Intravenous Glutathione for Skin Whitening: Safety Analysis in Healthy Individuals
Sami AlsuwaidanBackground:
Intravenous glutathione (GSH), an antioxidant, is increasingly used for skin whitening in several countries. However, safety data are limited in the literature.
Purpose:
We aim to investigate the clinical and laboratory safety of intravenous GSH administration in healthy individuals.
Methods:
A prospective study was conducted through the recruitment of healthy female individuals after fulfilling the following inclusion criteria: age more than 18 years, not on any medical or herbal medicine, not suffering from any chronic diseases, and having normal baseline laboratory investigations (complete blood count, alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase [AST], urea, and creatinine). Participants received intravenous GSH weekly for 10 weeks. Baseline clinical and laboratory assessments were performed at week 0 and again at week 11 (1 week after the last injection). Further clinical assessments were performed biweekly (at weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10).
Results:
Of the 140 female individuals recruited, 93 completed the study. Clinically, no adverse events were reported, except for a single urticarial reaction in one participant. All laboratory results were normal at week 11, except for one participant with mildly elevated AST, which subsequently resolved spontaneously. The main reason patients were excluded from the study was missing post-injection blood tests at week 11.
Conclusion:
Intravenous administration of GSH was safe at both the clinical and laboratory levels in a short-term follow-up.