SKIN BLEACHING IS A POTENTIAL KILLER
God in His immensurable wisdom created every human being with a particular skin colour.The World Health Organisation endorse as fit this wisdom by recommending "Strengthening the message that everyone should be happy with their natural skin colour".
There is no gainsaying everyone, man or woman wants to have a flawlessly bright, clear and smooth skin tone.
Skin bleaching(Or Skin Whitening) inarguably is one of the most effective ways to achieve a brighter and clearer skin. It has become increasingly popular,so much so that,market places are flooded with several chemical peels, lasers and whitening creams that help better skin tone.
The question of why people bleach is, however, a very vexed one and does not lend itself to easy explanation .It baffles me,personally,as to why people bleach, especially, men....Is it for lack of confidence or inferiority complex?Your guess is yours and matters!
But studies shows that most people bleach and prefer lighter skins to get status and recognition in their group, family and society.In some parts of the world, It's believed that light and pale skin portrays beauty, richness and success.Dark complexioned people are considered inferior and below standard. TV commercials among others also portray same - all these have a great impact on the minds of people and, thus,deepens the misconception about the white and dark skin colourisation.
As trends go, it does not take long to become white.But the effects of becoming white or pale artificially via the use of bleaching creams, pills and other products could take one a lifetime to battle with and may at worse lead one to his/her early grave.
This article explores the effects of skin bleaching and possible use of natural remedies for having clean and flawless skin.
Skin bleaching pose a health threat to practitioners.Some of the effects are immediate whiles others are seen after a prolonged usage of whitening creams....
A study published in the British Journal of Dermatology contends that those who had skin issues such as dermatitis,eczema, and acne were adversely affected by skin bleaching products.
According to drugs.com, skin bleaching products (especially those that contain hydroquinone) can make skin more vulnerable to the dangerous ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Prolonged use of skin lighteners can contribute to premature aging of skin and increased risk of skin cancer.Steroids in some skin lighteners may also increase risk for skin infections , skin thinning, severe birth defects and poor wound healing. A study published in the international Journal of Dermatology found that bleaching creams reduced or even impaired the wound healing ability in African subjects.
There is also risk of mild to severe allergic reactions such as irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis. According to DermNet NZ, irritant contact dermatitis is indicated by reddening of skin, mild stinging and mild itching.On the other hand, allergic contact dermatitis symptoms are severe which include swelling, crusting, unusual discoloration of the skin, severe burning and itching of the treated area.
People who use bleaching products and skin whitening products that has hydrogen peroxide and benzoyl peroxide,may experience chemical reaction that could make skin dark and stained.A combination of the two ingredients could be more dangerous.
It's worthy to note that most of the bleaching creams contain dangerous material such as hydroquinone, Mercury, Azelaic acid, Arbutin, tretinoin, Kojic acid, niacinamido....
Instead of whitening or bleaching creams,the following natural remedies may be used for having a clear and flawless skin:
-Diet:this takes away refined food products and replaces them with healthy and nutritious one's.
-Papaye soap, milk,turmeric (grind up "face turmeric" with olive oil and chickpea flour),oatmeal and tomato juice also prove better natural options.
-Water:keeps skin hydrated, healthy and unblemished.
-Limes and lemons:Citric acid is a natural bleach without side effects. You can make a face mask with lime juice, few drops of glycerol and flour to make paste.Apply this on your face and leave for 20 - 30 minutes.Wash with normal water afterwards.
-Cleansing:effoliate skin from time to time to get rid of the old tanned cells and make way for new cells.
Ahoy, people! So you see! The next time you think of bleaching, think of the effects and explore more natural options.
I say a big NO to skin bleaching or whitening and I entreat you to declare same without shame!
I can hear someone say a big NO to bleaching and is ready to spread the message to all and all.To be continued....
May the good Lord bless us all....
The writer is a Teacher, a community Radio Advocate/presenter and a student.
God in His immensurable wisdom created every human being with a particular skin colour.The World Health Organisation endorse as fit this wisdom by recommending "Strengthening the message that everyone should be happy with their natural skin colour".
There is no gainsaying everyone, man or woman wants to have a flawlessly bright, clear and smooth skin tone.
Skin bleaching(Or Skin Whitening) inarguably is one of the most effective ways to achieve a brighter and clearer skin. It has become increasingly popular,so much so that,market places are flooded with several chemical peels, lasers and whitening creams that help better skin tone.
The question of why people bleach is, however, a very vexed one and does not lend itself to easy explanation .It baffles me,personally,as to why people bleach, especially, men....Is it for lack of confidence or inferiority complex?Your guess is yours and matters!
But studies shows that most people bleach and prefer lighter skins to get status and recognition in their group, family and society.In some parts of the world, It's believed that light and pale skin portrays beauty, richness and success.Dark complexioned people are considered inferior and below standard. TV commercials among others also portray same - all these have a great impact on the minds of people and, thus,deepens the misconception about the white and dark skin colourisation.
As trends go, it does not take long to become white.But the effects of becoming white or pale artificially via the use of bleaching creams, pills and other products could take one a lifetime to battle with and may at worse lead one to his/her early grave.
This article explores the effects of skin bleaching and possible use of natural remedies for having clean and flawless skin.
Skin bleaching pose a health threat to practitioners.Some of the effects are immediate whiles others are seen after a prolonged usage of whitening creams....
A study published in the British Journal of Dermatology contends that those who had skin issues such as dermatitis,eczema, and acne were adversely affected by skin bleaching products.
According to drugs.com, skin bleaching products (especially those that contain hydroquinone) can make skin more vulnerable to the dangerous ultraviolet rays of the sun.
Prolonged use of skin lighteners can contribute to premature aging of skin and increased risk of skin cancer.Steroids in some skin lighteners may also increase risk for skin infections , skin thinning, severe birth defects and poor wound healing. A study published in the international Journal of Dermatology found that bleaching creams reduced or even impaired the wound healing ability in African subjects.
There is also risk of mild to severe allergic reactions such as irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis. According to DermNet NZ, irritant contact dermatitis is indicated by reddening of skin, mild stinging and mild itching.On the other hand, allergic contact dermatitis symptoms are severe which include swelling, crusting, unusual discoloration of the skin, severe burning and itching of the treated area.
People who use bleaching products and skin whitening products that has hydrogen peroxide and benzoyl peroxide,may experience chemical reaction that could make skin dark and stained.A combination of the two ingredients could be more dangerous.
It's worthy to note that most of the bleaching creams contain dangerous material such as hydroquinone, Mercury, Azelaic acid, Arbutin, tretinoin, Kojic acid, niacinamido....
Instead of whitening or bleaching creams,the following natural remedies may be used for having a clear and flawless skin:
-Diet:this takes away refined food products and replaces them with healthy and nutritious one's.
-Papaye soap, milk,turmeric (grind up "face turmeric" with olive oil and chickpea flour),oatmeal and tomato juice also prove better natural options.
-Water:keeps skin hydrated, healthy and unblemished.
-Limes and lemons:Citric acid is a natural bleach without side effects. You can make a face mask with lime juice, few drops of glycerol and flour to make paste.Apply this on your face and leave for 20 - 30 minutes.Wash with normal water afterwards.
-Cleansing:effoliate skin from time to time to get rid of the old tanned cells and make way for new cells.
Ahoy, people! So you see! The next time you think of bleaching, think of the effects and explore more natural options.
I say a big NO to skin bleaching or whitening and I entreat you to declare same without shame!
I can hear someone say a big NO to bleaching and is ready to spread the message to all and all.To be continued....
May the good Lord bless us all....
The writer is a Teacher, a community Radio Advocate/presenter and a student.
BY:ANANPANSAH, B ABRAHAM ( AB)
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA BUSINESS SCHOOL ( STUDENT )
0241129910 / 0200704844
FACEBOOK : CRITICAL POLITICAL THINKER
UNIVERSITY OF GHANA BUSINESS SCHOOL ( STUDENT )
0241129910 / 0200704844
FACEBOOK : CRITICAL POLITICAL THINKER
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