Some people believe lightening their skins make them more beautiful and hence go into bleaching, whitening or toning.
TUNDE OGUNTOLA in this piece, writes on the health
hazards of skin lightening as it is not just all about skin bleaching
but also what comes after.
Bleaching is the process of whitening
or lightening any material by the use of chemicals. While, skin
bleaching basically involves using chemicals to lighten skin tone or
provide an even skin complexion by lessening the concentration of
melanin in the human skin.
Melanin is responsible for giving
black colouring in the human skin. When skin bleaching cream is applied
of the body, the effectiveness of the pigment is hindered.
According
to the World Health Organization (WHO), 77 per cent of Nigerian women
use skin-lightening products, the world’s highest percentage. That
compares with 59 per cent in Togo, and 27 per cent in Senegal. The
reasons for this are varied but most people say they use skin-lighteners
because they want “white skin” and look more beautiful.
Research
shows that it is not only women though who are obsessed with bleaching
their skins. Some men too are involved in the practice.
There are
various reasons why people bleach their skins to become whiter than
they were before which include among others: low self-esteem, self-hate,
peer group and quest for beauty, because in many parts of Africa,
lighter-skinned women are considered more beautiful and are believed to
be more successful and likely to find marriage.
The numbers of
people that dive into bleaching are on the increase, the truth is, skin
bleaching comes with hazardous health consequences, which include blood
cancers such as leukemia and cancers of the liver and kidneys as well as
severe skin conditions.
It is true that some persons look good
when they apply bleaching cream on their skins, but what about the
consequences or adverse effects of making use of bleaching cream. There
are many dangers associated with bleaching, be it face whitening or the
entire skin bleaching.
The adverse effects of skin bleaching are:
vulnerability to body infections, stretch marks exposure, skin
weakening, vulnerability to injuries, exposes the veins, intense
irritation, redness, pigmentation, vulnerability to body infections.
The
growth in skin bleaching is more in some parts of the world like Asia,
Africa and in the Middle East. The high demand of skin lightening cream
in those parts of the world is because their population is mainly dark
skinned. As a result of this, many want to look like the English and
hence lightening up their skin colour.
Most hard-core bleachers
use illegal ointments containing toxins like mercury, a metal that
blocks production of melanin, which gives the skin its colour, but can
also be toxic.
There are a number of materials or chemicals used
in skin bleaching. Few among the many are: mercury, hydroquinone,
niacinamide, kojic acid, arbutin, lactic acid, gel, shea b*tter, topical
retinoids, and corticosteroids among others.
Mercury is the very
dangerous chemical that medical officials found in the skin lightening
creams that sickened the women, the dangers of mercury are several. It
can damage the kidneys and wreak havoc on the nervous system.
Symptoms
of mercury toxicity include: irritability, headaches, difficulty
concentrating, forgetfulness, memory loss, numbness, tingling in the
hands, feet or around the lips, insomnia, depression and weight loss.
Hence, if you have experienced any of these symptoms after using an unmarked cream, see your doctor right away.
