PHNOM PENH: The wife of well-known Cambodian comedian Neay Pekmi is in the hospital following a dangerous skin lightening procedure at an unlicensed beauty center in Phnom Penh. Neay Pekmi, whose real name is Chem Chandara, posted on his personal Facebook page that his wife, Chea Sothim, was in the emergency room for two days after she was injected with whitening serum at a beauty center called "S88 Beauty" on Street 53 in Phnom Penh’s Daun Penh district.

Skin whitening products and procedures are common in Asia and especially in Cambodia. By 2027, the skin whitening industry is projected to be worth over $24 billion dollars as men and women alike use products from an industry that is largely unregulated. Whitening products often contain toxic ingredients such as arsenic, lead and mercury-all of which are listed in the top ten chemicals of major public health concern published by the World Health Organization. Mercury is especially dangerous as it can have toxic effects on the nervous, digestive and immune systems, and on lungs, kidneys, skin and eyes.

In a post from Wednesday, August 2, Neay Pekmi posted about his wife’s situation and asked, “Who are the owners of all 13 S88 Beauty branches?” Authorities closed the Phsar Thmei Branch of the beauty clinic the following evening, stating that the location was not licensed by the Ministry of Health. There is no word on the other 12 branches of the beauty clinic.

In March, Phnom Penh Governor Khuong Sreng signed a MoU with the Ministry of Health, urging them to inspect beauty clinics for best practices following the death of a woman who underwent cosmetic surgery in the Daun Penh district earlier that month. At that meeting, he said, “We cannot let patients die before we inspect and close the business.” Two months later, another woman died after a botched liposuction procedure on Diamond Island.