The Effects of Skin Bleaching

Accordding to reports, the market for bleaching products to produce a lighter skin colour among Nigerian women is booming. But the beauty trend involving harsh chemicals comes with health consequences.

Why cant we just go with the skin colour God made us with, I think its low self esteem issues lots of people are having, they just think if they are not as fair/white they are not beautiful or attractive.

According to a report from the World Health Organisation released last year, women in Nigeria topped the list of countries using skin lightening products with 77 percent of the female population applying them regularly.

The WHO report though noted the active ingredient in these products mercury salts to inhibit melanin formation and can cause kidney damage and reduce the body's natural ability to fight of bacterial and fungal infections. What's more, mercury in such heavily used products eventually ends up in water supplies as well, making its way into fish, which if eaten by pregnant women can cause birth defects.

BBC earlier this year covered the story of a female entrepreneur who was "alarmed" by the skin bleaching she saw going on in Africa. Grace Amey-Obeng of Ghana started a beauty clinic and product line to combat the problem with only $100 in seed funding and it is now worth millions.

"The women in the market had destroyed their skin with all this kind of beauty products, bleaching products, and so saw the need for assisting them to reverse the process because otherwise it would become a social problem," she said, according to BBC.

Skin bleaching has terrible consequences. Skin burns, rashes, and permanent abrasions are commonplace. Moreover many creams contain toxic levels of mercury, and some include agents that may cause leukaemia, and cancer of the liver and kidneys. Despite this, skin bleaching has become a multi billion dollar business around the world. Although the practice is rampant in Africa.

People don't know how blessed we are with black/African skin, how we can stand harsh weather and still be beautiful. Black is Beautiful, I appreciate my skin colour even more.