A significant number of domestic disputes reported in Mahiyanganaya are linked to women spending excessively on whitening beauty treatments using money earned by their husbands, according to investigations, said Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) G.W.B.S. Palipana of Badulla District Division 03 (Mahiyanganaya).
He made these remarks while addressing a programme held on 8 July at the Badulla Teaching Hospital to mark World Skin Health Day. The event, aimed at raising awareness among hospital staff, was organised by the Uva Clinical Society.
Commenting further, ASP Palipana observed a growing trend among young women in Mahiyanganaya striving to alter their natural skin tone.
“What we see today in Mahiyanganaya is not the same child we used to see before. Some young girls have an unnatural whiteness to their skin—something we never saw in this area previously,” he said. “They undergo beauty treatments that erase their natural beauty. Without any medical advice, pharmacies release cosmetic products on demand. This causes the natural skin tone of these children to fade. Not only girls, but mothers too are now trying to become fairer. I don’t know what drives them to change so drastically.”
He also warned of the health consequences of indiscriminate use of skin-whitening creams, noting that:
“Some people’s faces have become unrecognisable due to the use of these products—they’re disfigured.”
Highlighting the social impact, ASP Palipana said that such cosmetic obsessions are creating tension within families.
“There are people who come to the police after problems erupt in their households. Investigations reveal that in many cases, the wife spends the husband’s earnings excessively on expensive whitening beauty-related activities, leading to disputes,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, Consultant Dermatologist Dr Kasun Jayasinghe of the Badulla Teaching Hospital said that many women seek treatment at clinics after suffering side effects caused by using cosmetic products without medical supervision.
“We see numerous cases of adverse reactions caused by these unregulated beauty products,” he noted.
