These cosmetic products are being imported from neighboring countries by the profiteers without realizing the side effects as a result of using such substandard and non recommended products, said Dr Dharam Deve Rathi when approached by APP with query about the reason of increasing skin and hair diseases.

He said that the skin and hair diseases among women are on rise as a result of frequent use of substandard cosmetic products, which are available in local markets without any certification from authorities concerned.

Dr Dharam Deve Rathi said that there was a dearth of skin specialists in the country as there were only 800 professors or skin specialists for treatment of over 180 million populations in the country.

He said that the dearth of skin specialists was giving rise to the quackery as most of barbers and beauticians were joining the fray as skin specialists and ultimately damaging the skin of ladies and men in the name of treating and polishing the skin. He informed that beauticians and barbers, who are involved in treating the skin, have been damaging skin of their clients in most of beauty parlors and barber shops, Dharam Deve added.

He said that the women particularly adults have developed phenomena of making their skin fair with healthy hairs which forced them to use cosmetic products irrespective of the fact that whether these products are suitable for their skin and hairs or not, he said and added that they are inspired with the advertisements of non branded companies being telecast at different television channels with guarantee that the use of these products can made them more beautiful with fair skin and healthy hairs with minimum time, Dhram Dev said.

He said that due to high prices of branded cosmetic products, the majority of women have no choice except to purchase non branded products which usually grip them in skin and hairs diseases instead to provide required results.

He further informed that these non-certified and unbranded cosmetic products are easily available in cosmetic shops which have mushroom growth as a result of high earning of profits from these products.

The owners of these cosmetic shops can earn profit with margin of 200 to 300 percent as compared to certified and branded products which provides them seven to ten percent profit, he said and added that it is the main reason that shopkeepers prefers to sale non certified and unbranded cosmetic products, said Skin Specialist.

Dr Dharam Dev Rathi suggested the women should avoid of becoming influence with the advertisement as use such non certified and unbranded cosmetic products can only increase complications in their skins and hairs instead to settle their issues.

He advised people to take excessive water, use fresh juices, fruits and vegetables to avoid skin diseases.

He said that the weather of any country was reflected in the skin of its people, saying that Pakistan being a warm country, people should not go out in the sun frequently and use sun block to save themselves from skin problems. He said that the use of medicines especially those of blood pressure and TB also caused pimples.

He regretted that there was hardly any programme dedicated to health issues on any of the TV channels in the country, adding that there must be programmes of health issues to create awareness among the people about prevention, control and treatment of different diseases.