PRECISELY when the idea of toning, bleaching and whitening the skin was embraced in Nigeria cannot be ascertained. It, however, appears to have come to stay. This is despite the fact that it has, over the years, elicited a lot of concern from various quarters, particularly the medical field, which has been quite voluble in its efforts at enlightening the public on the dire consequences of engaging in the act.
But people that have taken a liking to the act seem unperturbed by it all. Perhaps because most, if not all of them, feel that ‘toning’ the skin is harmless and as such, is not capable of doing any tangible damage to their skin and health generally. This can be deduced from the reasons they often advance for altering the colour of their skin.
“I started toning, when I noticed that my best friend’s skin was glowing and looking more attractive,” says Adefunke, an undergraduate in one of the federal universities. “It was after resumption from a long vacation at the end of a session. I admired
Adefunke doesn’t think she is bleaching her skin. To her, she is only toning to maintain her naturally fair complexion.
Tonia’s reason for bleaching her skin is somewhat different. Brushing aside any notion that she is into it to make herself more attractive to men, she tries hard to establish that she just enjoys the after effect lightening creams bestow. “It is my body and I feel I should treat it the way I deem best for me. I just love how I look, when I use lightening creams. I feel good and not because I want to be admired by men,” she says.
Is there any difference between toning and bleaching the skin?
Dr. Aranmolate Ayobami, a consultant plastic/laser surgeon with Grandville Medical and Laser, Surulere, Lagos replies in the affirmative. “Toning has to do with treating parts of the body,” he explains. “For instance, if someone with black spots or pimples on the face decides to use cream(s) that can help fight the skin problem. In most cases, after the black spots, acne, and pimples have been effectively treated and have disappeared; the skin also becomes lighter in the process. Bleaching, on the other hand, has to do with the whole body and not just parts of it.”
Experts say that the process of skin toning and bleaching needs to be clearly explained and understood for the gravity of this act to be fully appreciated.
Black Africans have melanin, which is a substance or pigments under the skin responsible for its darkness. And although all skin types produce melanin, but black Africans produce more of these pigments not only to bring about the darkness of their skin, but also to protect it from the sun rays.
“When an individual tones or bleaches the skin, the melanin is suppressed, thereby preventing it from performing its natural functions fully,” explains Aranmolate.
The problem actually lies with the chemicals used in the manufacturing of lightening creams. These usually include hydroquinone, corticosteroids and mercury. While hydroquinone aids the skin-lightening process through preventing the enzymes that generate colour, corticosteroids slow down and reduce the number of pigment cells. Mercury, on its part, inactivates the enzymes that lead to the production of melanin.
“In many developed and organised societies, the use of creams containing these dangerous chemicals is either banned outright or strictly regulated,” says Dr. Babatunde Alfonso, an oncologist with Blue Ray Medical Centre, Lagos. “It is only in Africa that people buy them over-the-counter and no effort is being made to control their use, particularly Nigeria, which has become a dumping ground for all sorts of products and goods, it’s so easy to obtain these creams. I’m not aware of any action being taken by the Nigerian government to reduce or stop the use of lightening creams and chemicals.”
But Dr. Olufemi Akintayo of the Psychology department, University of Lagos, says there was a time the Nigerian government tried to ban the use of all lightening creams containing the deadly substances. “I think it was in the 1990s, when the federal government was really interested in the development,” he says. “Then, toning and bleaching of the skin was not as rampant as now. I remember clearly that there was this big pharmaceutical company in Nigeria that imported chemicals suspected to be hydroquinone and mercury. Federal government agents went there, impounded the chemicals, which were destroyed and the company shut down.”
The prolonged usage of lightening creams containing hydroquinone; mercury or corticosteroids result in many health problems, which can be quite fatal. “The dermis, which represents 95 per cent of the skin is damaged with the prolonged usage of lightening creams,” says Aranmolate. “The thickness of the skin is thereby reduced, as it becomes thin and its immunity also drops. With this, when such people sustain injuries or have to undergo surgery, they don’t heal. So, the skin is inhibited from performing one of its primary duties of protecting the body.
“There is also the issue of hyperpigmentation, which occurs when people stop using lightening creams. There is a rebound, which forms thick, dark patches around the body. For instance, if you look at the knuckles, knees and the back of the neck of people that have been bleaching for a long time, you’ll notice that these places have become hardened and darkened, and no amount of cream used can reverse it. And even when they decide to stop, their skin looks blotchy and doesn’t have the natural glow of an untainted skin.”
But this is not all. There are other more terrible fallouts from bleaching the skin, as highlighted by Alfonso. “With prolonged usage, these chemicals are absorbed into the blood stream and can result in brain, gastrointestinal and kidney problems. So, it is not only the skin that is adversely affected with bleaching,” he explains.
Another interesting dimension has been recently added to the development. It is not just skin toning and bleaching that is now the craze; some people have gone further into whitening their skin. It is the process and ‘ingredients’ used to achieve this that makes all the difference. “Different substances are used for whitening the skin, which can be done through the use of injections or capsules,” says Aranmolate. “In the case of skin whitening, the melanin is drastically reduced using substances that are just like anti-oxidants.”
He seems to be favourably disposed towards skin whitening because to him, the whitening agents are just as good as anti-oxidants such as vitamin C, which helps the system, especially the level of collagen in the skin. “The sun does a lot of damage to our skin in Africa and the level of collagen, which is partly responsible for the firmness of the skin also reduces with time. You see that as people age, the face and other parts of the body begin to sag due to the slackening of certain ligaments. But Vitamin C and E help a lot in the healing and firmness of the skin,” he says.
The use of whitening cream is not only limited to Nigeria, as people in many African countries are also into it. The trend cuts across classes, although the rate seems to be higher in Nigeria.
Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said about 77.7 per cent of Nigerian women, which is the highest in the world, use skin-lightening products on a regular basis.
The desire to have a lighter skin is not restricted to a particular gender in Africa and Nigeria. Both male and female, educated and uneducated, elite and rural people engage in it. The only difference is the method and quality of creams used. While the rich elite can afford expensive, high-quality products and could avail themselves the guidance and counselling of professional dermatologists, the poor resort to the use of cheap lightening creams and all sorts of concoctions.
It is now a common thing for beauty parlours in Nigeria to advertise that they are professionals, skilled in the art of mixing bleaching creams for best results. With no regulations from any quarters whatsoever, it can only be best imagined what these beauty merchants put into the concoctions they are peddling.
“I don’t think it is the fault of beauty parlour owners. Are people compelled to patronise them,” queries Amara Nwosu, a spa owner in Lagos. “Only a woman with low self-esteem bleaches her skin. A person bleaching his/her skin is simply saying: ‘I am not happy with the way the Lord created me; I feel someone else is better and so, I have to do something to become that person.
“I don’t think there is any advantage in bleaching and whitening of the skin. I can agree with toning because it’s more about maintaining and adding glow to whatever complexion the individual has. But people misunderstand this. They bleach and when you ask them why, they tell you it’s toning. There is everything bad with bleaching and skin whitening. Every little thing in the environment affects people that bleach.
“Even during facial treatment, you discover that their skin is so light and thin that extra caution needs to be applied to avoid injury. Some of them end up having body odour.”
Akintayo examines the psychological aspect of skin bleaching and also pronounces an unwholesome verdict. “I think it is a sign of social disorder, when people are discontented with their natural selves and desire to be something else from how they are created. But it is not to be isolated, as it is just an aspect of the general malaise plaguing the country.
“It has majorly to do with the upbringing of people and the environment. But the Nigerian society is not what it used to be, as we have lost so much in terms of values and morals, which determine how good and successful or otherwise a society is. Nobody knows when and how we lost it, because the negative occurrences came gradually and nobody knew.
“What we need, as a people, is transformation, a reorientation, which should begin at the home front. The inner being has a lot to do with how individuals perceive themselves, their environment and behaviours. It also determines the values they embrace or shun. The parents, especially the women, who are social agents, should be at the forefront in moulding the inner man and the outward manifestation.”
With practically everyone denouncing the act of bleaching and skin whitening, it appears the next best thing to do is for Africans to preserve and enhance their natural complexion, which is much simpler, inexpensive and not stressful.
Aranmolate recommends that the ideal thing is for people to wear sunscreen. “The sun is like fire, which burns the skin. As Africans cannot totally avoid the sun, they should endeavour to protect their skin through the use of sunscreen creams, which come in different forms. They are either physical or chemical forms. While the chemical type absorbs the sunrays and prevents them from getting to the skin, the physical one bounces off sunrays.
“They should also take vitamins C and E supplement. A lot of water, preferable three litres, should be taken daily.”
Nwosu believes that an individual’s skin is a reflection of what goes into his/her system. “You don’t eat junks and feed your system with the wrong things and then turn around to expect magic. It’s garbage in, garbage out.
“For the skin to glow, individuals must eat the right foods— natural foods, fruits, vegetables and water. They must ensure they get the RDA (required daily allowance) of the different classes of food. The women should get the right mosturiser for their skin types. That your friend is using a mosturiser that works for her doesn’t mean it will be good for you also. You must also know your skin type before deciding on what to buy.
“Spa visits are also necessary, as there are things you can’t do for yourself at home. Massage aids circulation that gives the glow. If you can’t afford a good spa, get products for home use such as scrubs, mask and others. They can even make homemade products though it is important to get the skin type right.”
Dismissing the thinking that men are more attracted to fair-complexioned women, Nwosu says there is nothing as attractive as meeting a man or woman in his/her natural skin tone. “I have seen men getting married to very dark and chocolate-coloured women, as well as light-complexioned ones. I think it’s all about choice.”
For people with already damaged skin as a result of bleaching, she says the first step to restoring their skin to its natural state is to stop using lightening creams. “Petroleum jelly and moisturisers can help. I know some go for laser treatment, but how many can afford it? And even if they can afford it, why go through all that stress? Avoid those junk foods and fizzy drinks. Water remains your best friend.”
Alfonso, while dismissing the belief in some quarters that bleaching and skin whitening cause skin cancer, however, reiterates that the damage brought about by prolonged usage of over-the-counter lightening creams, is nonetheless fatal.
Source : THE GUARDIAN.
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