Although the number of deaths from arsenic abuse was not trivial, many arsenic eaters managed to develop a certain tolerance for the poison and showed no signs of chronic poisoning. The importance of being pale could be dangerous and addictive, so how did this phenomenon develop in Africa and Asia? The simple answer is colonialisation and slavery. Whiteness became identified with all that is civilised, virtuous and beautiful. If you had lighter skin you were closer to the opportunities that were only afforded to white people.
In this context, light-skinned slaves were separated from dark-skinned slaves and were able to work indoors away from the glaring sun. If you had lighter skin you were closer to the opportunities that were only afforded to white people, such as increased privileges, higher social standing, and better employment and marital prospects. So if your skin was the only barrier stopping you from having access to better opportunities, the obvious question is: why not bleach?
Skin bleaching represents one step closer to the social status historically reserved for white people. However, although we talk about skin bleaching being a global phenomenon, according to Professor Tate, the majority of people from African and Caribbean backgrounds have a negative opinion of it — socially, politically and culturally. This is due to its connection to white supremacy and colonialism, and is linked to the negative connotations being Black has had for many years.
Laila, I was told to bleach as a young girl. I was around eight, in a room with my older sister and two of my cousins. I always knew people with darker skin were mistreated and looked down on, but it was painful coming from my own family. But bleaching your skin should not always be seen in a negative light, as people will admit to using skin-lightening products to treat hyperpigmentation, vitiligo or other skin disorders, which we will touch on later in this series.
The truth is, skin-bleaching methods do not get rid of the melanin permanently. This is because the skin is constantly being renewed, which includes the formation of new melanin by melanin-producing cells known as melanocytes. So users can stop at any time if and when they choose to. But the question is, what is the lasting effect of skin bleaching, both physically and psychologically?
Amaal Said is a Danish-born Somali photographer and poet, based in London. Her photographs have been featured in Vogue, the Guardian and the New Yorker. In , she was exhibited in Los Angeles, and in her photography was featured in the fourth volume of African Lens and exhibited in Accra, Ghana. Explore primary source material on health and wider issues in society and culture. Olumide [ 4 ] submits that some forms of skin bleaching region include the face, upperparts, lower parts and private sexual parts.
The reason for choosing which part to bleach the most depends on the individual. Other reasons why women indulge in skin bleaching is prostitution i. This implies that men are more attracted to white women than black women in Figure 3.
Even in the workplace sometimes white skin ladies are preferred to dark skin ladies. Hunter [ 14 ] elaborates that people who have lighter skin have more chances regarding educational attainment, income, and spousal status.
By implication, women bleach because they believe that white skin color attracts spouse, income, and social status. Additionally, Akerele [ 15 ] highlighted other reasons why people bleach their skin such as to establish a relationship, eradicate racial discrimination, deal with an inferiority complex, affect body modification, achieve emancipation from slavery, and promote prostitution and fashion.
Durosaro et al. The young girls respondents equally perceived that skin bleaching is a practice which enhances success and selfconcept.
By implication, men tend to show more interest in light complexion ladies. Because of the need for young women to get attached to a man for the purpose of marriage they do everything possible including bleaching their skin to look more attractive.
The unmarried women are not the only ones engaging in bleaching, the married women also engage in skin bleaching with a strong belief that doing so will help them sustain their marriages. The issue of skin toning has become a usual practice among the female gender.
Female youths want to look beautiful and fair, thereby making them rub various skin tone cream. The propagation of beauty creams on different advertisement has affected female psychological preference for creams, most skin toning adverts on social media show only the positive aspect of skin toning neglecting the negative, and this, in turn, persuades the female gender to indulge in either skin bleaching or toning as the case may be.
The practice of bleaching was initially reported among adult members of the society, but a change is occurring which involves larger number most especially among the female adolescent group. Adebayo [ 8 ] observes that there is high incidence rate of cosmetic skin bleaching among young adults in the urban centers.
Evidence from a study demonstrate that on social media such as Facebook, Twitter one encounters countless cosmetic advertisements for make-up, hair-enhancing shampoos and conditioners, anti-wrinkle creams, skin firming lotions, face creams that reduce dark spots and even out the skin tone, sunless tan lotions and sprays, hair dyes, hair relaxers, and other items that are all targeted towards women [ 16 ].
For instance, most advertisement prefers to use a white skin lady than a black one [ 16 ]. According to Verma [ 17 ], corporations manipulate audiences through advertising, making people believe that with lighter skin, they have more chances to succeed in Figure 4. They do that neglecting the negative aspect of skin bleaching which could be detrimental to the skin, making the skin decay and make it even smell.
Continuous application of skin bleaching creams can cause skin cancer or acne, or lead the skin to lose its elasticity, meaning skin with more wrinkles. As reported in a study, music media associate light skin with high status and confidence [ 13 ]. Women who have dark skin tend to have lower self-esteem, thus they bleach their skin to feel they are beautiful, which raises their self-esteem [ 13 ].
This implies that a lot of media artist bleach their skin and encourages their fans to do so thereby making them copy their stars. The study discovered that the first archaeological evidence of skin bleaching according was found in Ancient Egypt around BC. Furthermore, the review revealed that Women engage in skin lightening because light skin is associated with higher status, privilege, and beauty, women feel the need to bleach their skin to look beautiful and attract high-status mates.
Therefore, the constant portrayal of fairer and beautiful ladies on media influence the younger female generation to emulate and bleach their skin. Toggle navigation. She tried every new product that hit the market—the harsher, the better. She recalls that people would tell her, "'That one bad, you know!
The Dolly cream bad! The Janet, it bad! Now Carr blames those "bad" creams for her dark complexion and the thick, pockmarked skin on her cheeks. Under a dermatologist's care, "the treatment would not continue indefinitely," Dr. Desnoes insists. Skin lightening creams contain another ingredient that can have the opposite of the intended effect. A number of women interviewed for this article, including Carr's year-old daughter Brittany, said they used lightening creams because they believed the products would help prevent acne.
Initially, the steroids in bleaching products can smooth the skin, creating an almost baby-like texture, Dr. Braham says, but that is often short-lived.
Long-term use of steroids can actually cause acne. Bleaching creams with steroids can also weaken skin's elasticity, making it thinner and more fragile. Jamaican women refer to this as "busting up. Steroids may even throw the skin ' s equilibrium out of sync, causing fungal infections. But the side effects are more than aesthetic. Bleaching products can cause internal damage—creams that contain ammoniated mercury are a known possible cause of kidney problems.
A number said that they were well aware of the potential issues and would often stop using bleaching agents for a time to avoid them. But the chance of complications—even drastic ones—doesn't seem to be severe enough to convince bleachers to stop for good. Cooper admits this is true. She says that bleaching her skin was something she did to get more work; she didn't believe anyone would entrust their hair to a woman who wasn ' t a "browning.
But there's a balancing act here, too— Carr, who is unemployed, suspects it's been difficult to find steady work due to the visible impacts of her bleaching. Once, when she responded to a job ad, she says she didn't even get past the receptionist. Now, she ' s trying to help her daughter Brittany, who's studying hospitality , avoid the same fate. I say, 'Look how it do me.
You want it there that? Me old, but you young, you have everything ahead of you, '" Carr says. Then again, she knows it's complicated. United States. Type keyword s to search.
By Rebekah Kebede, photos by Marlon James. Jody Cooper bleached her skin regularly for nine years—above, she's pictured at the peak of becoming what's referred to as a browning; below, Cooper today, with her natural tone. Marlon James. Left: a variety of skin-bleaching products for sale in Kingston; right: local Melissa Bryan, a practitioner of skin bleaching Marlon James. A Jamaican street vendor mixes a batch of skin-bleaching cream. Brittany Robinson left during the height of her bleaching days; now 22 right , with a more natural tone after cutting back on lightening creams.
A several-block radius around Princess Street in downtown Kingston serves as the city's skin-bleaching shopping hub.
Former skin bleacher Petal Carr Marlon James. Kingston resident Alethia Lindsay left , whose dresser right is strewn with skin-bleaching products like Idole and Caro White Marlon James.
Skin-bleacher Shanna Beckford, who has a tattoo that reads: You only live once.
0コメント