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" Just when I thought I&amp;#039;d heard it all about the ways women try to &amp;quot;prettify&amp;quot; their private parts, this latest trend surfaced: Some women are using skin-lightening products to change the color of their nipples, vulva, and anus. Whose bright idea was this? It&amp;#039;s completely normal for the areola, and the other aforementioned lady parts, to be darker. Besides exaggerating women&amp;#039;s body insecurities and sending the message that they are inadequate or need to be &amp;quot;fixed,&amp;quot; these products can cause allergic reactions and, in certain cases, permanent discoloration like dark or light skin patches. Some research has even suggested a possible link to cancer. Not worth it!  Hilda Hutcherson, M.D., is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University&amp;#039;s College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City and the author of Pleasure. Send your questions to her at askhilda@redbookmag.com. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.redbookmag.com/body/health-fitness/advice/a14411/skin-bleaching/>