South Africa is a land of diverse
cultures and races, the country is
marketed to the world as Mandela's
rainbow nation - where everyone is
proud of their race and heritage
but for some black South Africans
there is such a thing as being too
black.
A recent study by the University of
Cape Town suggests that one woman
in three in South Africa bleaches her
skin. The reasons for this are as varied
as the cultures in this country but
most people say they use skin-
lighteners because they want "white
skin".
Local musician Nomasonto "Mshoza"
Mnisi, now several shades lighter, says
her new skin makes her feel more
beautiful and confident.
She has been widely criticised in the
local media and social networking
sites for her appearance but the 30-
year-old says skin-bleaching is a
personal choice, no different from
breast implants or a having nose job.
"I've been black and dark-skinned for
many years, I wanted to see the other
side. I wanted to see what it would be
like to be white and I'm happy," she
says candidly.
Over the past couple of years Ms
Mnisi has had several treatments.
Each session can cost around 5,000
rand (£360; $590), she tells the BBC.
Unlike many in the country, she uses
high-end products which are believed
to be safer than the creams sold in
the black market but they are by no
means risk-free, doctors say.
Costly beauty
Ms Mnisi says she does not
understand the criticism about her
new appearance.
"Yes, part of it is a self-esteem issue
and I have addressed that and I am
happy now. I'm not white inside, I'm
not really fluent in English, I have
black kids. I'm a township girl, I've just
changed the way I look on the
outside," she says.
The dangers associated with the use
of some of these creams include
blood cancers such as leukaemia and
cancers of the liver and kidneys, as
well as a severe skin condition called
ochronosis, a form of hyper-
pigmentation which causes the skin to
turn a dark purple shade, according to
senior researcher at the University of
Cape Town, Dr Lester Davids.
"Very few people in South Africa and
Africa know the concentration of the
toxic compounds that are contained
in the products on the black market
and that is concerning. We need to do
more to educate people about these
dangerous products," says Dr Davids.
He says over the past six years there
has been a significant increase in the
number of skin lighteners flooding
local markets, some of them legal and
some illegal. This is what prompted
their research.
Local dermatologists say they are
seeing more and more patients
whose skin has been damaged by
years of bleaching - most of the time
irreversibly.
"I'm getting patients from all over
Africa needing help with treating their
ochronosis. There is very little we can
do to reverse the damage and yet
people are still in denial about the
side-effects of these products," Dr
Davids says.
In many parts of Africa and Asia,
lighter skinned woman are considered
more beautiful, are believed to be
more successful and more likely to
find marriage.
The origin of this belief in Africa is not
clear, but researchers have linked it to
Africa's colonial history where white
skin was the epitome of beauty.
Some have also suggested that people
from "brown nations" around the
world tended to look down upon
dark-skinned people.
'I don't like black skin'
The World Health Organisation
released a report in June which
revealed that Nigerians are the highest
users of such products: 77% of
Nigerians use the products on a
regular basis. They are followed by
Togo with 59%; South Africa with 35%;
and Mali at 25%.
South Africa banned products
containing more than 2% of
hydroquinone - the most common
active ingredient in in the 1980s. But it
is easy to see creams and lotions
containing the chemical on the stalls
here. Some creams contain harmful
steroids and others mercury.
While skin-lightening creams have
been used by some South Africans for
many years, they have become more
common recently with the influx of
people from countries such as Nigeria
and Democratic Republic of Congo,
where they are even more
widespread.
In a bustling African market in the
centre of Yeoville in Johannesburg, it
is skin lighteners galore.
Walking through this community is like
walking through a mini-Africa: you can
find someone from any part of the
continent here.
I notice that many of the women have
uncharacteristically light skin faces
while the rest of their bodies are
darker.
Some even have scabby burns on
their cheeks from the harmful
chemicals used to strip the skin of
pigmentation.
They don't want to speaks openly
about why they bleach their skin, or
even have their pictures taken.
Psychologists say there are also
underlying reasons why people
bleach their skin - but low self-esteem
and, to some degree self-hate, seems
are a common thread.
But skin-lightening is not just a
fascination and obsession of women.
Congolese hair stylist Jackson Marcelle
says he has been using special
injections to bleach his skin for the
past 10 years. Each injection last for
six months.
"I pray every day and I ask God, 'God
why did you make me black?'. I don't
like being black. I don't like black skin,"
he tells me.
Mr Marcelle - known in this busy
community as Africa's Michael Jackson
- says his mother used to apply
creams on him when he was young in
order to make him appear "less
black".
"I like white people. Black people seen
as dangerous; that's why I don't like
being black. People treat me better
now because I look like I'm white," he
adds.
Entrenched in the minds of Africans
from a young age is the adage "if it's
white, it's all right", a belief that has
chipped away the self-esteem of
millions. And so the scars on their
faces become a glimpse of the deep
desperation to me anything other
than black.
Until this changes, no amount of
official bans or public information
campaigns will stop people risking
serious damage to their health in the
pursuit of what they think is beauty.

source:- www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20444798#