Systemic complications during voluntary cosmetic depigmentation among women in Togo: A case-control study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to document the systemic complications of skin bleaching among women in Togo. METHODS: This was a case-control study conducted between December 2009 and December 2013. Cases comprised of women using skin-bleaching products for at least 6 months and age-matched with non-users (±3 years). RESULTS: We recruited a total of 150 women using skin-bleaching and matched them with 300 controls. Univariate analysis revealed a correlation between systolic hypertension (OR=2.56; 95% CI: 1.68-3.92), diastolic hypertension (OR=1.89; 95% CI: 1.17-3.05), hyperglycaemia (OR=1.5; 95% CI: 1.2-9, 65) and obesity (OR=1.68; 95% CI: 1.08-2.62) with the use of skin-bleaching products. Multivariate analysis revealed a correlation between skin bleaching and both systolic hypertension (OR=3.94; 95% CI: 1.59-3.75) and obesity (OR=2.88; 95% CI: 1.23-5.69). CONCLUSION: The results of our study show the existence of a correlation between voluntary cosmetic depigmentation, hypertension and obesity in Togo.