BLEACH AND DIE!- NIGERIA IS LEADING AFRICA IN THIS ANTI-BLACK PRACTICE AND YORUBAS NO DOUBT OUR THE TOP BLEACHERS IN NIGERIA!-STOP THIS RACIAL SUICIDE!- BE PROUD OF THE BLACK SKIN GOD PUT YOU IN!-FROM THE TRIBUNE NEWSPAPER,NIGERIA!

GOD MADE YOU A BLACK SKINNED BEAUTY! O BORA KO DA! DON’TBLEACH AND DIE!

Bleaching and communicable diseases

Written by Dr. Abiodun Adeoye
Saturday, 09 February 2013 12:04

If there is anything that has given me concern of late, it is the rate at which young and old, poor and rich people of African descent, especially Nigerians, engage in skin bleaching.

I once attended a church service where there was visible move of the Holy Spirit with powerful sermon and many souls I would say were won into the kingdom of God. But I was quite astonished to see the telltale signs of skin bleaching on the man of God. I want to believe he is not aware of the side effects of bleaching creams and soap. Or how else would we explain even some of our ‘respected fathers’ in high places who grossly engage in skin bleaching?

If they can be pardoned for lack of awareness of its side effect, can the same hold for actors and actresses in Nollywood? These are people that are supposed to be role models for young generation. After much thought, I feel we should all join hands to tackle this menace. I have never seen a white man who wants to change to dark skin. Is it inferiority complex or lack of adequate information? Yes, in certain communities light skin is associated with success, prestige and envy as women commonly turn to skin lightening products to achieve and maintain their desired complexion.

For example in India, the appeal of fair skin is deeply rooted in the nation’s culture and the caste system. Higher caste members traditionally had lighter skin and were less likely to be involved in manual work. This was shown to account for high rate of skin bleaching among the low caste especially the women. This is not the case in Nigeria, yet World Heart Organisation (WHO) ranked Nigeria first among nations endangering their lives with mercury-containing bleaching cream and soap. They have revealed that over 77 per cent of Nigerians use such products on a regular basis. We are followed by Togo with 59 per cent; South Africa, 35 per cent; and Mali, 25 per cent.

I encourage people in this category to please stop this habit. Skin bleaching contributes immensely to the burden of non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, kidney diseases and cancers, just to mention a few. Worldwide, non-communicable diseases account for more than 70 per cent of deaths.

While the infectious or communicable diseases are being wiped out in developed and some developing countries, same is not true in Nigeria. This is a double burden on our economy. The fight against polio and HIV is enough headache; don’t add more to it by using bleaching cream and soap. The dangers of bleaching creams and soap are many.

Dangers of bleaching agents
The side effect depends on the ingredients contained in the cream or soap. Unfortunately, most of the manufacturers don’t give accurate information about the percentages of these dangerous ingredients. Hydroquinone is the commonly used active ingredient in many of these bleaching creams. This chemical works by stopping the production of melanin, which is responsible for the darkening of a person’s skin tone. Hydroquinone, when used in right proportion for limited time frame, may not be harmful. According to the US Food and Drug Agency, only two per cent content is allowed but most products have up to four per cent or even more. When used on long term basis, side effects set in. Exogenous ochronosis is a well known effect of prolong use. There is a paradoxical darkening of the skin which follows an initial skin lightening. Wherever I see people in this category, I appreciate absolute ignorance in them. Who will want to get a temporary light skin and later lapse into terrible scaly and thick dark skin with bumps thatare worse than his or her initial black and shine? Instead of allowing ridicule by the community, kindly stop the use of hydroquinone today.

Steroids are another culprit in the bleaching creams and other formulations. Bleaching creams like Dermovate, Movate, Top Gel, and Nuvotone have been found to contain the extremely potent steroids betamethasone and clobetasol propionate. Again, these are extremely cheap and available in all corners over the counter.

A researcher states that “with high-potency topical steroids used for a long time, you can get suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system. And with that suppression, you can get these endocrine problems like Cushing’s disease and diabetes.”

Black men and women have an increased risk of developing diabetes, and topical steroids would heighten their risk dramatically. With Cushing’s disease, there is excessive weight gain; rounded moon shape faces with reduced immunity. All sorts of infections are reported. Hypertension, stroke or depressions can occur. In case of accidents, there is poor wound healing and under stress, they bleed into the skin and brain.

Another ingredient is inorganic mercury which is injurious to the whole body system. According to WHO, once the chemicals get absorbed into the skin and enter the blood stream, the complications are worse. The effects include kidney damage, reduction in the skin resistance to bacterial and fungal infections, anxiety, depression, psychosis and peripheral neuropathy. Others are skin rashes, swelling of the skin, irritation, seizures, numbness, pain tremors and memory loss.

MICHAEL JACKSON WAS BLEACHING!-THIS THE ECONOMIST OBITUARY TALKS ABOUT IT TOO!

THIS OBITUARY REFERS TO MICHAEL JACKSON’S BLEACHING(WHICH WOULD HAD KILLED HIM NEXT !)
哪怕对于一个近来被写滥了的话题和人物，经济学人都能写出与众不同的感觉。
丰富的词藻、极具画面感的描写，使得解释成为多余。仅粘贴于此，美文共赏。
Michael Jackson
Jul 2nd 2009
From The Economist print edition
Michael Jackson, pop star, died on June 25th, aged 50
Getty Images

FIRST, the songs. The light, infectious lilt of “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough”. The sheer, vicious swoop of “Speed Demon”. The soft, syncopated sadness of “Billie Jean”, or the raucous shouts of “Bad”. His high, pure tenor was shot through with the little yips and sighs he had learnt from Diana Ross. And behind it lay the astonishing confidence of child-star Michael in “I’ll Be There” or “Rockin’ Robin”, with each note treble-true and each time-change as natural as taking breath.
Next, the dancing, springing from the music like a bird out of a trap. Pointing, jerking, thrusting, with rage in his feet, as Fred Astaire said once. He was at war with the floor as it slid away in the Moonwalk, and with the air as he spun through it. He danced with his knees, on tiptoe, hunching his shoulders to his ears. His splayed hand pulled at his crotch as if emasculation would be sweet to him.
The show was everything. Lights made a giant of him as he stood motionless: one white, glittering, gloved hand raised, fedora pulled down at a slant. Under the tight, too-short trousers, sequinned socks (“No one would recognise Bruce Springsteen by his socks”). On stage he felt truly alive, invincible, “unlimited”. He would appear in explosions of smoke and fire, or fly away like an astronaut. On his videos he was a leader of crowds, prowling the city in “Thriller” (1983) in an outfit red as blood. P.T. Barnum was his model, crossed with Walt Disney. He wanted his life to be “the greatest show on earth”. And so, for much of the 1980s and 1990s, it was, with “Thriller” the biggest-selling album ever, eight Grammys in 1983, his dark, lavish videos a staple of the fledgling MTV channel and his place as the King of Pop assured.
In Neverland
What lay behind it? He told his biographer, Randy Taraborrelli, that he had “deep, dark secrets”. They were encased in a voice as soft as a whisper, a handshake that felt like a cloud, a face as pale and delicate as plastic surgery and

Porcelana skin-bleach could make it

. Dark glasses and surgical masks kept the world away from him. On his estate at Neverland in southern California, remote from the “normal people” who might grab and scratch him, he lived like a child with blank-eyed mannequins, pet snakes and Ferris wheels. He shared his meals with a chimpanzee and his bed with young boys, “the most loving thing to do”. People spread rumours about him, even twice accused him of sexual abuse, but he was never proved guilty of anything: except love, and desire for lost childhood, and a longing to be Peter Pan.
But that too was a show. Behind it was a man who could not bear to hear that Elvis still surpassed him, or that Madonna had won a Grammy when he hadn’t. He could force hard deals and millions of dollars out of Motown, CBS and Sony in face-to-face confrontations; he could fire his manager and his lawyer, after years of service, without a trace of sentiment, for letting down the brand; he could beat Paul McCartney to the Beatles’ back catalogue and exploit it ruthlessly, despite their friendship. He performed for 18 years with his four elder brothers in the Jackson 5, the bouncing, grinning child from Gary, Indiana transforming into a global megastar, then left them as brutally as he had always upstaged them. But the family never left him.

He blanked Joseph Jackson from his life and excised him from his face

, but could not forget his father’s exhortation to be “a winner, not a loser”. Perfectionism, like distrust, had been beaten into him.
What show business required, he had also learnt, was to give the fans what they wanted. If they demanded fantasies, he would provide them. (“The longer it takes them to discover [who I am], the more famous I will be.”) From the end of the 1980s he devised ever more headline-grabbing ventures: bidding for the bones of the Elephant Man, sleeping in an oxygen chamber, appearing in toyshops and galleries in garish wigs and moustaches. Dates were arranged with Tatum O’Neal and Brooke Shields to prove he was all man, rather than the shrinking virgin of his other public self. Two marriages were undertaken, three children vicariously produced.
Oddness overshadowed his real, hard-won achievements: world adulation for a black pop star, the birth of video celebrity, and millions of dollars given to black causes. If the press stayed on his weird story, he believed, his records would sell. The risk was that the weirdness would multiply until he was hardly human.
His last public appearance, before his death of apparent cardiac arrest, was to announce a series of 50 sold-out concerts in London. Hours before his death he was rehearsing for them, exuding joy, energy and sharp judgment. His glitter jackets, the tabloids claimed later, hid a body that was half-starved, subsisting on painkillers. Though he was worth $1.3 billion, said the Sun, he died with debts of $300m.
But he had sold 750m albums and, from Riga to Rio, children danced like him. In the words of his “Dirty Diana”,
That’s OK
Hey baby do what you want
I’ll be your night lovin’ thing
I’ll be the freak you can taunt
And I don’t care what you say
I want to go too far
I’ll be your everything
If you make me a star

QUINCY JONES ON MICHAEL JACKSON’S BLEACHING-”MICHAEL JACKSON BLEACHED HIS SKIN BECAUSE HE “DIDN’T WANT TO BE BLACK”-FROM ENTERTAINMENTWISE.COM,JULY 3,2009

FROM entertainmentwise.com

BROTHER QUINCY JONES

MICHAEL JACKSON,BLACK AND HANDSOME BUT HIS BLACK FATHER TOLD HIM HE WAS UGLY WITH A VERY UGLY BIG NOSE!BLACK PARENTS STOP THIS ABUSE OF BEAUTIFUL BLACK FEATURES!

BLEACH AND BE A MONSTER LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON BECAME!

Quincy Jones: Michael Jackson Bleached Skin Because He ‘Didn’t Want To Be Black’
The producer speaks out about his friend’s obsession with his appearance…
Friday 03rd Jul 2009

Thriller producer Quincy Jones says that his pal Michael Jackson bleached his skin because he “didn’t want to be black”.

The singer always claimed that his increasingly pale appearance was the result of Vitiligo, a chronic condition that causes patches of skin to lose pigment.

However, Quincy – who also worked with Michael on Off The Wall and Bad – dismisses this explanation as “bulls**t”.

He says in a candid new interview: “I don’t believe in any of that bulls**t, no. No. Never.

“I’ve been around junkies and stuff all my life. I’ve heard every excuse. It’s like smokers – ‘I only smoke when I drink’ and all that stuff. But it’s bulls**t.

“You’re justifying something that’s destructive to your existence. But when somebody’s hell-bent on it, you can’t stop ‘em.

“What his face turned into is ridiculous. Chemical peels and all of it. And I don’t understand it. But he obviously didn’t want to be black. You see his kids?”

Quincy suggests Michael was a hypochondriac, but is unable to explain why his friend had such a problem with the way he looked.

“He’d come up with, ‘Man, I promise you I have this disease,’ and so forth, and ‘I have a blister on my lungs,’ and all that kind of bulls**t,” he tells Details.

“It’s hard, because Michael’s a Virgo, man – he’s very set in his ways. You can’t talk him out of it.

“I’m just a musician and a record producer. I’m not a psychiatrist. I don’t understand all that stuff. We all got problems.”

Black to white: Michael’s changing appearance

After learning of his friend’s death, Quincy praised Michael for his “talent, grace, professionalism and dedication” in an emotional tribute.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana on August 29, 1958. He was the seventh child of nine children to Joseph and Katherine Jackson and was born into a typical working class family. The city of Gary is 25 miles from downtown Chicago and is famous for its massive steel industry. It took its name from the chairman of U.S. Steel, Elbert H Gary, and is nicknamed ‘City of Century’ – we’re hoping for ironic reasons. (Image: WENN.com)

WELL IT HAS HAPPENED!-MICHAEL JACKSON HAS DIED!-WHETHER IT WAS OVERDOSE FROM HIS DRUG ADDICTION OR HIS BLEACHING THAT WOULD HAVE KILLED HIM EVENTUALLY WITH SKIN CANCER THE LESSON IS,BLACK PEOPLE DON’T BLEACH! BLEACH AND DIE!

DON'T BLEACH AND BECOME A MONSTER LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON DID!

MICHAEL JACKSON BLEACHED UNTIL HE GOT A SKIN DISEASE! IT WAS REPORTED BEFORE HE DIED THAT HE HAD SKIN CANCER FINALLY AND THAT IS DEATH TOO! DON'T BLEACH BLACK PEOPLE,DON'T BLEACH! BLEACH AND DIE!

FROM drbenkim.com

Potential Dangers Of Using Skin-Lightening Creams
By Dr. Ben Kim on August 31, 2006 Health Warnings
Michael Jackson and I both have a skin condition called vitiligo, a condition that results in loss of skin color in patches throughout one’s face and body.

For years, I have heard people snicker about Michael Jackson’s feeble attempts to “be more white.” The truth is, Michael Jackson’s skin is white because more than a decade ago, he used powerful skin-lightening medication to blend his naturally brown skin color with his white, depigmented patches.

Skin-lightening creams are heavily promoted by many dermatologists and skin care experts to even out cosmetic conditions like vitiligo, liver spots, and other superficial blemishes.

The problem with these creams is that many of them contain a substance called hydroquinone, which a variety of studies have linked to:

Increased risk of cancer
Increased risk of adrenal gland problems
Increased risk of all health conditions associated with mercury poisoning
Increased risk of developing a rare metabolic disorder called ochronosis, which can cause physical changes to the skin and tissues surrounding the eyes, ears, and joints
Citing these and other potential dangers of using creams that contain hydroquinone, this past Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. put forth a proposal to ban over-the-counter sales of skin-lightening products.

Don’t expect dermatologists and the many companies who sell hundreds of different skin-lightening products that contain hydroquinone to remain silent about the FDA’s proposal.

According to the L.A. Times, in the United States, approximately two-thirds of all skin-lightening products are available over-the-counter without a prescription. Who knows how many millions of dollars this translates to each month for companies that produce these products?

If you’re not convinced that skin-lightening products that contain hydroquinone are best avoided, consider that hydroquinone has already been banned for sale in the European Union, Australia, and Japan.

Perhaps the real issue here is the lack of encouragement that our society offers to people who feel badly about their physical appearances. There never seems to be a shortage of plastic surgeons, dermatologists, and other sales people who encourage people to change or hide what they don’t like about their looks.

BLEACHING!-TYRA BANKS DID A WHOLE SHOW ON BLACKamerikkkans BLEACHING FROM CHILDHOOD AND THEIR HEALTH PROBLEMS NOW!-FROM TYRASHOW.WARNERBROS.COM

BLEACH,THE CHEMICALS WILL AFFECT YOU AND YOUR SKIN WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!

THIS BROTHER AND SISTER IN SOUTH AFRICA ARE NOW REGRETTING BLEACHING!

IT IS CHEMICALS SO THE LONGER YOU USE THEM THE MORE THEY DAMAGE YOUR SKIN AND IN THE END GIVE YOU SKIN CANCER!

SEE HOW IT CAN AFFECT YOU AFTER TIME!

BE A MONSTER LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON IF YOU BLEACH!

From tyrashow.warnerbros.com

Dangers of Skin Bleaching
Shocking info on how bleaching can endanger your health.

Tyra has met women willing to do almost anything to lighten the color of their skin … including the use of bleach, despite the negative or harmful side effects. What’s really scary is that you can buy bleaching creams in stores across the country. While these creams are intended to be used on small spots to reduce scarring, as we saw on the show, some women slather creams over their entire bodies. But is the result worth the risk — even if the risk is cancer? Read on for the scary side effects of these controversial creams.

Mercury
Even small doses of Mercury can cause neurological damage. This concern is so great, Minnesota has outlawed cosmetics like skin lighteners that intentionally feature it. But some “mom and pop” shops carry creams with that contain extreme levels of such ingredients.

Hydroquinone
This component of many skin-bleaching techniques is also found in film developing products. (Note: Your body is a work of art, but should you treat it like a chemically processed photo in a darkroom? We think not!) The idea of using this ingredient didn’t sound good to the French, who banned it for fear of cancer risks.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids
These are most commonly found in facial chemical peels, which are better known as procedures reserved for serious and infrequent skin overhauls administered by professionals. These should not be in anything you use at home regularly.

Arsenic
Most people hear this word and immediately think “poison,” which is exactly what arsenic is. Not something you want to find on the list of ingredients in your face cream, but that might be the case with some skin lighteners.

Bleaching seems like a crazy idea, and I think it is, but before we look at the mothers and judge we should look at ourselves. white wemon get fake tans, that can cause cancer, they bleach their teeth, that kills the enammal. these bleaching girls are a reflection of our own society. bleaching is wrong, but so can the other beauty routiens. these mothers are emotinaly and physacally damaging their dark skined chindren, butthe bigger problom is why they are doing it. it is the parents job to teach their kids that they are beautiful, and that what makes a beautiful person is their heart and their head. we should take that episode as a sign that our society doesnt understand true beauty, and evey girl on this planet should see that and change. Posted by kiwu 01/19/09 11:22 AM
ok i understand why somebody would want to bleach, they don’t think they are pretty enough or beautiful. im a white teenage girl and i HATE the way i look!!! i will do anyting just to lose a little weight. and if i don’t lose any weight i feel like i’ve faild so i end up cutting my arms. but there is one thing that has helped me is know that everybody is beautiful in their own way!!!! Posted by Ashlee 01/19/09 10:59 AM
Oh my God…i am black from africa. i have light brown shade. my favourate colour is the dark black that shines …like the colour of the lady that was complaining. also some white people want to look darker by tanning. what is wrong with people…i do not think it is about colour it is about self esteem issue. and abhoring once’s colour is a symptom of it. god has given you health and beauty and we complain about the blessings of God… Posted by kifaah 01/19/09 10:01 AM
HEy. Does Bleaching the skin even work ???????? Like I think thats crazy…. If i get any bleach on my fingers it stings.. let alone on a childs whole body, thats outragous. awful. I thought black people stuck up for there race and really belived in it. This is crazy crazy crazy. Posted by Dont Understand 01/19/09 7:35 AM
I would have to agree with Stephanie about showing both sides of the spectrum as it is all harmful whether it be UV lights or chemicals from bleaching chemicals. You have people like me that think black is beauty from one shade to the next. Posted by Kara 01/19/09 7:15 AM
Hi Tyra! I saw the show on black women who bleach their skin. I have to tell you that I was shocked! I am a dark skin puertorican woman and I am overweight. I will tell you that when I look in the mirror I see the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I’m proud of everything about me, including my skin color. These women are telling the world ‘I’m black, I’m minority, and I’m not worth much. What they dont understand is that we have to be proud of who we are no matter what size, color, shape and weight. If you dont deem yourself beautiful, nobody else will. One thing that i dont understand is the following’ black women are trying to be white (getting together with white men, straightening their hair, light colored contacts, and white women are trying to be black (curling the hair with perms, darkening the skin in tanning salons under the sun in the summertime and at tanning salons in the winter. Why cant we just love who we are and be the best we can be? I’m so sick of people not being happy with how god made them! Ramona Posted by Ramona 01/19/09 12:33 AM
I knew of skin bleaching before watching the show from having lived in the Arab world. I would like you all to visit AVRF.org to see the faces of children who have **involuntarily** gone from black to white. This skin disease is called Vitiligo, and it needs to be recognized. I think the women on the show should be happy that they are one color. God makes us the way we are for a reason. Please visit AVRF.org and educate yourselves!! Posted by Jessica 01/18/09 8:37 PM
Well, I am a brown skin young lady and proud of it. I wouldn’t change my skin color for the world and this is the attitude the women who are trying to bleach their skin should have because they are all beautiful. Dark skinned women are beautiful african americans as well. I do agree that they should be represented more in the media and videos. Posted by Quinita 01/18/09 8:02 PM
Hi’ Tyra I watch your show every day and i saw the show about the black girl that was bleaching they body but they shouldn’t do it ,because black is beautiful and what count is the beauty of they heart so tell them that we love them very much the color don’t have anything to do with they color ok. and that does people out their they don’t have heart or feel to hurt black humam ok Thank you Diana Alicea Posted by Diana Alicea 01/18/09 5:50 PM
Tyra, I DVR’d your show on skin bleaching and as a white woman I was a little offended when your undercover reporter was shocked to find out the creams were only marketed in “black” areas. As a white woman I wanted to let you know that tanning booths, which have harmful UV rays, are only marketed in “white” areas and that the tanning creams that they promote are named things such as “caramel delight” and “sensual chocolate”. It would have made more sense to me if you had shown both spectrums of caucasions tanning and african americans bleaching. It’s all the same, we just want to be something we’re not, sad as that is. Posted by Stephanie 01/18/09 5:24 PM
TYRA I WATCHED THE SHOW AND WAS A LITTLE OFFENDED BECAUSE I AM A BEAUTIFUL DARK SKINNED WOMAN WITH SELF ESTEEM. ITS TRULY UNFORTUNATE THESE YOUNG LADIES TRULY LACK IN THIS AREA AND THAT’S TRULY WHAT THE BOTTOM LINE IS. ALSO I BELIEVE IF THESE YOUNG WOMEN RECEIVED POSITIVE AFFIRMATIONS AT HOME OF HOW BEAUTIFUL THEY ARE AND THAT TRUE BEAUTY IS FROM THE INSIDE OUT THIS WOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE FOR THEM. MY PRAYER FOR THEM IS THAT THEY GROW IN ENOUGH SELF LOVE AND ACCEPT THEMSELVES FOR WHO THEY ARE AND HOW GOD MADE THEM. Posted by WANDA 01/18/09 4:09 PM
PS- I think my saving grace is my personality . If i were’nt the way I am, Lord knows what I would’ve done to myself by now. Posted by MusiqJunkie16 01/18/09 4:05 PM
I understand where the women on the show were coming from . I am a 16 year old dark-skinned female, insecure about my looks . I have had numerous thoughts about wanting to bleach my skin, etc. in order to make my complexion lighter. I have had guys that look right past me and on to my light-skin, modelesque friends ; “Friends” that have secluded me because I didn’t look like the rest of the light-skin girls. Not to add to the fact that they are all tall, beautiful, and built to perfection. I on the other hand am about 5’3, dark, and over-developed. [ I hate the stares from older gentlemen. ] You can see the difference in treatment between us all and it a serious problem that must be handled . I have no one to talk to because I highly doubt anyone would know how to react or help me. The only reason why i have not went through with these things to lighten my complexion is health reasons. Of course I have my days where I am the Fiercest Feline in the Jungle, but most of the time I’d rather live my life dark-skinned and average rather than light-skin and on an early ride to death. Just thought I’d share my experiences =], ~MusiqJunkie Posted by MusiqJunkie16 01/18/09 4:03 PM
tyra your right this article just described my mom. she is willing to do anything to make her skin lighter. i have tried to convince her that its bad for her skin. i also tried telling her that she should be happy with the shade she is. i think its beautiful. but my mom doesnt seem to believe me and what i have to say what wouold you tell her? Posted by nisha patel 01/18/09 2:25 PM
I agree with Tyra when she said on the show that the darker skin women who want to bleach are the victims of our color struck racist society that never celebrates dark skin especially in the media. I notice that black sitcoms and movies from years ago used dark skin women as love interest paired with the black man – you rarely see that today. Its almost like a dark skin black man cannot be in love with a dark skin woman in the media, he is always paired with a light skin or white woman. This sends a clear message to our african american men and women that having a light or white skin is more pretigious. If we dark skin women speak out – then you’re labeled jealous or player hating. It really hurts when your own brothers reject you and that’s when the bleaching extreme happens. Personally, I am brown skin and love my complexion, but I find dark skin stunning. They are show stoppers on the runway etc. Hurray for Barrack & Michelle Obama who is dark skin. I don’t know but somehow black women as a whole must find a way to protest this injustice in movies, and in hip hop without us being labeled as jealous. Posted by Jeannestar101 01/18/09 1:03 PM

BLEACHING IN UGANDA!-”HOW SKIN LIGHTENING TAKES ITS TOLL ON YOUR HEALTH”,AND CAN EVEN EFFECT THE BIRTH OF NORMAL CHILDREN IN FUTURE!-FROM UGANDA’S THE MONITOR.CO.UG

BLEACH AND GET SKIN CANCER ON THE LONG RUN! YOU WON'T SEE YOUR CHILDREN GROW UP AND IT CAN EVEN AFFECT YOUR CHILDREN AT BIRTH!

BLEACH AND LOOK LIKE A MONSTER! BLEACH AND DIE OF SKIN CANCER!

BLEACH AND LOOK LIKE A MONSTER!

From monitor.co.ug

How skin lightening takes its toll on your health
EDGAR R. BATTE

Walking around town will reveal just how low some women think of their natural black skin complexion. They strive to achieve a lighter skin complexion because they think that the lighter their skin complexions are, the better and probably more appealing they will look.

As such, skin bleaching continues to manifest itself in many black communities where even the supposedly lighter-looking women will go an extra mile to make themselves lighter.
Several women in Uganda use soaps and creams containing mercury to obtain a lighter complexion. NET PHOTO

Skin whitening, as answers.com offers, is a term covering a variety of cosmetic methods used to whiten the skin, in parts of East Asia, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa.

The site adds that skin lightening or whitening is a controversial topic as it is closely intertwined with the detrimental effects on health, identity, self image and racial supremacy.

According to Dr Pius Okong, a health consultant with St Francis Hospital Nsambya, this remains a big problem he attributes to inferiority complex where women are not satisfied with the colour of their skins and therefore go out to try and achieve a light complexion which comes with a price to pay. In most cases, the products have found their way to shops unchecked yet the effects of the chemicals used in making (such) products like soaps and creams, as Dr. Vincent Karuhanga explains, have been found to have adverse effects on unborn children, women and men.

“Many of these bleaching agents contain steroids, hydroquinone and mercury which can affect the body as drugs do, given the fact that they interfere with the production of melanin- group of naturally occurring dark pigments, especially the pigment found in skin,” Dr Karuhanga elaborates.

In communities, the problem has not gone unattended to and last year, The International Anti-Corruption Theatre Movement (IATM), a pressure group against bleaching, indicated that thousands of women in Uganda use soaps containing mercury to obtain a lighter complexion without knowing the health hazards of using such soaps.

Mercury according to findings through Nordic Chemicals Group, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland and Ms Uganda, causes a number of health problems such as skin cancer and nervous disorder.

Steroids, on the other hand, could cause diabetes given that they increase the amount of sugar metabolism in the body thus worsening the infection, Dr Karuhanga adds. He points out creams like Pimplex usually used to treat pimples, contain mercury which is reportedly poisonous.

According to mercuryexposure.org, mercury-based bleaching creams contain ammoniated mercury or mercrous chloride as a bleaching agent. Some of these creams may contain up to more than 2-5 per cent mercury that will be harmful to health, therefore resulting in mercury poisoning, especially chronic mercury poisoning.

“In the Minimata epidemic in Japan, there were 42 brain-damaged children in 400 live births. Only one of the mothers had no sign of having mercury poisoning.

Majority of the mothers had used mercury-based bleaching creams during their childbearing years,” mercuryexposure.org explains.

“The biggest problem is that by the time someone realises signs of the effects, the damage is already done.

The inferiority complex has also caught up with men and they have started bleaching their skins too,” Dr Karuhanga further explains, adding that the worst side effect victims could suffer would be worsened infections.

Mercury, he adds, can affect the kidney and nervous system while hydroquinone can damage the body nerves as well as the blood cells. Steroids have a pushing syndrome and can thus precipitate high blood pressure, diabetes and could cause acne.

However, that is not to say all bleaching agents have bad side effects. And as Dr Karuhanga and David Ssali, a dermatologist at Dama Medical Clinic agree, some herbal creams and soaps have been found to be good, given the fact that most are natural.

According to Ssali, for most people, the intention is not to bleach. They are looking for a good skin but with the continuous trials with different products, end up bleaching their skins unknowingly.

“People should be made aware of alternatives to achieving this (good skin). They could eat fruits like carrots, simsim and a variety of coloured fruits and vegetables,” Ssali who did not rule out skin cancer for continued use of skin products, adds.

“By using some of these products, you remove the natural pigment which makes the skin vulnerable to ultraviolet rays, opening the skin pores further which puts you at many health risks,” he warns.

According to the AAR Health services Kenya website, dermatologists caution that the treatment of skin conditions must be done strictly with the advice of the gynaecologists or dermatologists. In pregnant women, the unborn child is susceptible to medications, even those applied to the skin and great care must be taken.

In neighbouring Kenya, there has been a ban on bleaching creams with stringent laws and public campaigns have been launched to address the harmful effects of these products on the skin.

Much as effort has been taken to ban the importation of skin lightening creams, they are still in plenty and sold across the counter in most shops and on the roadside in Uganda.

Ideally, skin whitening could be advised to treat pigmentation (coloration of tissues by pigment) disorders like spotted skin tone, age spots, freckles- small, usually yellow or brown spots on the skin, often seen on the face and pregnancy marks.

BLEACHING!-”SKIN CANCER IS A MAJOR CAUSE OF DEATH AMONGST JAMAICANS” BECAUSE THEY ARE BLEACHING!-FROM JAMAICANRESEARCHER.WORDPRESS.COM

BLEACH AND BE A MONSTER LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON!

from jamaicanresearcher.wordpress.com

http://jamaicanresearcher.wordpress.com/2008/11/02/skin-cancer/

Skin cancer is a Major cause of death amongst Jamaicans!
November 2, 2008

Skin lightening/ bleaching is a big deal in the Jamaican society. It is such a big deal that the Ministry of Health (MOH) saw it important to embrace a campaign geared at its discouragement in February 2007.

The practice is very serious because it addresses common concerns about our yearning for beauty. During the period of the MOH’s campaign which denounced skin bleaching, then Minister, Hon. Horace Dally articulated the seriousness of the situation in the following way, “Skin bleaching has become a fast and risky way for young men and women to become beautiful.”

With the association with beauty, skin bleaching has become extremely popular. We all have a desire to feel and be perceived as beautiful, and as such my concerns about how to discourage people from it. We saw in another article that health concerns weren’t enough to discourage bleachers. After all, doesn’t it make us feel better about ourselves and the way the world sees us? It seems like an uphill battle to me–trying to convince our citizenry to stop destroying their beautiful black skin when the color cards are staked up against them.

The root cause of contemporary skin bleaching practices–stigma and discrimination against Jamaicans of African decent–must be addressed if we are to ward off a skin cancer epidemic in our country. Skin cancer is reported as one of the major causes of death amongst Jamaican citizens and therefore it is just a matter of time before we have a full blown epidemic on our hands. We must therefore strive to change behavior by addressing physical, mental, and symbolic remnants of light-skinned superiority and dark-skinned inferiority which contributes to low self-esteem and confidence.

Our solution to the problem lies in our need to examine what is being done nationally to increase and inspire confidence about the beauty of the black skin and denounce the age old belief/ saying, “Nutten Black nuh Good !”

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Categories: Skin Lightening in Jamaica
Tagged: Elora Consulting, Horace Dalley, Jamaica, Jamaican, Jamaican Researcher, Ministry of Health, MOH, skin bleaching, skin lightening, St. Rachel, St. Rachel Ustanny

3 responses so far ↓
The Legal Mind // November 11, 2008 at 8:48 pm

It is very unfortunate that after almost 500 years, we as a people are still psychologically damaged from the ideology, philosophy and methodology of white supremacy. I was in Jamaica recently and I was in shock to see how these young people were bleaching their lovely black skin to look white. It makes me sick to my stomach.

http://caribbeantravelexpert@wordpress.com

The Legal Mind // November 11, 2008 at 8:54 pm

Is there any evidence that the Jamaican Government ban those bleaching creams? We all should lobby a bill or legislation that will outlaw any such product in Jamaica. Mental slavery, it still exists in the minds of many of our people.

http://caribbeantravelexpert.wordpress.com/

A Historical Review of Perceptions of Beauty and Colour in the Jamaican Society « Jamaican Researcher // November 23, 2008 at 3:15 am

[...] I decided to write this post as a follow-up to my articles: From Skin Lightening… and Skin Cancer… so as to demonstrate the impact of socialization on perceptions of beauty and colour, and [...]
Yeye Akilimali Funua Olade // June 13, 2009 at 1:08 pm

IN GABON THE PRESIDENT HAS BANNED SKIN BLEACHING-IF YOU BLEACH YOU GO TO JAIL! THAT IS ONE OF THE STEPS BLACK COUNTRIES MUST TAKE IN ADDITION TO JAILING PEOPLE WHO ARE SMUGGLING AND SELLING THESE PRODUCTS! WE ARE ASKING ALL BLOGS TO CAMPAIGN AGAINST IT SHOWING THE SIDE EFFECTS AND DEADLY SIDE OF BLEACHING!

BLEACH AND DESTROY YOUR BEAUTY! -SEE THIS VIDEO FROM ATOZBEAUTY.WORDPRESS.COM

BLEACH AND EVENTALLY YOUR SKIN WILL BEGIN TO REACT TO THE DEADLY CHEMICALS IN THAT CREAM!

BLEACHING CHANGES YOUR SKIN FOR EVER AND ENDS IN SKIN CANCER!

BLEACH AND BE A MONSTER LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON!

THIS SOUTH AFRICAN BROTHER AND SISTER ARE REGRETTING BLEACHING NOW!

CLINK ON HERE TO SEE THE SHOCKING VIDEO OF DAMAGED SKIN!

FROM atozbeauty.wordpress.com

Dangers of Hydroquinone
Posted by: setsuccess on: April 3, 2009

Dear sista,

The use of Skin bleaching creams or serums containing hydroquinone will actually damage your skin over time. Believe it or not I have seen many sista’s with skin problems get worse with long use of hydroquinone, it may actually darken your skin in the long run.

Check out the possible long term effects of using Hydroquinone skin bleach in the video below:

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1 Response to “The Dangers of Hydroquinone”

1 | Suzan
April 22, 2009 at 11:14 am

Can you please let me know whether you have a distributor of Makali products in UK?

I have just read about it and would like to try.

|Many thanks.

Reply

2 | Yeye Akilimali Funua Olade
May 5, 2009 at 5:12 pm

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

THIS A GREAT WARNING TO OUR SISTERS OUT THERE RUSHING TO BLEACH! WILL LINK IT UP ON MY SITE WHERE WE RAGE WAR ON BLEACHING EVERYDAY!
BLACK ON SISTER FOR PUTING THIS INFO OUT!
“BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL!”
yeyeolade.wordpress.com

BLEACH AND LOOK LIKE A MONSTER EVENTUALLY! CHECK OUT THESE PHOTOS ON EVASITOE.WORDPRESS.COM

THIS SOUTH AFRICAN SISTER NOWS WISHES THAT SHE HAD NEVER TRIED BLEACHING!

BLEACH AND BECOME A MONSTER LIKE MICHAEL JACKSON!

FROM evasitoe.wordpress.com

eVaDiVa’s Make-up Bag
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SKIN BLEACHING/LIGHTENING? YOUR ENNEMY
By eVaDiVa
Oct. 2,2008

***WARNING*** WARNING*** DISTURBING PICTURES BELOW

I was watching a documentary that a friend sent me last week and I was horrified by what I found out and saw. I then googled “depigmentation de la peau danger” and almost threw up when I saw the pictures (see below). So I didn’t want this blog to be full of nice and pretty pictures of women with makeup and beautiful skin, I wanted to make sure that beautiful women of color like me and you are aware of the danger of skin lightening.

In Senegal, this practice is called “Khessal” meaning “lightening”. It is done by many women of different social classes. This means that a rich or a poor woman can do it, she will just use different products depending on her budget…In RDC (Republic Democratic of Congo), this has been a practice that even men do… In Gambia, the president Yaya Djame banned it and people are subjected to emprisonment if they are caught bleaching their skin. It is unfortunate that other countries do not apply the same laws knowing that skin bleaching can sometimes kill…

A play Written and performed by Rani Moorthy to raise awareness against skin bleaching

Here is an interesting article that I found at: http://www.pressbox.co.uk/detailed/Health/skin_bleaching/_lightening_its_dangers_37431.html that details this phenomenon…

How skin lightening products work
There are two chemicals found in skin lightening products, Hydroquinone or Mercury.

o Hydroquinone (C6H6O2) is a severely toxic and very powerful chemical used in photo processing, the manufacture of rubber and is an active agent in hair dyes.
o Mercury in the form of Mercury Chloride & Ammoniated Mercury is carcinogenic. They appear on the list of toxic substances that can only be purchased via pharmacies with prescribed labels of toxicity.
Both products perform a similar process. In the short term they will initially cause the skin to lighten by inhibiting the production of melanin. Without melanin formation in the basal layer no brown pigmentation will be visible.
The long term effects, however, are those that must be addressed.
The long term effects of using skin lightening products
Hydroquinone or Mercury applied to the skin will react with ultra violet rays and re-oxidise, leading to more pigmentation and premature ageing. More product is then applied in an attempt to correct the darker blotchy appearance.
These are the beginnings of a vicious cycle. By altering the skins natural structure and inhibiting the production of Melanin, it’s natural protection, the skin is more susceptible to skin cancer.

Prolonged use of Hydroquinone will thicken collegen fibres damaging the connective tissues. The result is rough blotchy skin leaving it with a spotty cavier appearance.
Mercury will slowly accumulate within the skin cells striping the skin of it’s natural pigment leaving behind the tell tale signs of gray/ blue pigmentation in the folds of the skin. In the long term the chemical will damage vital organs and lead to liver and kidney failure and mercury poisoning.

PLEASE DO NOT USE SKIN LIGHTENING PRODUCTS. DO NOT USE ANYTHING THAT CONTAINS ANYTHING HIGHER THAN 2% HYDROQUINONE UNLESS DIRECTED BY A DOCTOR.

FOR ALL MY FRANCOPHONE READERS, READ THIS ARTICLE: http://www.hautcourant.com/Depigmentation-de-la-peau-au-dela,409

Thank you Leyla for sending that…

XoXo

eVaDiVa

I also wanted to give two thumbs up to all these fighting against skin bleaching and that are raising awareness in their communities. For instance, as common as it is here in Senegal, I have not seen one flight attendant from our national airline company using these products…

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3 Responses to “SKIN BLEACHING/LIGHTENING? YOUR ENNEMY”
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1 Amina
Friday, October 24, 2008 at 10:21 pm
It is so unfortunate..I never understood this process and a few women in my life went through that. apparently, they also wanted to attract men because lighter women are “more beautiful” than darker ladies and some men prefer their women to be light…so sad..

I was horrified when I went to a friend’s house..it was back in 2002 and her cleaning lady was mixing eau de javel with her khessal lotion!!!!!!!

2 Rukaya
Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 12:07 pm
This is yet another example of colonial mentality. It’s sad that as a people, some of us don’t realize the gorgeousness of black skin. Mental slavery, is by far worse of than physical slavery…it’s more difficult to eradicate. Thank you for sharing Diva!

3 ahmedseo
Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 1:37 am
skin bleaching cause a temporary whitening, it destort your skin more as compare to the condition of skin before bleaching.

4 Yeye Akilimali Funua Olade
Saturday, March 14, 2009 at 6:27 am
SISTER ,you are great for publishing this article! I will put it on my blog BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL!
(yeyeolade.wordpress.com) right now and give you credit and link you too! I have been fighting a campaign against bleaching and all of us Black women must do this! Black on to you! Also add this to your prayer points -STOP BLEACHING OUR BEAUTIFUL BLACK SKIN AWAY!