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The darker side of skin bleaching - Part 2
The darker side of skin bleaching - Part 2 - The 'bleachers' speak
Published: Wednesday | November 25, 2009
In part 1 (published November 11), we saw where people bleached the entire body, including the ears, breasts, genitals and anal areas. Bleaching increases the body's exposure to sunlight and the chance of getting skin damage and skin cancer. Some damage is irreversible. Internal organs may be affected. [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Skin[/COLOR][/COLOR]-bleaching products include:
Potent topical steroids, like betamethasone and clobetasol, which may cause grave [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]side [COLOR=orange! important]effects[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR].
Hydroquinone irritates the skin, especially in higher than four per cent strength. It is sometimes combined with lactic acid, glycolic acid and tretinoin, which penetrate the top layers of the skin, causing the outer cells to turn over faster, removing the outer skin layer (exfoliation). This facilitates penetration of the skin by the bleaching agent.
With prolonged use of hydroquinone, ochronosis occurs - the skin becomes darker than it ever was. This is every skin-bleacher's greatest nightmare. Darkened knuckles and toe-joints are a symptom of ochronosis.
Mercurials contain mercury (II) chloride or ammoniated mercury. They are toxic and increase the chances of skin cancer with prolonged use.
Skin-bleaching pills which contain L-glutathione and are said to work from the inside.
[COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Household[/COLOR][/COLOR] items like bleach, toilet-bowl cleaner, hair relaxer, 'volume 40' hair dye, toothpaste and curry powder.
Bearberry, mulberry and licorice extract.
Skin-bleachers use combinations of the above products on a daily basis. Some apply these products to the entire body numerous times per day.
The bleaching dialogues
I hit the streets recently to interview men and women who were obviously bleaching a.k.a. 'rubbing' or 'toning'. Most of them had a stone-washed complexion (face, hands and feet) with bruised, ruddy appearance on brow bones and cheeks.
Lips were much darker than facial skin. Some wore high socks above the knees and others wore sweaters and long gym wear in the sun. After interviewing one such woman, she curiously asked, "By the way, how you find out seh mi ah bleach?" Another said she bleached because, "Jamaican man nuh like rusty woman. Dem like dem with a tone."
Dahlia McDaniel is a [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]pharmacist[/COLOR][/COLOR] and final-year doctoral candidate in public health at the University of London; [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]email[/COLOR][/COLOR]: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
Even household bleach is used, at great risk to health, as an agent for skin bleaching. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
The voices of 'bleachers'
Here are some questions which I posed and some answers received:
Q How do you bleach?
A Mi rub the cream all over, then put on plastic bags over mi feet, use plastic wrap and wrap around mi feet up to mi hip, around mi waist and belly. Then mi put on socks and tights and pants, and the bathsuit and two blouse (sic). That will make you sweat off the black. The swimwear make you sweat without giving that sweaty feeling.
(Note that this methodology is a form of occlusion - a medical procedure to increase the absorption of products into the skin).
Q Are you concerned about side effects?
A No. When you are toning, you have to feed your body right, just like a diabetic, to build up back the skin when that layer burn off.
A All the bleach we a bleach, we know it not good fi we, it give skin cancer, but we want fi look pretty.
A I sorry the day I start bleach. I can't stop now. Every time mi try stop, mi skin turn blacker than it was before mi did start. When you stop bleach, you turn inna duppy.
Published: Wednesday | November 25, 2009
In part 1 (published November 11), we saw where people bleached the entire body, including the ears, breasts, genitals and anal areas. Bleaching increases the body's exposure to sunlight and the chance of getting skin damage and skin cancer. Some damage is irreversible. Internal organs may be affected. [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Skin[/COLOR][/COLOR]-bleaching products include:
Potent topical steroids, like betamethasone and clobetasol, which may cause grave [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]side [COLOR=orange! important]effects[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR].
Hydroquinone irritates the skin, especially in higher than four per cent strength. It is sometimes combined with lactic acid, glycolic acid and tretinoin, which penetrate the top layers of the skin, causing the outer cells to turn over faster, removing the outer skin layer (exfoliation). This facilitates penetration of the skin by the bleaching agent.
With prolonged use of hydroquinone, ochronosis occurs - the skin becomes darker than it ever was. This is every skin-bleacher's greatest nightmare. Darkened knuckles and toe-joints are a symptom of ochronosis.
Mercurials contain mercury (II) chloride or ammoniated mercury. They are toxic and increase the chances of skin cancer with prolonged use.
Skin-bleaching pills which contain L-glutathione and are said to work from the inside.
[COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]Household[/COLOR][/COLOR] items like bleach, toilet-bowl cleaner, hair relaxer, 'volume 40' hair dye, toothpaste and curry powder.
Bearberry, mulberry and licorice extract.
Skin-bleachers use combinations of the above products on a daily basis. Some apply these products to the entire body numerous times per day.
The bleaching dialogues
I hit the streets recently to interview men and women who were obviously bleaching a.k.a. 'rubbing' or 'toning'. Most of them had a stone-washed complexion (face, hands and feet) with bruised, ruddy appearance on brow bones and cheeks.
Lips were much darker than facial skin. Some wore high socks above the knees and others wore sweaters and long gym wear in the sun. After interviewing one such woman, she curiously asked, "By the way, how you find out seh mi ah bleach?" Another said she bleached because, "Jamaican man nuh like rusty woman. Dem like dem with a tone."
Dahlia McDaniel is a [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]pharmacist[/COLOR][/COLOR] and final-year doctoral candidate in public health at the University of London; [COLOR=orange! important][COLOR=orange! important]email[/COLOR][/COLOR]: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
Even household bleach is used, at great risk to health, as an agent for skin bleaching. - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer
The voices of 'bleachers'
Here are some questions which I posed and some answers received:
Q How do you bleach?
A Mi rub the cream all over, then put on plastic bags over mi feet, use plastic wrap and wrap around mi feet up to mi hip, around mi waist and belly. Then mi put on socks and tights and pants, and the bathsuit and two blouse (sic). That will make you sweat off the black. The swimwear make you sweat without giving that sweaty feeling.
(Note that this methodology is a form of occlusion - a medical procedure to increase the absorption of products into the skin).
Q Are you concerned about side effects?
A No. When you are toning, you have to feed your body right, just like a diabetic, to build up back the skin when that layer burn off.
A All the bleach we a bleach, we know it not good fi we, it give skin cancer, but we want fi look pretty.
A I sorry the day I start bleach. I can't stop now. Every time mi try stop, mi skin turn blacker than it was before mi did start. When you stop bleach, you turn inna duppy.