CLEAR, fair and even-toned skin — which girl would not want it? What more it only costs you RM50 a jab. Yup, we are talking about Vitamin C therapy, described by some as the quick and cheap ‘fix-it’ to look good and the answer for many skin problems.
But for Dr Satvinder S. Callay, an anaesthetist and anti-aging consultant, the real scenario is totally different.
At his clinic in Taman Danau Desa, almost 50 per cent of his patients seek treatment to repair the damages done by the ‘therapy’.
“Most of the time, I would be treating the patients and most of them obtained the injections from beauticians and unqualified practitioners,” he said.
He said Vitamin C ‘therapy’ for beauty purposes is not new as the treatment has been available in Malaysia for the past eight years.
“The demand for this therapy has increased tremendously over the years and now, there are thousands of doctors and beauticians providing the treatment,” he said.
“But not many consumers are aware that obtaining the injections from unqualified practitioners would bring the opposite results.”
He said he had patients turning up at his clinic with scars and patches on their skin after taking the injections elsewhere.
“People are not aware that almost 80 per cent of what’s in the market are of suspected quality,” he said.
“Most of the Vitamin C formulas for the therapy come from France, Italy, Spain and Germany but there are also dubious formulas from China and Thailand.”
Dr Satvinder claimed that some manufacturers even mix the formula with water or glucose.
“Those who suffer from diabetes will be surprised to find that their sugar level has shot up,” he said.
He also claimed that some places employ doctors from China and beauticians from Indonesia to administer the therapy.
Dr Satvinder said it is time for the authorities to look into the matter.
“We have to wake up and face the fact that it has become a problem. We must not sweep this issue under the carpet,” he said.
“We cannot stop people from seeking the therapy but with accurate information, they can have a better judgment and make the right decision.”
MM says: Beauty with a price, huh?
Treatment has no proven benefits
| LAST year, Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican had said that Vitamin C injections, administered intravenously, were of no real benefit. |
He had also said that women especially were being duped into parting with their money by people making baseless claims.
Dr Ismail had said that the perception that Vitamin C helps overall wellness needed to be proven by facts.
“However, the public’s craze for fair skin and their willingness to pay for a ‘quick fix’ has made Vitamin C injections popular over the years,” said Malaysian Association of Cosmetologists president, Ruby Siah.
“As far as I know, those people who have gone to qualified practitioners for the injections are happy with the results.”
She said Vitamin C is known to inhibit the production of melanin and when administered through injections, it goes right into the blood stream and is effective and beneficial for the skin.
“However, beauticians can only work on the epidermal layer of the skin,” she said.
“Anything beyond that is beyond their expertise.”
Does it work for everyone?
| AMELIA (not her real name) had always yearned for clear and fair skin. |
She felt it would make her more confident when meeting and dealing with people, a routine part of her job.
When a close friend told her about Vitamin C injections, she was ready to give it a try, especially after seeing the difference it had made on her friend’s complexion.
“I spoke to my doctor about it and after he assured me that it was safe, I started taking the injections,” said the 32-year-old marketing executive.
She was initially given the jabs on her arm twice a week, and eventually it was reduced to once a week. Later, the treatment was administered once a month.
“It cost me about RM500 a month because when I started the therapy in 2004, it was still a fairly new procedure and thats why it was expensive,” said Amelia.
She continued the treatment for one year and to her delight, people started commenting that she looked fairer and that her skin had a more even tone.
But Amelia eventually stopped the therapy because the injections were painful.
“My skin still looks good and I have not suffered any side effects from the therapy,” she said.
“I believe it was all right for me because I consulted a doctor and read up about the procedures. I did not just jump into it because a friend recommended it.”
But it was a different scenario for Amirah Sanizah, a 26-year-old air stewardess, from Petaling Jaya.
She tried the therapy two years ago after hearing about it from a cousin.
“I have dark circles under my eyes and my cousin said the therapy might help lighten them,” she said.
Amirah bought six bottles of the formula for RM360 and had one injection every week from a doctor.
“But after six weeks, I didn’t see any results so I gave up.”
NCCC di Pentas Media 
