Cosmetic: Acne,beauty cream an mercury poisoning
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Title:
Update: mercury poisoning associated with beauty cream–Arizona, California,
New Mexico, and Texas, 1996.
Source:
MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 45(29):633-5 1996 Jul 26
Abstract:
During September 1995-May 1996, the Texas Department of Health (TDH), the New
Mexico Department of Health (NMDH), and the San Diego County (California)
Health Department investigated three cases of mercury poisoning associated
with the use of a mercury-containing beauty cream produced in Mexico. The
ongoing investigation has found this product in shops and flea markets in the
United States located near the U.S.-Mexico border, and a U.S. distributor has
been identified in Los Angeles. The cream, marketed as "Crema de
Belleza–Manning" for skin cleansing and prevention of acne, listed "calomel"
(mercurous chloride [Hg2Cl2]) as an ingredient and contained 6% to 10% mercury
by weight. This report presents findings of a continuing investigation by
these health departments, the Arizona Dept of Health Services (ADHS),
California State Department of Health Services (CSDHS), the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), and CDC.
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Search for "(mercury and poisoning)" in Medscape’s free Full-Text Articles or
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Title:
[Chronic mercury poisoning from cosmetic creams (author’s transl)]
Author:
Summa JD
Source:
MMW Munch Med Wochenschr, 117(26):1121-4 1975 Jun 27
Abstract:
Two cases of chronic mercury poisoning are reported. Both patients had used a
skin cream containing mercury for years which contained the latter substance
in various strengths (3%-50%). The creams are commercially available, usually
in 20 g tin as a skin whitener or skin care preparation. According to the
regulations in force, preparations containing not more than 5% Hg in the form
of white precipitate can be freely obtained without prescription in drug-
stores and perhaps also in shops dealing in cosmetics. The limits of tolerance
at which the first symptoms of mercury poisoning may appear may perhaps have
been already reached by the regular use of freely purchasable preparations.
Language: Ger
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Title:
[Nail changes and loss of hair: cardinal signs of mercury poisoning from hair
bleaches (author’s transl)]
Author:
W¨ustner H; Orfanos CE; Steinbach H; K¨aferstein H; Herpers H
Source:
Dtsch Med Wochenschr, 100(34):1694-7, 1692 1975 Aug 22
Abstract:
In the German Federal Republic it has recently become known that generalised
disorders of chronic mercury poisoning (loss of weight, stomatitis, hearing
and sensory loss, emotional disturbances) have accompanied the cardinal signs
of nail discolouration and loss of hair. The mercury content of nails in such
patients was extremely high (1720 mg/l). The urinary level of mercury after
dimercaprol injection was 1.97 mg/l, about 400 times above the upper limit of
normal (0.005 mg/l). The poisoning was apparently caused by the use of
mercury-containing bleaches (about 5% and 6% Hg) which do not require
prescription and are marketed without any statement about composition or
possible side-effects. The cases are a warning against uncontrolled use of
external application of mercury-containing preparations.
Language Ger
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