I’m an avid reader of your beauty column. Your beauty advice interests me a lot and so I want to hear your opinion about glutathione injections. Do you think it’s safe despite the news that it has several adverse effects? I know a lot of people still use glutathione injection as part of their beauty practice. What’s your take on this?

As common as glutathione products have become, apparently there is still so much we don’t know about it. I’m not quite sure what news you’ve been hearing regarding its adverse effects, but I know there have been a lot of naysayers about the product.

Powerful antioxidant

Glutathione is generally very good for us. Our body actually produces it (and doesn’t seem to make enough of it), and we need it to fight off toxins and free radicals. Doctors have claimed it to be one of the most powerful antioxidants, allowing us to stay healthy, ward off diseases and even inhibit aging.

It protects the body by capturing all the bad elements that make us sick and flushing them out. Aside from that, it has been known to prevent heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, autism, liver problems and dementia.

Now, after reading all these great things about glutathione, how did it get such a bad rap? Well, it may have something to do with its entry into the beauty market. The explosion of “glutha” products made it available in every form, shape and size, with prices ranging from moderate to very affordable. Soon enough, people started to question the efficacy of the product, and stories about its negative effects began to surface.

I asked my dermatologist, Dr. Ellaine Eusebio-Galvez, about it, and she told me it most likely originated from fake glutathione products that have been going around. It was hard to grasp the idea of something fake going inside your body. These, of course, didn’t deliver the promised effects, and worse, might have had strong and adverse reactions on its users.

Whiter skin

When it comes to glutathione injections, as much as it may seem like an extreme thing to do in the name of beauty, it is good for you. This is based on experience, as I initially started the treatment as a means to get whiter skin. What I realized, though, was that its effects on my body and health far outweighed my cosmetic aspirations.

Yes, if you have yourself injected with a high dose of glutathione twice weekly, your skin will become white. It is really one of its effects. But when I started taking smaller doses with longer days in-between injections, my skin didn’t get so eerily pale, but instead had a rosy glow to it. My skin was clear, my immune system was up, and I felt stronger and healthier.

If you ask my opinion, I say glutathione is good for you. But be wary about where you buy it and where you have treatments or injections done. Also, no matter how good the product is, it should not be abused or taken in heavy doses.

Got a beauty question? E-mail the author at ask.kellymisa @gmail.com.