Light girls have all the luck?

BULAWAYO — Skin bleaching has become one of the most common beauty regimes undertaken by women so as to have a light skin which they feel boosts their confidence and self-esteem.

Some of these products have done more harm than good on people’s skin and health. Many of them are banned products and contain hazardous chemicals. Be that as it may, the market for skin lightening creams has grown. However, what is not sufficiently made public is the harm that a lot of these products can do in the medium to long term.

There are many techniques used to lighten skin, these include skin bleaching, using skin lightening creams, soaps, pills, laser treatments and even surgery. When one is using any skin bleaching product one faces a risk of ultra-violet rays of any kind, since the natural protection of melanin has been removed. Most people accept the colour of their skin but some people believe that fair skin is more advantageous.

Women the Financial Gazette spoke to pointed out that some women had lost confidence in their beauty because people have defined beauty as being associated with people with fair skin.

“In as much as African women, to be specific, think that being light is the definition of beauty, they should consider skin whitening creams are particularly risky, because they can contain hazardous ingredients. These creams have the potential to cause cancer. Women more often try to whiten their skin and as a consequence poison their bodies,” said Tsitsi Matimati, a young woman in her 20s.

A beauty therapist, Sithabile Ndlovu, pointed out that skin lightening creams have done more harm to people’s skin than could be accounted for and thus leaving the skin sensitive to disease and ultra-violet light.

“They do enlighten your skin on one hand and on the other they are medications in some countries. They are used to clear not bleach one’s skin. Deva code, one of the most commonly used is meant to clear rash for children but people have abused this and used it as skin lightening cream. I doubt if people are aware that it is important to protect your skin from the sun. Skin lightening creams are illegal yet we have them being sold at each and every corner,” said Ndlovu.

Skin lightening creams have a lot of disadvantages, which include break out. Though the steroids sometimes used in lightening creams may whiten skin, they also may cause skin cancer, liver damage and mercury poisoning.

Nosikelelo Sithole, who applies skin lightening creams, said that these creams played an important role in enhancing their complexion and making them more attractive to males. “I have been applying movate for over three years and it has worked wonders on my skin…It not only lightens but it has helped improve my confidence… This is a new era people should be able to use the best of modern inventions without any criticism from those who choose not to,” said Sithole. – Theoppy Ncube

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