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Female, 26, United Kingdom
Posted Mar 12, 2007
By Joan Baxter The use of bleaching creams to lighten complexions seems to have reached epidemic proportions in Mali, despite widespread education campaigns. Women who refuse to bleach often find themselves regarded as second class citizens. A woman who did not bleach her skin said she is often not offered a chair at baptisms, and is asked to make herself scarce when group photographs are taken at marriages. A quick survey shows there are more than 100 bleaching products available on the market in the capital, Bamako. Sold under brand names such as Marie-Claire or Diana, the products come from Morocco, Nigeria, the United States or Saudi Arabia. Pain Dermatologists estimate that more than half the women in Mali are now using these creams to lighten their skin. These products are costly and often cause pain and blemishes. So why are so many women in Mali using them? The answer is simple, according to one Malian woman singer: The creams make her white, and impart a certain charm. But Malian physician Dr Ali Gindo finds bleached skin anything but charming. "They are just burning themselves," he says. "It's painful and it's awful." Dr Gindo says bleaching can cause skin cancer and the poorest people are the most at risk, because the cheaper the product, the more dangerous it is. But he says it is not just poor women are bleaching their skin. Role models "We have also people who are well educated like lawyers, writers or professors, or people on the TV - and this is a real problem because if people who are leaders of opinion bleach themselves, you can imagine how deep the problem is." Many of the women who use these products told me they do so because Malian men prefer women with bleached skin. But male musician Al Hassan Soumali disagrees. "I don't think Malian men like bleached women," he says. "It's better for Malian women to change their minds." How does everyone feel about this...being that it's a huge issue nowadays?
Male, 25, Los Angeles, CA
Posted Mar 13, 2007
Just sad that any society would have a perception like that.
Female, Age Private, Kansas City, MO
Posted Mar 14, 2007
Self hate just like some in the US....strong feeling for an African country to emulate the beauty standatds of whites......
Female, Age Private, New York, NY
Posted Mar 15, 2007
you gals and guys, i do not think the problem is as serious as the author claims to be.SKIN DARKENING is a far far serious problems in the west affecting hundreds of millions whiteys with ugly pale skin.what you should know is whiteys target black self-esteem and confidence all of the time,because they are afraid of proud blacks. so they use such kind of nonsense and exaggeration to attack our pride.as far as i am concerned the piece is nonsense.i advise the writer to pay more attention to the far serious and far widespread problem of skin darkening in the west.whiteys,like hollywood and their media, no longer have the influence they used to have in the past,even here in the usa.
With tons of articles regarding skin bleaching in Africa, India, and Asia. I definitely think this is not a light issue. Skin lighteners have, in recent years become more of a political issue than a consumer issue. Being that most skin lighteners have hydroquinone it's actually quite dangerous. The legal amount of hydroquinone is 2%. However, that's not what is being sold across the globe. Some creams are sold with 5% hydroquinone which lead to horrendous skin problems. Quoted from an article at http://www.mg.co.za/articlePag e.aspx?articleid=270563&area=/ insight/insight__comment_and_a nalysis/: The danger of these creams and lotions was that, initially, they seemed to work. They did a good job of ?taking away the blackness? and making you look good. On first application, the skin would become smooth and yellowish, giving a lovely complexion, all pimples and blemishes vanishing like magic. With progressive use, however, the hydroquinone in the products would ?eat up? the skin, making it very thin and vulnerable to the strong ultraviolet rays of the sun, since it had no protective layers. From yellow, the skin would turn reddish, then blue and lastly purple!So, I don't think this is something that should be ignored... How are we going to go about abandoning the term race. Who is going to make the edict that we should no longer use such terms. If our own people are dividing each other with our shades of color?It is romantic to preach about "one world love of all peoples" and that kind of thing, and it is as illusory as any of us reaching Mars on a bicycle. The differences of race did not originate in Africa or among Africans. However, I feel that the embracement needs to start somewhere.
Posted Apr 22, 2007
Well then, I wonder why there are so many bleaching aids in African American Beauty supply stores? There is literally a whole row full of them! Some women might use it for discoloration, however, most are simply trying to achieve a more anglo-saxon look.
Male, 36, Minneapolis, MN
Posted May 19, 2007
Unsouff why do say f---Michael?LOL.Lulu, do think that this behavior pattern in Mali is a carryover from slavery time when the more white a black person looked the more advantages under the global white supremacy system? (Iguess you could also add the US that to maybe.)What eveidence do you have this being wide spreed in America? There are a lot of black people especially in northern states that are naturally light skined. (myself for one) Actually high yeally shaded people are very common worldwide due to international travel, and people meeting, socializing, and connecting accross nation boundries.If it were up to you what would you do to get these people to stop using toxic chemicles to degrade their skin in order to look different from how they were born?What is your opinion of none melinated people in the west who go to tanning salons in an attempt to ad some melonin to their skin? Do think they are suffering from the same kind of complex? Tanning salons by the way have been linked to skin cancer.
Female, 41, Houston, TX
Whether bleaching or tanning, people allow beauty of the reflection in the mirror to be defined by someone else. My question to those persons is: What would you change on the "inside"? Are you applying the tanning lotion of compromise to be with a person who only likes the "outside" you?Are you bleaching your boundaries and allowing any and every idea that society dictates so that you blend in with everyone else?Hmmm, that was three questions wasn't it? LOL
Posted May 20, 2007
It's an honest shame that most of you are not getting the "big picture", but honestly, I'm not surprised.This is an open discussion about the negative affects of skin bleaching and the problems it is causing worldwide. The first step to fixing a problem is to actually recognize that it exists. Besides all of the health issues, which I have already mentioned above, this sort of thing affects people emotionally as well. This isn't only issue for Africans, but for East Indians, Caribbeans, and Asians too! For people who actually want to know what is going on in the world feel free to discuss this further; for those of you who don't well then please carry on...Thanks, for the other inquisitive questions and comments, I enjoy reading them.In response to Hardin9: You asked: "what would I do to get people to stop using toxic chemicals in order to change their complexion?"Well, I would definitely tell them to love the skin their in. We, should embrace the different colors and shades out there. Stop trying to emulate what's on your T.V.
Female, Age Private, Nigeria
Posted May 21, 2007
I am a Black Brit that happens to live in Africa, and have been for the last 15 years. Just like you have in New York or London, lots of shops that sells anything to do with 'Black Beauty', skin lightning creams comes by the bucket full, with brand names you have never heard of, and chemicals that make you think it is more to do with cleaning toilets than with lightning skin. Don't forget that parts of Africa is a dumping ground for stuff that didnt sell, or didnt pass the quality control 'tests', and of course, there is always the intense marketing that will make sure that women to buy these creams. When I used to live in South Africa, I was shocked to see a women who were already light skin, form long queues to get a tub of cream, only for their skin to literally turn green in colour. I hope that those of use who are privileged to live in the West, and who are able to get themselves educated can see, and has to see the damage of these creams.
Thanks for your comment...I wonder what actually provokes these women who already possess light skin, to continue to damage themselves irrepressibly? I'm honestly baffled.
