The popularity of whitening injections among young women can be largely attributed to actress Da S. In her 2007 book Exposing Female Celebrities: Beauty Queen 2, she revealed that Taiwanese actresses possess over twenty high-tech beauty "secret weapons." Among these, the key to maintaining fair skin and avoiding sun damage lies in injecting a high-tech cosmetic product known as the "whitening injection."
Now, a simple online search reveals an overwhelming flood of whitening injection advertisements, each promise more enticing than the last: "Want to be fair, rich, and beautiful? Try whitening injections," "Whitening injections: the snow-white secret of fair, rich, and beautiful women," "Whitening injections make it easy to become fair, rich, and beautiful," and so on.
Do whitening injections actually work? Are there side effects? Let's hear what some renowned plastic surgery experts in our province have to say.
"Whitening injections" lack a standardized formula and have never been certified by drug regulatory authorities.The earliest promotional claims about whitening injections originated from beauty clinics in regions like Taiwan and Japan, though the formulations and treatment protocols varied widely. To date, there remains no academically recognized standard formula for whitening injections.Shen Jianguo from the Hangzhou Food and Drug Administration Office stated that regulatory authorities have never certified or introduced any branded "whitening injection" products. Any medical institution claiming to use a specific brand or imported whitening injections is definitely operating illegally.
In other words, "whitening injections" currently offered by medical institutions or doctors are either self-formulated by the institutions or sourced through unofficial channels. Self-formulated whitening injections cannot be considered counterfeit drugs as long as the pharmaceutical ingredients in their formulas are officially approved by drug regulatory authorities. However, whitening injections imported through unofficial channels are definitely illegal.
"Whitening injections" are not high-tech—their four main ingredients are common drugs
In her book, S refers to whitening injections as high-tech beauty treatments, which mystifies them.
Xu Jinghong, Director of Plastic Surgery at Zhejiang University First Affiliated Hospital and doctoral supervisor in plastic surgery at Zhejiang University, explains that while whitening injections lack an academically recognized standard formula, they follow a commonly used, publicly available industry formula containing four key components:
Reduced glutathione: Clinically used as an adjunct medication for digestive system disorders and liver disease, it aids bodily detoxification and supports cellular antioxidant defense;
Tranexamic acid: An antihemorrhagic agent commonly used to control abnormal bleeding after surgery, it also inhibits melanin enzyme activity to reduce pigment formation;
Additionally, the formula includes high-dose vitamin C and B vitamins, primarily vitamin B6.
"The tranexamic acid here is precisely the 'tranexamic acid' that Da S made sound miraculous," said Director Xu Jinghong. He has prescribed whitening injections at the hospital using these prescription drugs, dosed according to individual weight and administered intravenously via drip.
"Although our hospital offers injectable whitening treatments, I personally do not recommend them. Every year, I have to refuse many requests for these injections because their efficacy is simply too inconsistent. Generally, it's only when patients insist and we confirm their physical suitability that we prescribe treatment."
The proven efficacy of whitening injections falls below that of placebo distilled water
Director Xu Jinghong stated that over the past six years, he has received requests for whitening injections from one or two individuals nearly every day. However, he has only approved prescriptions for a few hundred people during this period. Based on his clinical experience, only about 20% of cases show clear efficacy—lower than the 30% "placebo effect" rate. The longest-lasting results after injection persist for nearly two years.
The so-called "placebo effect" refers to treatment using formulations containing no active pharmacological ingredients. Placebos resemble genuine medications in appearance but are essentially distilled water, starch tablets, or similar substances. The placebo effect typically yields less than 30% efficacy.
"These clinical efficacy data are based on two premises: first, the recipients were individuals I had screened and estimated might respond to the treatment; second, they all combined the whitening injections with Chinese herbal medicine. The herbal medicine regimen lasted 3-6 weeks, paired with 8-12 sessions of whitening injections per course."
The most timely and definitive advice:Whitening injections are completely ineffective in summer. Whitening injections work by inhibiting melanin formation. For instance, reduced glutathione in the formula theoretically reduces melanin granule formation by suppressing tyrosinase metabolism. Less melanin naturally leads to some spot-reducing and whitening effects. Medically, ingredients like tranexamic acid and vitamin C also possess whitening properties.
However, Director Xu cautions that summer is absolutely not the time for whitening injections. The intense UV exposure during this season overwhelmingly dominates melanin production, rendering the injections ineffective. There's no point in getting them now—they simply won't work.
Whitening injections are ineffective for naturally dark-skinned individuals seeking to reduce pigmentation spots.
Furthermore, Xu Jinghong states that whitening injections are ineffective for those with inherently dark skin.
The distinction between natural darkness and sun-induced tanning lies in genetics: naturally dark skin results from genetically determined higher numbers and density of melanocytes within the skin. To illustrate with an extreme example, Caucasians will never become African Americans no matter how much sun exposure they receive;A person with naturally fair skin can return to their original tone after tanning because skin cells undergo metabolism—old melanocytes die off while new cells regenerate. While the skin may not regain its original whiteness, post-treatment care can help. Michael Jackson's transformation from black to "white" wasn't achieved through whitening injections but due to vitiligo.
"Inherently dark skin is difficult to reverse, and currently, no solution exists in the field of medical aesthetics—neither through medication nor laser treatments. The theoretical whitening effect of whitening injections works by inhibiting oxidative reactions and enhancing enzymatic processes to block melanin formation, making them more suitable for post-sun exposure repair."
"Individuals experiencing sallow complexions or dark spots due to poor sleep or excessive stress may find these injections beneficial;Others who wish to accelerate skin lightening after summer tanning may also use them. However, this group would gradually lighten even without injections."
Are whitening injections safe?
"The key reason whitening injections lack academic recognition isn't their side effects, but the difficulty in quantifying their actual benefits."Based on my clinical experience, I have yet to encounter cases of severe side effects," said Director Xu, "though this assumes the formulation and dosage are applied scientifically."
For instance, when treating gastric or hepatic conditions, the recommended therapeutic dose of reduced glutathione is one vial per session. However, for "whitening injections," two vials are typically administered per session, never exceeding four vials, as higher doses may increase hepatic and renal burden.Vitamin C also cannot be administered in large quantities, with 5 grams per session being the norm. Higher doses increase the risk of kidney stones, necessitating caution for patients with a history of kidney stones. Furthermore, tranexamic acid itself has hemostatic effects and should not be used in patients with pre-existing hypercoagulable states. Additionally, women who undergo frequent, long-term blood injections may experience reduced menstrual flow, and in severe cases, cardiovascular hardening.
Wu Sufan, Director of Plastic Surgery at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, also approaches whitening injections with great caution. His department does not offer whitening injection treatments: "Whitening injections remain an experimental method for reducing pigmentation and skin lightening. Since they are administered via intravenous drip, safety and side effects warrant particularly close monitoring. Moreover, the varying formulations across hospitals make it difficult to draw definitive conclusions about their side effects.Whether this method can become an academically recognized formal treatment requires extensive further research. Personally, I do not endorse whitening injections."
Japan and South Korea are also countries where fair skin is valued, with highly developed cosmetic surgery industries. Medical institutions there also offer whitening injection treatments. However, similar to China, their health authorities do not approve whitening injection products.