What is skin bleaching?
To begin with, it is important to state that these words
– skin toning, skin whitening, skin lightening, and skin
bleaching all practically refer to the same thing. Skin
bleaching is the use of chemical substances to lighten
skin tone or provide an even skin complexion by
lessening the concentration of melanin available in the
skin. Many of these substances have grave and toxic
effects on the human body when used indiscriminately
but millions of colored people worldwide especially in
developing countries like Nigeria have continued to use
these products over the years.
The problem of widespread skin bleaching in Nigeria is
made worse by the unregulated sales of bleaching
products in stores and by roadsides traders in many
cities and towns across the country. Many of the
products are smuggled into the country illegally and
sold in poorly labeled containers. Also, in standard
supermarkets and even pharmacies, bleaching products
(usually with deceptive descriptions as ‘toning’,
‘complexion lightening’ ‘complexion enhancer’ and other
nomenclatures are sold to millions of people in the
country.
Despite the known dangers associated with the use of
skin bleaching substances, demands for these products
have continued to rise. This is because trading in skin
bleaching products is a big, global business, almost
reaching $10 billion each year.
What factor determines human skin colour?
Human skin color is genetically determined by the
quantity of melanin in the skin. People with dark skin
have more melanin in their skin. This is a pigment
produced by cells called melanocytes. Other factors
which may affect the production of melanin are:
– Sunlight exposure
– Hormones,
– Skin damage, and
– Exposure to certain chemicals can also affect melanin
production.
Why do some individuals want to bleach their skin?
The major reason is social – a desire to look more
‘glamorous’. Many psychologists however believe that
underneath this social drive, there lies a sort of
psychological inadequacy which individuals who opt out
for bleaching have regarding their original skin outlook.
The idea that to look good is to look white seems to be
at the bedrock of this false psychology. Other commonly
alluded reasons are:
– Fashionability: to become more acceptable in some
social circles, as looking white is ignorantly considered
fashionable in these circles
– ‘CONFIDENCE’: some women feel more confident.
They believe they stand better chance in society
(including marriage prospects) if their skin is white. This
is because of the prevailing erroneous notion about the
superiority of a white complexion compared to the dark
and a general believe that a fairer skin makes success
in life more easily attainable
– CELEBRITY INFLUENCE: The propensity of celebrities
(especially celebrity artistes and sportsmen and women)
to indulge in the practice. Being models and mentors to
teeming youth admirers and fans, their actions inspire
these followers to also engage in the habit in a bid to
look like their admired icons. Advertisers of bleaching or
lightening products also deliberately make use of these
celebrities to cast advert shots, making bleaching more
acceptable with the image of popular celebrities.
– There are also a few medical indications: vitiligo and
localized skin discoloration.
Skin lightening or bleaching is not restricted to women;
men also bleach. However, many people in Nigeria also
bleach out of ignorance. This is a result of using
bleaching cosmetic products unknowingly. Over 70% of
Nigerian women are believed to be using skin lightening
products – making the country one of those with the
highest rate of skin bleaching in the world. Many
Nigerians are not familiar with the marketing gimmicks
of marketers of bleaching products. Innocently, many
buy and use products classified as:
– Lightening
– Toning
– Complexion lightening
They buy and use these products thinking they are not
the same thing as bleaching products – in actual fact,
they all basically are the same thing.
Methods of skin bleaching
There are a number of ways that skin lightening or
bleaching can be achieved.
– Segmental bleaching: restricted to some parts of the
body, especially the face and arms, selected hyper-
pigmented areas e.g in cases of discoloration, vitiligo
etc.
– Total bleaching: bleaching of the entire body area.
Some medical situations where skin bleaching may be
embarked upon
– Treatment of vitiligo
– Elimination of areas of abnormally high pigmentation
e.g moles, birthmarks
The medical complications and side-effects
– Premature aging of the skin
– Leukemias (Blood cancers)
– Other cancers
– Skin cancers
– Kidney disorders including kidney failure
– Liver disease
– Skin disfigurement and poor skin integrity
– Risks of skin infections
– Poor wound healing on the skin
– Weight gain
– Stretch marks
– Infertility
– Poor pregnancy outcomes
– Neurological disorders (problems associated with the
nervous system)
Skin lotions and cosmetics: Important tips for making a
healthy choice
Check your cosmetic for any of these chemicals. If
these chemicals are present, do not use on your skin.
– Hydroquinone
– Mercury
– Steroids (e.g cortisone)
– Tretinoin
– Ascorbic acid or vitamin C [higher levels] – Alpha
hydroxyl acids
– Niacinamide
The list is not exhaustive; there are others. Always
cross-check with your doctor before using a skin
product.
These chemicals act by blocking the production of
melanin. Melanin is responsible for black pigmentation
in human skin. Use of these chemicals in skin cosmetics
have been banned in several countries because of their
hazards to health.
There are many types of formulations being sold in
many places in Nigeria. There are also different routes
of administration: cream and lotion, pills (to be
swallowed) and injectables.
Apart from the regular skin bleaching or lightening
products there are also manufacturers marketing
natural products. Most of these natural alternatives are
merely plant extracts containing the precursor of
hydroquinone. They carry the same risks and are in no
way safer or risk-free.

informative tho long bt it really got some nice info....for all those light skin dark legs,dis is a must read

This post is extremely beneficial, front page pls

Good one op, do you have a source or did you come up with this by yourself? Kudos if you did

Low self-esteem is the main reason why so many gals indulge in bleaching. The media and the entertainment circle are not helping matters either. Hardly do you ever see a natural dark gal on the pages of magazines or adverts. It is only fair gals we keep on seeing.
Like i will always say
Dark is beautiful
Dark is strong
Dark is virile.
Dark is resilient
Dark is powerful.
I am proud to be DARK.

Very informative