Penis whitening in Thailand gets around 100 clients per month

The New Year has brought new beauty trends, with many willing to undergo some unique procedures. A new trend in Thailand is taking social media by storm, taking skin whitening to the next level with the penis as the target spot.

A clinic in Bangkok, Thailand is offering penis whitening service. It has reportedly drawn 100 men per month to give it a shot.

The Lelux Hospital is known for its body whitening expertise. Some months ago, one of its male customers expressed concern about “dark parts” on his private part. That was when the clinic began to offer the procedure.

The controversial method utilises a very small laser. Skin and Laser department manager Bunthita Wattanasiri told Agence France-Presse that many people are asking about the procedure these days and that they are getting around 100 clients per month, three to four daily.

Most of the clients are aged 22 to 55 years old. Many are said to be from the LGBTI community.

Popol Tansakul, Lelux’s marketing manager, told dpa that they utilise the same pigmentation laser equipment employed in other skin treatments. He added that all of the equipment got certification (by Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health). It is not the first time the hospital offered services intended for sensitive body parts. Last year, it offered a procedure in which a female customer’s own body fat is used to make genitalia plumper.

Authorities, however, have expressed concerns about service. Health Service Support Department deputy director-general Dr Thongchai Keeratihuttayakorn pointed out that the skin in private body parts is sensitive, The Nation reports.

A photo of a man said to be undergoing the penis whitening treatment circulated on social media. The procedure was even televised on Thai media.

Netizens were quick to react to it, with one Facebook user saying that people nowadays can’t embrace their own skin colour. “Oh god! Whatever happened to the world?” another wrote.

The fair-skinned beauty ideal is embedded within Asian culture. In some countries, making one’s skin look white is the trend. It is contrary to other parts of the world where beauty standards push people to seek a tanned glow.