Volume 61, Issue 339, September - December 2025

The prevalence, risk factors and predictors of use of bleaching creams in children: a neglected topical issue

Busayo Ologun^1♦, Kazeem Amoo¹, Khalimat Moradeyo¹, Wandoo Ogra¹, Mufutau Oripelaye^1,2

¹Department of Paediatrics, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife. Osun State, Nigeria
²Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

^♦Corresponding Author
Dr. Busayo Gideon Ologun, Department of Paediatrics, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Skin bleaching has been a common practice over the decades globally with its attendant local, and systemic complications. Several authors have investigated the practice of skin bleaching among the adult population. But there is a paucity of data among the paediatric age group as regards this practice. This study aims to look at the prevalence, associated factors and the likely predictors of use of bleaching creams among children attending the out-patient clinic of the Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa, South-west Nigeria. This was a crosssectional observational study conducted among 300 children attending the paediatric outpatient clinic of the Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa, South-west Nigeria. Data obtained include: sociodemographic variables, types of cream being used by both the children and their mothers, duration of use, mothers’ preference for skin color, and mothers’ knowledge on skin bleaching. This study found that 29.3% of the children were using bleaching creams. The Median (IQR) duration of using skin-lightening creams was 14 (6-59) months. Moreso, 52.0% of the mothers were using bleaching creams. Factors that were found to be significantly associated with use of bleaching cream on the were: maternal use of bleaching creams, mothers’ preference for light skin color, reasons for using the creams and mothers’ perception of the type of skin color that confers beauty (P 0.000, 0.001, 0.007 and 0.001respectively). Awareness of side effects of skin bleaching creams and sociodemographic variables were not significantly associated with the use of skin bleaching creams on the study participants. Beta-carotene extracts and hydroquinone were the commonly used skin bleaching agents. Significant factors that predicted the use of bleaching creams on children in this study were the use of bleaching cream by the mothers, reasons for using the creams and the skin color preferred by the mothers. Health education of the care givers on the danger of skin bleaching on children would likely go a long way to mitigate this societal menace.

Keywords: skin, bleaching, lightening, children

Discovery, 2025, 61, e27d3201

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v61i339.e27d3201

Published: 12 December 2025