SKIN BLEACHING: Nigerian Women Have The World’s Highest Percentage - WHO

The World Health Organisation, WHO, has said 77 percent of women in Nigeria use skin-lightening products, the world’s highest percentage. The figure compares with 59 percent in Togo, and 27 percent in Senegal.

The WHO report said the reasons for this are varied but most people said they use skin-lighteners because they want “white skin”.

WHO also said skin bleaching comes with hazardous health consequences. The dangers associated with the use of toxic compounds for skin bleaching include, blood cancers such as leukemia and cancers of the liver and kidneys, as well as severe skin conditions. It said hardcore 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.

The report said in many parts of Africa, lighter-skinned women are considered more beautiful and believed to be more successful and likely to find marriage. It also said it is not only women who are obsessed with bleaching their skins. Some men too are involved in the practice.

Aljazeera recently took a look at Nigeria’s booming skin bleaching market and shockingly, they mentioned that according to the World Health Organization, 8 out of 10 Nigeria women bleach their skin.

What a staggering statistic!

Gradually, skin bleaching is taking over Africa and the ease at which skin bleaching products can be obtained has made it worst.

The stigma attach to skin bleaching which served as a sort of block in Africa has died off—-and today, you cannot even tell if a person is bleaching or not as most opt for untraceable modern creams/pills.

And Femi Kuti supports my all time argument that—-skin toning is the same as skin bleaching, just that people like Yvonne Nelson and the millions out there are trying to avoid societal criticisms by calling their sort of skin bleaching-skin toning!

* In extreme cases of skin bleaching, the skin can become multi-coloured and marred with inflammation or scarring.

 

WHO investigation said lightening creams are not effectively regulated in Nigeria where even roadside vendors sell tubes and plastic bags of powders and ointments from cardboard boxes stacked along sidewalks in market districts. Many of the tubes are unlabelled as to their actual ingredients.

Qatar based Al Jazeera also reported that business is booming for  shops selling skin-lightening products. A trader said, “About 90 percent of my clients come asking for skin whitening products,” adding “I sell it to them and give advice on what product is best for them and how to use them.”

I’ve heard people say,  I do not bleach, I just tone by skin.

I have seen people buy skin toning creams and they think it is cool. You know what, the application of anything/cream to your skin to change its colour or transform your skin from the original state to a new state (no matter how little the change will be) is SKIN BLEACHING.

Have you realized that all these people who bleach/tone their skin have some funny smell following them?

I am told that MOST of the mixed race people, especially the celebrities who live in tropical Africa bleach too—just to be able to keep their light skin…

Have you noticed the difference between Majid Michel’s skin and that of Nadia Buari? They’ve all live in Ghana, under the same scorching sun…right?