What is the ruling on skin whitening; is it forbidden or permissible?

Skin bleaching operations are of two types: The first is for seeking perfection and increasing beauty, and this is impermissible, because it is an alteration of Allah's creation and is akin to tattooing, the doer of which is cursed. The second is for removing a defect, such as black spots, and this is permissible because it falls under the category of removing defects.