skin dryness

Bleaching can cause your skin to become dry . While dry skin is usually harmless, it can sometimes lead to cracks in your skin, making it more prone to bacteria. Dry skin also increases the chance of getting rashes.

2. Irritated and sensitive skin

According to Dr Sethi, bleaching can make your facial hair less obvious and your skin brighter. “But in the long run you are making your skin way more irritated and sensitive,” she adds. Irritated and sensitive skin can lead to redness, acne breakouts, rashes, eczema etc.

As an alternative to bleaching for facial hair, Dr Sethi suggests laser hair removal. Or you could even try some natural ways to get rid of facial hair!

Side effects of bleaching hair

While it may add a certain style to your overall look, there may be harmful effects of bleaching hair. These include:

* Hair breakage:

Bleaching can cause you to have short, broken hair in your comb or shedding when you style. Your hair might have ragged and thinned ends. White spots on hair and split-ends can also be observed with the use of bleach for hair.

* Dryness

Dry hair does not have enough moisture and oil and therefore, loses its normal texture and sheen.

* Frizz

Frizzy hair tends to stand up or curl, not aligning with the rest of your hair. They might also appear dull and rough.

After considering all the cons of bleaching, maybe you should just be secure with the natural colour of your hair and skin.