Dying to be white- The Dangers of skin bleaching products

Dying to be white Written by Maclynn Kemigisha

On the most important day of Carol’s life-her wedding- the 27-year-old hairdresser says she felt beautiful. During the last two months of preparation, carol used skin bleaching products in anticipation of this day. At the ceremony, her complexion, which she normally describes as coffee-colored was a creamy café au lait. As hundreds gathered outdoors, carol stayed in the shed to protect her lightened skin from the sun.
"When I did step out to have my picture taken, my skin was so sensitive it felt as if I was being scorched with an iron," she says.
Wedding ceremonies are just one of the occasions for which most women lighten their skin, knowingly risking cancer in the process. The practice is also common before festive holidays, when women have higher chances of travelling to their villages to their villages and meeting friends and relatives that they haven’t seen in a long time.

Some women don’t wait for special occasions; they use bleaching products every day.
In societies such as Uganda, where dark skin is a marker of toiling in the sun, lighter skin signifies affluence.

Nasaali Liz, a professor, believe that is a legacy of the colonial days, when European rulers,by their very existence, established a link between power, affluence and light complexions. Europeans are also said to have showed favoritism to paler Africans. Before chemical skin bleaching first arrived in Uganda in the eighties, it was a question of staying out of the sun and not using very-effective herbal masks. But with the addition of bleach, these creams have become more potent and the practice increasingly widespread.
But worryingly, most ingredients are known for affecting the production of melanin (the pigment that protects the skin against skin cancer). In a nation where nearly half the population is unemployed, women spend shs 50,000 or more each month on skin bleaching products. Dozens of brands are on sale at markets for at least shs 8,000 a tube.

More than half the women who visit a dermatology clinic in Wandegeya are there because they have some kind of skin lightening side effect. Dr Kambugu, who runs the clinic, says it’s no surprise the problem of skin lightening has transcended social and class boundaries,“If you look at the international role models- actresses, musicians, models- they actually have lighter skin. Women want fair complexions because they see it on television.”
A 36-year-old political journalist whom one would expect to scorn the practice is a self-confessed ‘addict’. “Skin lightening is very important to us, it makes us feel beautiful. Yes, there are health risks, but we do it anyway, it is completely normal.”

Jackie, a 26-year-old nurse, didn’t think twice about it. “I started using the creams when I was 22,” she says. “I used two different products everyday for two years,”
She eventually had to stop using them, however, because the heightened sensitivity she experienced whenever her skin was exposed to the sun went off the register. “It destroyed my complexion. My skin also hardened like swollen acne,”
What’s more, her skin is actually darker now than it was before she started using the lightening creams.
Dr. Kambugu explains that this overall darkening of the complexion after people stop using lightening products is quite common. “This is due to the fact that the creams alter natural pigmentation.” He continues, “Women come to me for help but there is nothing I can do for them. They know the risk.


DANGERS OF SKIN LIGHTENING & LIGHTENING CREAMS

Skin lightening creams have been a popular cosmetic product in South Africa for many decades and are still widely used for its skin bleaching effects. Also known as skin whitening creams, these applications are available from street vendors and cosmetic counters at chain stores, supermarkets and pharmacies across the country. However a lack of regulation has allowed some skin whitening blends to impregnate toxic compounds in their formulation, leading to a number of skin disorders when used over a long period of time. While the public is aware of the dangers of these skin products, sales of skin lightening creams continue to dominate the cosmetic market.

Skin lightening products are popular in Africa and Asia where a lighter skin complexion is prized among many cultures. The price for beauty has often seen many dangerous products emerge on the market only to be quickly removed through the swift action of local health authorities. However skin lightening products have not fallen prey to regulation and new brands emerge on a daily basis.

SKIN DEEP: Dying to be white < By Marianne Bray HONG KONG, China (CNN) --"Flawlessly milky skin is to die for," says a beauty website for Asian women. Get-white messages, like this one on the lighten-up page on asiaMs.net, are inescapable in this part of the world. Pale Asian models peer from the pages of glossy magazines, pout on billboards, ride on white horses in cinema advertisements and jostle for counter space at the local department store. They tout products such as Blanc Expert, White-Plus, WhiteLight, Future White Day, Blanc Purete, Fine Fairness, Active White, White Perfect and Snow UV. Spurred on by modern marketing and a cultural history that cherishes fairness, hordes of women across Asia are slapping on whitening lotions, serums, correctors and essences to bleach their skins. But at what price? In what may be the biggest toxic cream outbreak ever, 1,262 people flocked to a hotline set up by Hong Kong's health department last week, after warnings that two whitener creams -- Rosedew and La Rose Blanche -- had mercury levels between 9,000 and 65,000 times the recommended dose. Of the 435 callers who were tested for poisoning, one 31-year-old woman was admitted to Hong Kong's Tuen Mun Hospital over the weekend, while 13 others were referred to specialists for further check-ups. Pale preference Skin whitening has a long history in Asia, stemming back to ancient China and Japan, where the saying "one white covers up three ugliness" was passed through the generations. A white complexion was seen as noble and aristocratic, especially in Southeast Asia, where the sun was always out. Only those rich enough could afford to stay indoors, while peasants baked in the rice fields. In their early bid to lighten up, Chinese ground pearl from seashells into powder and swallowed it to whiten their skin, says Chinese University chemical pathology professor Christopher Lam Wai-kei, while across the Yellow Sea, Geisha girls powdered their faces chalk white. This obsession with whiteness has not faded over time. A survey by Asia Market Intelligence this year revealed that three quarters of Malaysian men thought their partners would be more attractive with lighter complexions. In Hong Kong two thirds of men prefer fairer skin, while half the local women wanted their men paler. Almost half of Asians aged 25 to 34 years used skin whiteners in a business that some analysts have said could be worth billions of dollars. 'Lighten and brighten' As cosmetic giants around the world jump onto this lucrative Asian obsession, women in the region face an enormous array of ways to brighten, whiten, lighten and illuminate their yellow-toned skins. (How whiteners work) But as companies pump money into new skin technology -- touting heat-sealed capsules and triple-action formulas -- they are being joined by less scrupulous players. In December 2000, Lam and Prince of Wales Hospital doctor Michael Chan tested 36 creams made by cosmetic makers across the world. They found eight creams exceeded the U.S. Food and Drug Administration safety limits for mercury. All eight brands came from China or Taiwan, prompting Lam to predict this could be "the tip of the iceberg" because the creams have been available for several years and widely used. When Lam phoned one Chinese supplier, he was told: "What is wrong with a little mercury in the cream, as long as it can make ladies beautiful." 'Mad-as-a hatter' While mercury was considered a strong and effective whitening agent ten to twenty years ago, in high doses it is lethal. It is so toxic and dangerous that when workers used mercury to make felt hats in the 1800s, the psychiatric changes it triggered, led observers to call them as "mad-as-a-hatter." "Mercury is very harmful to the central nervous system and kidney, particularly the developing brain of a foetus and young child " says Lam. "It can lead to convulsions, coma and death." (More on mercury poisoning) Used as a skin bleacher for years, it was only when a smattering of toxic cream cases broke out during the 1990s in Australia, America and Saudi Arabia that mercury was put under the spotlight, sparking calls to boost labeling and purity requirements. "The more effective it is, the less safe it is, and with a strong product the reaction will be expected to be more," says Dr. Wendy Wong Hok-wai, a Hong Kong dermatologist. Imperial Palace secret Rosedew was red-flagged and its shop raided by Hong Kong authorities after it came in at a whooping 27,000 to 60,000 times the acceptable dose. Dubbed the "original Asian beauty secret" its packaging claims to use a "proven Traditional Chinese Imperial Palace secret formula," made from the "100 percent natural ingredients." Set up five years ago, and selling creams made in southeastern Humen from a store in Hong Kong's Central district, Rosedew's owner says that no one knew there was mercury in the creams. "They have always been safe," says owner Don Farthing. "The customs department never had a problem with it in the past." Paris-based La Rose Blanche, whose cream came in at 9,100 to 60,000 times the limit, also stands by its claim that it does not use mercury. The company Web site recently posted a notice on its site saying its beauty creams had passed Hong Kong safety tests. "Our original formulas should not contain any mercury," says John Chan, who overseas the range's distribution in Hong Kong. "We don't know what's wrong. Right now we are still investigating it." (The company explains how their creams work) Piracy rampant While piracy is rampant in Asia, and rife in parts of China, it is not yet clear what the status of these products are. No charges have yet been laid against any of the companies but a probe is underway, according to a spokesperson for Hong Kong's customs department. "We won't rule out the possibility that they were fake," said Agnes Law, senior information officer. Lam for one, says laws should be strengthened to crack down on toxic creams and advises customers to check packaging and buy creams from more developed countries. In a bid to allay fears in the marketplace, Hong Kong's consumer council is testing 30 whitening creams for lead and mercury, with the results to be released Wednesday this week, says head of research and surveys, Connie Lau Yin-bing. Dying to be white Send to a friend Saturday, 16 June 2012 09:58 Victim of skin bleaching: Filipino Panya Boonchun appeared on Jessica Simpson’s lifestyle show The Price of Beauty. Her skin is ruined PHOTO I file By Felsita Wangari The name Caro Light may be familiar to many women – well, to those, at least, who like to use skin-bleaching cosmetics. But if you are not that sort of woman, then you will not know the brand. It is one of the fastest moving skin-bleaching products in Kenya. Caro Light cream is ordinarily applied on the skin to transform a woman from dark to light-skinned in a matter of weeks. But self-appointed skin-bleaching ‘experts’ on Nairobi’s River Road have found another way to use one of the brand’s constituent potions – by injecting it. The injection – which is thought to be a mixture of saline solution and Caro Light’s glycerine gel – is not as popular as the topical cream, partly because of the cost. It costs a minimum of Sh200 000 for one injection, three times the cost of a three-month supply of a concoction of creams, popularly referred to as mkorogo, which would do the same job. This is against the Sh5 700 that a 300ml tub of Caro Light gel costs. Huge profits The profit margin may seem steep, but it seems this is a hedge against the risk of getting caught by the authorities; the vendors who offer the illegal injection also know that they would need a lot of money either to bribe or bail themselves out if they were caught in a random swoop. However, in spite of the cost and the risk, one of the cream vendors whispers that at least two new customers come in every week to get an injection. Bleaching creams, soaps, gels and lotions such as Movate, Jaribu, Peau Clair, Betalemon and Mekako have long been banned in Kenya because of their hydroquinone, steroid and mercury components. This is due to their harmful effects on the skin and other body organs. However, the market for them is thriving. Some of the banned potions have made their way back onto shelves by adjusting their labelling to say that they contain no mercury and less than 2 per cent hydroquinone (the legal limit for over the counter topical solutions) so while these banned bleaching creams are sold and discussed more openly, information on the injections is harder to come by as few want to talk about it. Most vendors even deny knowledge of their existence, and it takes our team a while before we find someone willing to talk to us about it. A walk down River Road will reveal that many small cubicles are packed with skin lightening creams – all with the clever ‘hydroquinone-free’ disclaimer. Skin ‘specialists’ stand along the corridors calling out to would-be customers – usually women with acne, blackheads or dark skin in various shades. Some have obviously used their ‘expertise’ in skin bleaching on themselves. They have unsightly red blotches and dark patches on their skin, but there are some whose only giveaway are their dark elbows, knuckles and lips that hint at formerly dark-skinned women. Shooting up Mkorogos go for roughly Sh60, 000, while creams and lotions may go for less. But even more sinister is the new wave of skin bleaching agents, which are introduced into the body via injections and/or pills. We pose as customers and come across Maggie, a cream vendor, who eventually leads us to a lady called Jackie who is willing to sell us the injections. “(The injection) can turn the skin colour of the darkest Sudanese to look like that of a sallow-skinned Asian,” she boasts. The injection, she says, costs Sh200, 000 and is given at her stall, not far from Maggie’s. She explains that I would also have to buy a skin firming lotion and skin tone-maintaining concoction of creams that she would prescribe after I pay for the treatment. Organ damage Jackie insists that the skin-lightening injections are free of side effects, but Maggie and another seller whisper a different story. Maggie warns that I would have to take a few days off after the injection, because “it makes you sick.” Moreover, it may damage my organs and make me infertile. “You do not look like a mother yet. Do not do this to yourself if you do not have a child yet because this thing can ruin your organs. A friend has been bleeding continuously since she got the injection,” Maggie continues. Maggie’s assertions may be motivated more by business rivalry, but her assertions are close to the truth. Despite having a hydroquinone-free disclaimer on its label, Caro Light, one of the ingredients in the skin-lightening injection, has 2 per cent hydroquinone listed among its ingredients. While some opt for this dangerous injection, there are those who prefer to swallow pills. In another shop, I listen as the seller prescribes a mix of products to remove my blackheads, even out my skin tone and make me lighter-skinned, before I mention I have heard that pills work faster. “I have tried the creams and they do not work. Do you have pills?” I ask. That seller claims that since skin-lightening pills are more dangerous to sell than creams, nobody stocks them. Instead, customers make an order by paying Sh380, 000 worth of deposit and wait for them to be shipped from Dubai. The client then pays another Sh380 000 and gets a dose to last a year. The tablets allegedly work by blocking melanin formation. Within four weeks the whole body begins to change and one takes the appearance of a half-caste. Rosemary, the vendor telling me about the pills, warns that I would have to take the pills for life to maintain the look. “If you ever stop, you will look worse than you look now.” I end up buying 10 pills from another vendor who is willing to sell them to me for Sh20, 000 with a promise that I will pick more up before I clear that dose. The pills are not branded and are brought from a store – where they are kept hidden in a black plastic bag. The deal is done under a small table, as she insists that nobody should see the small white tablets because nobody knows that she sells them. “You take one before breakfast and another before supper for the best effects,” she tells me, and reminds me to come for the rest of the dose before the end of five days. The pills do not come with a packet label, but I find out that they are called Mequinol. Mequinol is a de-pigmentation pill, sold exclusively on prescription, and used in the treatment of liver spots and vitiligo. Too high a price Irene Njoroge, a cosmetology consultant, says that women pay a high price for bleaching themselves. “Women associate light skin with many benefits, high among them the power to keep men hooked. But after long-term use the skin becomes weak and becomes more prone to sun-burn and consequently skin cancer,” she explains. Skin also ages faster, with wrinkles and sagging caused by the loss of collagen – the substance that keeps the skin firm. Worse still, dermatologists say that even for people being treated for hyper-pigmentation, it is important that the skin-lightening ingredients only suppress pigment production for a short while, but not destroy the cells that make melanin. The search for lighter skin is not only targeted at dark-skinned women. In Asia, and generally online, a health supplement called glutathione is all the rage for its one side effect – the power to lighten the skin. Glutathione is made by the body from the food we eat and is used to fight free radicals. Claims are that glutathione works by deactivating an enzyme that is used in the production of melanin, the pigment that gives human skin its colour. Skin-whitening injections, with glutathione as the active ingredient, are popular in countries like the Philippines, where high-dose glutathione drips supposedly produce the highly desired milky white skin. While those who offer it claim it has no harmful side effects, there are counter-claims that repeated high-dose injections could lead to kidney failure, blood poisoning and peeling of skin, which exposes the body to infections. woman@thecitizen.co..tzThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Bleaching creams, soaps, gels and lotions such as Movate, Jaribu, Peau Clair, Betalemon and Mekako have long been banned in Kenya because of their hydroquinone, steroid and mercury components http://ht26.us/product/product_id/1138 Tyra - I wanna be white http://youtu.be/-T8HxKzKSOA