Kano’s skin-bleaching epidemic | Tellwell Newspaper
Tellwell Newspaper, Abuja – Nigeria:
By Usman Usman Garba
Taking a good care of the skin among females is an age-old desire and culture for millennia. They develop various recipes for skin care in order to enhance their looks and be attractive. Young women are particularly obsessed with their skin glow. For generations, women have been involved in the art of such corporeal beautification.
In recent years, women in Kano have taken the art of body care to the absurd level where skin-whitening has become an epidemic among females of all ages and background.
Skin bleaching is the act of purposefully and deliberately changing one’s skin colour through the application of synthetic chemicals or herbal concoctions on the skin, with the sole intent of making the skin pigmentation lighter and brighter.
Skin bleaching is now a fashionable trend in Kano. Though more common among women, some men have joined in the frenzy.
The obsession with light-skinned women among Kano men has become somewhat pathological. The slogan of “Fara ko mayyace” which literary means “let the woman be fair, even if a witch” among Kano men has driven women into the habit of bleaching their skin in order to look more attractive, fashionable, elegant and adorable in the eyes of men.
Other factors that lure people into skin-bleaching foray include the craving for self-identity, self-esteem and the desire to look “more beautiful”.
According to some, they bleach their skin to remove rashes, dark spots and pimples and make or maintain softer skin, so they can meet the modern standard of beauty; make themselves look “more attractive” in the eyes of their potential partners, impress their friends and elicit their approval.
Within Kano today, it is hard to see a bevy of females without some with among them having bleached skin. It has become a tradition that even light-skinned women still bleach, thinking that would shore up their worth or class when it comes to courtship or marriage.
Wives too are not left behind in this act. They engage in it in order to maintain their husbands out of fear that those ladies that bleach might snatch them away. To such rattled wives, joining the bleaching bandwagon would help them keep their marriage.
Men too are not excluded. They engage in it for the purpose of becoming attractive to women. Some men believe having light skin is a passport to the circle of local celebrities, while other do it to copycat western music and film celebrities who they think are the gold standard of a civilized personality.
Hitherto, a male person would bleach his skin as an expression of his effeminate status, but, today, but today he does so to become a celebrity or popular and respected person.
The bleaching trend has economic implications. Instead of users to spend their hard-earned income on something beneficial, they end up squandering it on bleaching-products that cause harm to them.
The situation has become so bad that many women now have disgusting discolouration, piebald and dark spots. The knuckles, knees and elbows are not spared as they turn unusual dark patches.
Skin bleaching, as disclosed by Dr. Shamsudden Haladu, a dermatologist at Bela Hospital in Kano, creates significant health problems to the users. Sadly, in Kano, its use has become widespread due to easy access to various brands of bleaching creams at various markets and shops.
A skin that has been bleached becomes very light, fragile and easily breaks. Bleaching also leaves spots on the skin after being scratched or hard hit by an object. Such spots make the skin to look rough and unattractive.
The doctor reveals that people differ in skin colour based on the five layers that human beings have: stratum corneum, stratum lucidum, stratum granulosum, stratum spinosum and stratum basale.
The basale layer which is the last has some cells called melanocytes which make melanin hormone that gives our skin dark colour.
All human beings have the same melanocytes; the only difference is the amount of melanin that melanocytes produce.
Skin bleaching has been established to have severe side effects. It has also been identified as the source of serious health-related issues among users, especially those who subject their bodies to creams formulated without proper safety precautions regarding chemical contents used in their production.
The use of skin bleaching has also been reported to be responsible for skin cancers, skin discoloration, depression among users, leading to negative outcomes. Other risks include skin damage and serious depigmentation.
According to Dr. Haladu one should contact a dermatologist or visit a hospital before using any bleaching cream, soap. And if possible, one should eat fruits as they contribute immensely in treating and whiting skin than using any cream product.
It is not certain Dr. Haladu’s professional advise to Kano’s skin-bleaching maniacs would make an impact. It may end up being drowned in the thundering chaos.
Usman Usman writes from Kano and can be reached via usmangarba100@gmail.com
