Side effects of bleaching agents

• As Nigeria ranks high on use of skin lightening creams

By BELLO TOYIN GRACE

Presently, Nigeria has the world’s highest percentage of women using skin lightening creams and soaps. National Daily survey indicated that skin bleaching has taken over the desire for beauty by many ladies in Nigeria. Most people believe a lighter skin means more attractiveness.

They bleach their skin because they want to be in conformity with the trend; probably, a trending misbelief that has been for a long time, which is the assumption that fair girls are prettier than dark or chocolate skin girls.

Sometimes societal attitude towards fair skin girls encourages the propensity of ladies desperate to change the colour of their skin. They believe that fair skin girls are more eye-catching than dark or chocolate skin.

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Even the modern day music entertainment industry worsen the misbelief by recruiting half caste or white girls into their music videos; this attitude is traceable to the previously held superiority impression of white man towards the African.

Aside from this setback to self-confident, skin bleaching has several dangerous medical side effect. Hydroquinone, a bleaching agent found in most skin lightening products has devastating effects on body tissues. Skin bleaching penetrates the skin and causes damage to connective tissues, it dis-colourates the skin so that it cannot be stitched when cut.

Modern society needs a total change of attitude relating to perception of what constitutes true beauty. Ladies have to realise that it is not about the make-ups neither is it bleaching that defines how beautiful a woman is.