Why Do So Many African Women Bleach Their Skin? Study Looks Beyond What They Tell Researchers
Skin lightening cosmetic products displayed at the Koumassi market in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Sia Kambou/AFP via Getty Images BY OYENIKE BALOGUN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, BENTLEY UNIVERSITY, MASSACHUSETTS In some African countries, more than 50% of women regularly use skin-lightening products. In South Africa, the rate is 32%, while in Nigeria it’s 77%. This dwarfs rates in other regions of the world. The health consequences are not trivial. Over-the-counter skin lightening creams and pills have been linked to severe skin discoloration, organ damage, neurological conditions, and dangerous complications during surgery. Yet researchers still don’t have a clear understanding of why women use these products. This is an important question to answer because it should guide the design of public health solutions. One intuitive explanation, that women bleach their skin because they are dissatisfied with their skin colour, turns out to be surprisingly difficult to confirm. Most re...
