"Most places offer the initial application at the spa for about $100-150, then sell you a set of the bleaching lotion or gel to use at home. The whole in-spa process takes about 20 minutes, one Sacramento technician told us. Depending on how dark your skin is, you may need to reapply a number of times to see results. One Los Angeles spa even said that for some people they recommend applying it twice a week for up to eight weeks."

~ Cosmopolitan

"Much to my ignorance, bleaching one's anus (I guess to bring it back to its budlike, puckish pink) has become an obsession far beyond the young jet set and the detail-oriented gay community. These days, anal-bleaching creams can be purchased as easily as cough drops."

~ Marie Claire

"The safe pigment reducers are vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin A, and vitamin B3 (niacin). Other herbs like emblica and licorice, and fruit acids like glycolic acid, also work. Beware, however, because the most common skin lightener, hydroquinone, is not uniformly safe. It's been banned in Europe and the FDA has proposed to ban it in the US. Hydroquinone may cause cancer and it causes rashes and can even darken the skin."

~ The Dr. Oz Show