Patna, Sept. 28: The desire to look pretty has its risks as well. Residents of the state capital came face to face with such a predicament with the recovery of fake cosmetic products of a high-end brand from a popular supermarket.

While they fume and fret, skin specialists in the city shudder at the dangerous trend.

Dr Prasun Kumar Rai, a prominent skin specialist associated with Patna Medical College and Hospital, said in the case of fake cosmetics, the quality of the ingredients is very poor, as they contain harsh chemicals. Use them and they can lead to skin breakouts, rashes and allergies. As most duplicate brands do not mention the right ingredients, it’s often an uphill task for the dermatologists to treat the complications.

The specialist said: “The effectiveness of any beauty product depends solely on the ingredients that have been used in its production. Cheap and duplicate products can never deliver good results. Some of the cheaper ingredients may even be toxic and though they might not show any negative effects within the first few weeks of usage, over the long run, these are sure to leave one’s skin with serious dermatological problems and side effects.”

Rai added: “It’s not unlikely for one to experience irritation, allergy, inflammation and blemishes if one chooses to apply cheap beauty products . These creams may contain harsh chemicals and the poor-quality ingredients may lead to mild to severe skin reactions. Side effects like rashes, inflammations and skin irritation are temporary and may disappear but reactions like blemishes, contact dermatitis and scars may linger and can even last a lifetime.”

Skin experts said complex compounds and harsh chemicals found in the cheap beauty products rob our skin of moisture, leaving it dehydrated. Dr RKP Chaudhary, head of department, dermatology, PMCH, warned that if one continues to use cheap and fake creams, he/she might develop wrinkles and fine lines. The experts added that manufacturers of fake cosmetics compromise on the quality,, where the products are observed with regards to quality.

Worse still, manufactures of dubious beauty products use extra perfume to make a product attractive to the consumers. “Excess perfume can cause acne. The manufacturers often also use a creamy base. If one has an oily skin, the creamy base blocks the oil glands, resulting in breakouts,” warned a city-based dermatologist.