Facts, Traditions, and Complications of Skin Whitening Products among Female Students in Sudan: A Cross-Sectional Study

The increased use of skin whitening products serves as a significant challenge for the health care unit. The progressive use of the whitening products exposes individuals to various risk factors and skin-related complications. This study aims to determine the usage of skin-whitening products among female students at Ibn Sina University, Sudan. It further intends to assess the complications and risk factors that may emerge due to the increased use of skin whitening products. It used a descriptive cross-sectional design following a questionnaire-based survey approach. The data was collected from 138 females (age 17 to 25 years), which was statistically analyzed. The results revealed that 47.4% of the population used skin-whitening products, where 58.8% were aged 20-22 years. It revealed a significant association of marital status (p-value, 0.010) and belief (p-value, 0.001) with the use of skin whitening products. It concludes that increased usage of skin-whitening products leads to the occurrence of various complications. It stresses introducing educational and preventive programs to mitigate the use of harmful products.