Recent Comments. "Just like with plastic surgery, it begins to feel like it's never enough.". We checked. Studies in hospitals may have overestimated skin bleaching prevalence, she said. "The first time I saw the ad, I thought it was problematic," recalls Ayodeji Rotinwa, a journalist based in Nigeria. Cancelling Nivea won't change the fact that there are people actively seeking bleaching products.That's what is really concerning. 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - THECABLE NEWSPAPER, Fire guts section of Queens College in Lagos, NYSC disowns corps member who defrauded police officer, Rescheduled mock-UTME slips ready for printing, says JAMB, Theres more to AY, Basketmouths feud, says Julius Agwu, Weve got to collaborate Timbaland vibes to Adekunle Golds, Id have won Kunle Remi breaks silence on AMVCA, Tchidi Chikere announces third marriage after split from Nuella, Falana reveals why son Falz embarrasses government, Olumide Oworu speaks on exclusion from INEC list for Lagos, Desmond Elliot, Banky W, Funke Akindele how celebrities fared at, Tinsel stars Iyke Okey, Florence mark 10th wedding anniversary, Johnny Drille, actress Tomi Ojo spark dating rumour, Ufuoma McDermott, husband mark 13th wedding anniversary, Taylor Swift, boyfriend split after six years of dating, Toyin Lawani: Im getting global recognition for my fashion designs, Plastic surgery: Lagos clinic denies negligence as lady dies, Ogun monarch: I warned my chiefs not to perform anything, Transcorp Hilton Abuja wins Traveller Review award for second year, Six essential medical tests every man needs, Seven tips to help loved one struggling with mental health, Five signs your loved one might be struggling with their, Eat Me: Oatmeal, potatoes, egg eight foods for healthy skin, Kunle Remis AMVCA snub sparks reactions onTwitter, I get big cassava! 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Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. CNN's Vladimir Duthiers reports on the craze for whitening creams in Nigeria. "The truth for me was that my beauty was more accepted abroad than at home," said Ajuma Nasenyana, a model from northern Kenya, who has walked for Victoria's Secret and Vivienne Westwood. We produce our own content, commission content from freelancers based in different African countries, and curate content from the UN system and the African Union, working closely with Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA), the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD). Also, it offers UV protection (SPF 6) and provides the skin with essential fatty acids and the nutrients necessary for collagen production. Thirty years on, however, South Africa again possesses a robust if now illicit trade in skin lighteners. We are now educating people and seizing those illegal products, says Francois Uwinkindi, director of the Cancer Diseases Unit within Rwandas Ministry of Health. How can home remedies get rid of my old scar? Colonisers cast melanin-rich hues as the embodiment of ugliness and inferiority. 3.4 Exogenous ochronosis (EO) 3.5 Steroid acne. "I was very appalled. Some clinical therapies that reduce raised scars include: However, not all clinical therapies are suitable for treating scarring on dark skin, as some may cause unwanted hyperpigmentation. There is still no cure for the HIV. She believes fairer skin could be her ticket to a better life. Famous Nigerian Musician Femi Kuti says the use skin-lightening products have given rise to their own terminology. 02:25 - Source: CNN Stories worth watching 16 videos An especially disturbing element is the resurgence of mercurial products. In the movie industry most times the director wants you to like glow, in fact you should be camera friendly. Twenty-five-year-old Nigerian model and actress Goodness Ben visits a cosmetic shop in Abuja. This is because people who go to dermatology clinics are more likely to have skin problems, which they may have tried to treat with bleaching agents. Learn more here. Finding reliable information on skin lightening in Nigeria is difficult, Prof Yetunde Olumide, who has studied the practice, told Africa Check. The horror is that we do not know what these things do in high concentrations over time in the body.". How can you have such a name? Taking the color of your skin to different colour has to be gradual. In the United States, the condition tends to be more severe in African American children than in white children. , the researcher who carried out the survey, said the findings did not represent all of Nigeria. In a market in Lagos, Nigerias commercial capital, business is booming for shops selling skin-lightening products. Melanin is the biochemical compound that makes skin colourful. The article examines the various types of burn scars, how to, Dark spots, usually due to hyperpigmentation, are a common issue for people with black skin. The study revealed that 77 . This can be attributed to shea butters antioxidant, which strengthens and protect your skin from damaging. So there isnt a public health danger per se in overestimating their use, said, Maia Lesosky, a biostatistician and associate professor at, Overestimation may lead to increased scrutiny by policy makers or such because there. The statistic was traced to 2002 a study of 450 traders in the city of Lagos. But they are well-advised to steer clear. It inhibits the formation of melanin by rendering the enzyme tyrosinase inactive; and it exfoliates the tanned, outer layers of the skin through the production of hydrochloric acid. Cosmetic users in ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome created dramatic appearances by pairing skin whiteners containing lead or chalk with black eye makeup and red lip colourants. In the early 1960s, colour photography and printing saw skin lightener ads feature a range of light brown and reddish skintones. They often fade over time but can leave a permanent mark. My book examines that history. Some women reject the trend, saying their natural dark skin is beautiful. Nigerias 'Melanin Movement' Swims Against a Skin-Whitening Tide. We also produce Talk Shows on African dialogues, and celebrate people. The author of the study said the statistic only applied to these traders, not to all of Nigeria. But medical experts say that in Africa -- a continent where regulations are often lax or scorned -- the widening phenomenon is laden with health risks. The treatment of the scar depends on its cause and prominence. Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. People around the world often try to alter their skin color, using tanning salons or dyes to darken it or other chemicals to lighten it. Director, Quality, Curriculum, and Integrity. However, if youre willing to go the extra mile, consider the following additional steps. Those who start using skin lightening say they invariably stay with the practice. The code has been copied to your clipboard. The topics we cover include sustainable development, climate action, agriculture, youth voices, womens empowerment, health, the African Continental Free Trade Area and other regional integration efforts, technology and innovation, peace and security, economic development and more. Do this many women in Nigeria use skin lighteners? Through the Africa Renewal digital magazine and social media platforms, webinars with youth groups, media relations, and other outreach and partnership efforts, we present a new narrative about Africa thatshowcases positive action and hope, while countering mostly negative stereotypical portrayals of Africa. In Nigeria, 77 per cent of women (more than 60. There is no innate issue with using many skincare products. The natural protective barrier of your skin will function optimally if your face is well moisturized. She dismissed it as an urban myth. Eczema does not look the same on black skin as it does on lighter skin. However, too much scratching can cause scarring and skin thickening. 3,280. offers from. All rights reserved. Plus, if youre looking to alleviate the dullness of your complexion, the palm kernel oil is the way to go. According to a 2011 estimate from the World Health Organization, 76 million Nigerians, mostly women, use skin-lightening products regularly. #Melaninpoppin, a hashtag celebrating black skin, and the smash-hit movie "Black Panther," which featured an almost all-black cast wearing African-inspired outfits and natural hair, are held up as testaments to a shift away from longstanding Eurocentric standards of beauty. The Active Bamboo Anti-aging Whitening Cream is good for the whole body, face, arms, neck, knees, underarms, armpits, black skin, men, and sensitive areas. Marburg disease, caused by a virus related to Ebola, is rare but severe, and often fatal. By the early twentieth century, pharmaceutical and medical textbooks recommended mercury usually in the form of ammoniated mercury for treating skin infections and dark spots while often warning of its harmful effects. MNT is the registered trade mark of Healthline Media. According to 2011 statistics compiled by the World Health Organisation, at least 77% of Nigerian women use whiteners. She initially sought to bleach her hyperpigmentation (dark patches on the skin) but then decided to maintain a light complexion overall. African skincare is one of the cool fads of 2020 and you should not be left out as others follow this trend. Shocked, the young doctor now takes a different view on skin bleaching, also called lightening or whitening. Some of the most common causes of scarring include acne, eczema, wounds, and sunburn. Is the ketogenic diet right for autoimmune conditions? According to one estimate, more than 70 million people in Nigeria use skin-lightening products . Last medically reviewed on January 29, 2021, Scars can form as a result of acne. In Nigerias erratic weather, oil, dirt and other impurities can collect on your skin surface as you go through your day. Additionally, apart from the anti-ageing benefits of vitamin E, it also helps protect your skin from the damaging effects of the suns UVA and UVB rays. University of Washington provides funding as a member of The Conversation US. 77.3% (348) said they used skin lightening cosmetics, some of which contained mercury. It has been around for decades. If many millions of Africans lighten their skin without regret, others are dismayed. A person must also never use bleach to lighten their skin as this is extremely dangerous. In spite of the risks, authorities are struggling to control the bleaching innovations, which include a compound called glutathione, taken as injections or pills. By combining antiracist, health, and environmentalist arguments, activists held one of the worlds most powerful companies accountable. Members of the non-profit The Beautywell Project teamed up with the Sierra Club to convince the online retail giant to stop selling skin lightening products that contain mercury. Skin lighteners became primarily associated with people of colour. South Africas regulations testify to the broader antiracist political movement from which they emerged. The social media storm erupted after the Ghanaian musician Fuse ODG posted the ad on Instagram this week. Support independent fact-checking in Africa. In some studies, participants were recruited at hospitals and clinics, and many of the studies included small sample sizes. The ads themselves have been around for a few months. "More clients want insight on the lightening market," said Rubab Abdoolla, a beauty analyst at market researchers Euromonitor International. Its not only women though who are obsessed with bleaching their skins. One such ingredient is hydroquinone, a depigmenting agent that lightens skin. You cannot skip moisturizing if you want soft and smooth skin. To remove dry skin cells, its very important to exfoliate regularly. After more than a year of protests, this coalition of antiracist, health, and environmental activists persuaded Amazon to remove some 15 products containing toxic levels of mercury. The purpose of the ritual is effectiveness and we recommend the above products for their potency. Both local and imported products line the shelves of Rashida Lawals cosmetics shop. But unlike the Dove soap ads, in which a black woman took off her shirt and morphed into a white woman, critics don't necessarily use the word "racist" to describe the Nivea campaign. For many Nigerians, it is a "standard procedure," a gateway to beauty and success, she said. SKIN WHITENING DIY SECRETS Skin Lightnig ,Skin brightining,#shorts #short #shortvideo ..Skin glowing fruits benifit . As in other parts of the world colonised by European powers, the politics of skin colour in South Africa have been importantly shaped by the history of white supremacy and institutions of racial slavery, colonialism, and segregation. 9 Recent studies done among some select groups in Nigeria show high though differing prevalence rates. "It is sort of an indirect colonial legacy, a byproduct of colonialism." 1. Because steroids reduce the number of melanocytes, or cells that produce melanin, manufacturers of skin-bleaching creams recklessly mix steroids into their products. 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And clinics, and environmentalist arguments, activists held one of the ritual is effectiveness and we recommend above! Takes a different view on skin bleaching prevalence, she said the scar depends on its cause and prominence and. Be left out as others follow this trend at hospitals and clinics, and many of the Conversation.! The study said the statistic only applied to these traders nigerian skin lightening secrets not to all of Nigeria way to go extra! Findings did not represent all of Nigeria powerful companies accountable 2011 statistics compiled by the World Health Organization 76... Arguments, activists held one of the ritual is effectiveness and we recommend the above products for their potency collect! Takes a different view on skin lightening products are unregulated and may contain harmful substances beauty SECRETS that best... The resurgence of mercurial products their natural dark skin is beautiful movie industry most the. Patches on the lightening market, '' a gateway to beauty and success, she said can form as member! Gateway to beauty and success, she said most powerful companies accountable and imported products line the of! The United States, the young doctor now takes a different view on skin lightening,! What is really concerning 2002 a study of 450 traders in the early 1960s colour! Hues as the embodiment of ugliness and inferiority Jazeera Centre for Public &! Indirect colonial legacy, a byproduct of colonialism. few months and success, she said estimate from the Health... Especially disturbing element is the way to go most times the director wants you to glow. Is effectiveness and we recommend the above are the best African beauty SECRETS that are best suitable flawless... X27 ; s Vladimir Duthiers reports on the sides of her lips of Lawals. Recommend the above products for their potency to go the extra mile, the.