Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the world

[Nzinga]

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</td> </tr> <tr id="trHeadline"> <td class="articleTitle" valign="top"> Nigeria's dangerous skin whitening obsession

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</td> </tr> <tr> <td> Nigeria has the world's highest percentage of women using skin lightening agents in the quest for "beauty".


Mohammed Adow Last Modified: 06 Apr 2013 11:21

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</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="DetailedSummary" id="tdTextContent"> Lagos, Nigeria - After carefully washing her face, legs and arms, Taiwo Solomon vigorously rubs cream over her body. She is meticulous and makes sure she covers her entire face. Soloman, 32, is bleaching her skin. She believes fairer skin could be her ticket to a better life. So she spends her meager savings on cheap black-market concoctions that promise to lighten her pigment.
This has been a daily routine for the past 15 years. Now several shades lighter she says her new skin makes her feel more beautiful and confident.

“Bleaching just makes me feel special, like am walking around in a spotlight,” she told Al Jazeera. “I am not seeking to be totally white, I just want to look beautiful. I cannot stop using the lightening agents,” she adds.

Solomon is not alone. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 77 percent of women in Nigeria use skin-lightening products, the world’s highest percentage. That compares with 59 percent in Togo, and 27 percent in Senegal. The reasons for this are varied but most people say they use skin-lighteners because they want "white skin".
In many parts of Africa, lighter-skinned women are considered more beautiful and are believed to be more successful and likely to find marriage.
It's not only women though who are obsessed with bleaching their skins. Some men too are involved in the practice.
Conceptions of beauty
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.
<table class="Skyscrapper_Body" style="width: 250px; height: 50; float: right; background-color: #fb9d04; border-style: solid; border-color: white; border-collapse: collapse;" border="10"> <tbody> <tr> <td> "An African will prefer to be called John-Philip. If you said your name was Chukwu Emeka Afongkudong they will say you are from the village. You are backward. How can you have such a name? We really look down on our culture and heritage instead of being proud of it. "
- Femi Kut, Nigerian Musician

</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> In a market in Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, business is booming for shops selling skin-lightening products. Both local and imported products line the shelves of Rashida Lawal’s cosmetics shop.

"About 90 percent of my clients come asking for skin whitening products," she told Al Jazeera. "I sell it to them and give advice on what product is best for them and how to use them."

She says most of her customers are in a great haste to lighten their skin.

“Taking the color of your skin to different colour has to be gradual. It's not something you decide one day that 'I want to be fair, I want to be like Michael Jackson and you become Michael Jackson all of a sudden'. That is why we have to advise them first before selling it to them” said Lawal.

Rashida and her staff also mix different ointments and creams for customers “depending on the desired level of lightness”.

Famous Nigerian Musician Femi Kuti says the use skin-lightening products have given rise to their own terminology.

“When the bleaching propaganda got so negative, they had to come up with toning. Bleaching sounds too hard, now it’s toning. I don't bleach, they say, I tone!”

“They think bleaching is gege,” he told Al Jazeera, using a Nigerian term for cool.

Femi attributes skin bleaching to a feeling that foreign products and images must, by definition, be good.

“An African will prefer to be called John-Philip. If you said your name was Chukwu Emeka Afongkudong they will say you are from the village. You are backward. How can you have such a name? We really look down on our culture and heritage instead of being proud of it,” he laments.
Dangerous consequences

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.

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.

Ayobode Williams, a medical doctor, says the skin bleaching agents have both internal and external effects on those who use them.

“Systemically it causes things like kidney failure because of the mercury in some of the products and it also causes eczema, skin pigmentation among a host of other infections,” he told Al Jazeera.

Dr Williams warned that sustained use of bleaching agents could cause even cancer.

Yet few seem to pay attention to these dangers. For those who bleach, staying black is not beautiful at all.
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[Nzinga]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

Elsewhere In The World: Nearly 77% Of Nigerian Women Use Skin Lightening Products

Posted on February 10th, 2014 - By ****** Staff
Categories: Elsewhere In The World, For Your Information, News, Race Matters, SMH

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Surprise, surprise… The business of getting “light-skinneded” is booming over in Africa.
Via AFKInsider reports:

It’s an unbelievable number: nearly 77 percent of Nigerian women — the highest percentage in the world — use skin-lightening products on a regular basis, according to the World Health Organization.
“Skin-whitening products represent one of the rapidly growing segments in the global beauty industry,” reports Companies and Markets. “With the concept of beauty in the 21st century revolving around a flawless and fair complexion, there is rising discrimination based on skin color.”
Skin lightening is big business in Africa, especially Nigeria. Take the success of a skin lightening product Whitenicious by Nigerian-Cameroonian pop musician Dencia. The product sold out almost immediately after its recent release. Three weeks after its debut in January, sales surpassed 15,000 units as demand grows in Nigeria for skin-lightening products.
Dencia is a true believer in lightening skin and said she has become several shades lighter over the years. “Why did I get a couple of shades lighter than I was? That’s a personal choice,” she said in an Ebony interview. “That is what I wanted to be… I’m very daring. I like trying things. I’m not doing it because I want to have boyfriends. And I’m not doing it because I want anybody to accept me. It’s because I just wanted to do it.”
According to Dencia, however, her product is selling best outside of Africa. Eighty percent of people who buy her products are African American, and 10 percent are white, she told Ebony. Her African market is just 10 percent, “because guess what? They don’t have credit cards to buy the products and I’m only taking credit cards or PayPal,” she told Ebony. “And they don’t have that access. I have white people from Europe, America, and everywhere buying Whitenicious.”
Whitening products aren’t cheap. Whitenicious costs $150 for 60 milliliters.
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SMH. This is so sad. But it gets worse! Even some of the medical experts on the subject sound like they’ve been brainwashed:

Michael Akolawole is a cosmetic dermatologist and lecturer at Ekiti State Teaching Hospital. He spoke to AFKInsider.com about skin whitening.
“It is a multi-billion dollar market in Africa with Nigeria taking the largest chunk,” Akolawole said. “It is profitable business for the manufacturer, importers and marketers. Demand is inelastic, and with (an) abnormal demand curve, meaning that no matter the price demand will continue to be steady.”
Olanrewaju Falodun, a consultant dermatologist at the National Hospital in Abuja also spoke to AFKInsider on the subject. Falodun said use of skin whitening products is based mainly on “wrong” perception.
“There is a wrong belief that the light-complexioned ladies are more beautiful and acceptable to men,” Falodun said. “Over time ladies who are dark complexioned who have internalized this wrong perception tend to lighten their skin to improve their sense of self worth. The other reasons are ignorance and peer pressure.”
Akolawole cites his own study of 500-plus students and 500 women in the market. Many use skin-whitening products to correct blemishes, sunburn, and discoloration from early aging, he said. The chemicals used in skin-lightening products are mainly alpha hydroquinone, steroids and mercury-containing creams. Kojic and alpha hydroxy acids are frequently used.
He said he understands the trend.
“Light skin is attractive and flashy,” Akolawole said. “Dark skin looks dull except in a few cases of those that appreciate the natural black beauty.”
There are major health complications from skin lightening.
Long-term complications of skin lightening include thinning of the skin, skin infections, stretch marks and exogenous ochronosis — bluish black discoloration of certain tissues, Falodun said.
Even with side affects, don’t expect sales of skin-lightening products to decrease. According to Companies and Markets, the skin-lightening market is expected to be worth $19.8 billion by 2018, driven by demand among both men and women predominately from Asian, African and Middle East regions.
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DAMN! DAMN! DAMN! Free your minds people. So sad to read that people of color across the globe all suffer from these color complex issues that have them bleaching the beautiful skin that God gave them.
We can’t believe the doctor actually said, “Light skin is attractive and flashy. Dark skin looks dull except in a few cases of those that appreciate the natural black beauty.”
Have these people never seen Lupita or Danai???

 

[kidmegaii]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

So sad. But 77% is a bullshit number no way .

 

[Nzinga]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

You are here: Home / Opinion / Nigeria as the world capital of skin bleaching
Nigeria as the world capital of skin bleaching

March 26, 2014 by Jide Ojo

Jide Ojo

“Say it loud – I’m black and I’m proud”
– R&B legend, James Brown in his 1968 album.
Can you believe that the World Health Organisation has adjudged Nigeria as the country with the highest number of women who use skin-lightening products in the world? In a recent skin bleaching snap survey conducted by NOI Polls from February 3 – 5, and published on March 18, 2014 in Abuja, the polling agency said the assessment result confirms the submission of WHO on the endemic nature of skin bleaching among Nigerian women.
Recall that a report in The Vanguard newspaper of June 3, 2013 had said the WHO had indicated that 77 per cent of women in Nigeria use skin-bleaching products being the highest in the world. The figure compares with 59 per cent in Togo, and 27 per cent in Senegal. Asians are facing a similar trend as 4 out of 10 women in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan use a skin-whitening cream.
The NOI Polls report reads, “Latest snap poll results released by NOI Polls have revealed that 64 per cent of Nigerians are of the opinion that skin bleaching has become highly predominant in the country, especially amongst Nigerian females (97 per cent). This finding supports the claim by the World Health Organisation that Nigeria has the highest number of women that use skin-lightening products in the world. The poll further revealed that despite the negative effects of skin bleaching affirmed by 83 per cent of respondents; the top reasons why people still engage in the practice of skin bleaching are the need to “look beautiful” (35 per cent ) and to “look attractive to the opposite sex” (32 per cent). Skin bleaching was also reported as being mostly predominant amongst Nigerians within the age groups of 18–25 years (48 per cent) and 26-40 years (43 per cent). In addition, respondents identified some of the negative effects associated with skin bleaching to include “skin cancer” (35 per cent) and “skin damage” (25 per cent)”.
After reading the report, I went on YouTube and listened attentively to the “Yellow Fever” song of the iconic AfroBeat musician, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. In that song released in 1976, the inimitable social crusader using pidgin English as a medium of communication identified different types of fever – malaria, jaundice, hay, influenza, inflation, freedom and yellow – and bifurcated yellow fever into original and artificial.
He then chronicled the different symptoms of the original and metaphorically equated skin bleaching as artificial yellow fever. He also described the signs of the artificial “yellow fever” as well as the damaging effects on the skin. He called bleaching “stupid thing, yeye thing, ugly thing, foolish thing”. I couldn’t agree more with him. With the latest NOI Polls and WHO report on skin bleaching among Nigerian women, it would seem the Abami Eda’s (Fela’s nickname) warning about the dangers of bleaching has gone unheeded. Pity, sad pity!
Let’s do a little dissection of the NOI Polls. I must state categorically that it is not only young girls or ladies that bleach their skins. Older women and indeed boys and men do too. The only difference is that the preponderance is more among young ladies. As rightly pointed out by the NOI Polls, “People of all ages, races, complexions, and social class participate in this global practice regardless of gender or level of education”. Skin bleaching is said to be predominant among youths 18 – 40 years old. Yet, it is not as if they are not aware of the dangers inherent in skin bleaching as respondents were able to identify skin cancer and skin damage as two likely consequences of skin lightening. Why then do people indulge in this dangerous habit? The answer lies in the respondents’ view that people persist in skin bleaching because they believe it makes them look “beautiful and more attractive to the opposite sex”. This is all balderdash!
From my knowledge of this issue, skin bleaching is a delusional fantasy. Toning or bleaching neither makes the practitioners beautiful or more attractive. Rather, it makes them look repulsive and ugly. I remember we call them derogatory names such as “Yellow pawpaw” or someone with “Fanta face and Coke legs” as they have black patches all over their yellowish skin and when they sweat, they have body odour. I also learnt that in the event of a need to conduct surgery on someone with bleached skin, it’s usually difficult to suture them as the skin would have become very fragile.
An internet source: http://www.indiaparenting.com/beauty/article.cgi?art_id=309 listed 14 risks of skin bleaching to include the followings: Dark grey spots; skin cancer; acne; swelling of the skin; thinning of the skin; cataracts; setting down of fat on face, chest, upper back and stomach; increase in appetite and weight gain; osteoporosis; neurological and kidney damage due to high level of mercury used in the creams; psychiatric disorders; severe birth defects; asthma; and liver damage. Some of these side effects could be seen almost immediately while some are seen after a prolonged use of skin whitening creams.
Quite unfortunately, skin bleaching products do not come cheap. Bleaching soaps and creams are expensive yet we have this huge number of Nigerians indulging in it. In case you’re hell-bent on having a flawless and fair skin, my research reveals that there are natural ways of going about it. Some of the means suggested include dietary change, increased consumption of water, use of limes and lemons, and appropriate application of cleansers.
It states that, “Diet is the most important part that you should take care of if you want a flawless skin. Take away all refined food products and replace them with healthy and nutritious ones. Increase your intake of water. This helps keep the skin free of dehydration and so the look is healthy and unblemished. Take proper care of cleaning your skin. Choose the product that is natural and effective. Pay attention to exfoliating your skin from time to time so that you get rid of the dead skin; lastly, citric acid is natural bleach and will help you have a lighter skin time without any side effect. You can make a face mask with lime juice, few drops of glycerin and flour to make a paste. Apply this on your face and leave for 20 – 30 minutes. Wash with normal water.”
Above all, it is important for those wanting to lighten or bleach their skin whether in a natural or artificial way to first seek counsel with their dermatologist so that their craze for beauty does not turn to disgrace and regrets. As for me and my household, we’re black and proud!
Copyright PUNCH.
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[King Natty]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

 

[NoodleArmWhimsy]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

Somebody's getting rich off of ones insecurity

 

[kefta]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

The usual suspects are to blame!

 

[Nzinga]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

People in Congo are mad.. they want to know when Nigeria
surpassed them in this "self-improvement" mentality..


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[dtownsfinest]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

Yeah i've been seeing this first hand. I have a cousin who's nigerian and she's light skinned with green eyes. I noticed how they treat her out there. Like royalty. Her sister is actually dark skinned and you'd think she doesn't exist. In their minds the lighter their skin the more powerful they are and the more men wants them.

That shit has a fucked up effect on their skin too. They be out there looking like they have vitalgo or whatever that shit MJ said he had. You can see dark spots on their hands and shit.

 

[Louis Koo]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

 

[NoodleArmWhimsy]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

Yeah i've been seeing this first hand. I have a cousin who's nigerian and she's light skinned with green eyes. I noticed how they treat her out there. Like royalty. Her sister is actually dark skinned and you'd think she doesn't exist. In their minds the lighter their skin the more powerful they are and the more men wants them.

That shit has a fucked up effect on their skin too. They be out there looking like they have vitalgo or whatever that shit MJ said he had. You can see dark spots on their hands and shit.

My mother has a friend like that, literally went from whoopi Goldberg complexion to Vanessa Williams , now older skin looks reptilian and knuckles black as shit bet she regrets it

 

[BLACKLOOP]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

The usual suspects are to blame!

How?? Please explain

 

[dtownsfinest]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

My mother has a friend like that, literally went from whoopi Goldberg complexion to Vanessa Williams , now older skin looks reptilian and knuckles black as shit bet she regrets it

Right. You can tell from their hands and knuckles. Shit doesn't even look authentic. I don't know why they think that shit is cute.

 

[ugk]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

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[max-dawg]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

and when you have a good time to yell, "coon," none of the trolls are around to do so.

 

[Nzinga]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

and when you have a good time to yell, "coon," none of the trolls are around to do so.

We are not at war with our own black kind. No matter how much we
disagree with this behaviour, we do not consider it as egregious as
the love and worship of white women some of you practise..

 

[sammyjax]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

you bout one unitelligent mufucka boy i swear

 

[King Natty]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

and when you have a good time to yell, "coon," none of the trolls are around to do so.

this comment is getting just as tired as the ones trolls you're talking about

 

[Heavenlywings77]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

It's about time to start considering that we lost a long time ago. And start from the ground up. And just to reiterate we as a people LOST

 

[Nzinga]

Re: Nigeria has the world's highest % of women using skin lightening agents in the wo

It's about time to start considering that we lost a long time ago. And start from the ground up. And just to reiterate we as a people LOST

You finally have raised the issue I wanted to see discussed when I made this post. And
I want to inform you that we can change the mind of our people, and cacs, the same way
they are changing the minds of blacks everywhere.