Skin deep beauty

Is it worth it? In a bid to achieve the Eurocentric beauty ideal, young women are turning to bleaching creams and pills with disastrous results, writes NELLY OBADHA　

If you peruse the shelves of some beauty stores, you can be sure to come across a section dedicated to sunscreen products, but placed strategically among well-known brands are skin lightening products.

Despite a ban a few years ago, they continue to be sold to women who knowingly or unknowingly believe that light skin is worth the potential health risk. It used to be that they had inconspicuous names and promised an ‘even tone’, but today’s products leave little to the imagination.

Wrapped in appealing packages, the products promise a lighter and brighter skin tone while underplaying their potent side effects.

Liz Odhiambo, a 24-year-old university student found this out the hard way.

"I used to be dark skinned and I also had bad acne. Most of the creams I had been using were not working," says Liz.

"A friend visited me one morning and saw the struggle I went through to make up my face. She suggested a visit to one of the cosmetics shops downtown where they make a certain mixture to be used for a month or two. All I saw was a woman mixing several creams before handing me a small container of the concoction." she explains.

Temporary relief

She says the results were at first remarkable, after a few weeks, her face was smoother and lighter. Her new look earned her a higher social status and guys begun to pay attention.

"At first I was wary of using it but after seeing the results, I never stopped using it. By the time I realised I was having problems, it was too late to reverse these changes," she says.

It’s been a few years since Liz began using the cream and she says her skin has become very sensitive to the sun and every time she tries to discontinue use, she suffers a much worse acne breakout.

"I have already visited a dermatologist, but I was told there isn’t much they can do at this stage apart from advising me to apply sunscreen frequently. I don’t know what to do any more. My life is not the same. I have to be careful about my skin as it gets irritated easily. I cannot walk in the sun for long and quitting is turning out to be very hard. It is like an addiction," she says.

The human skin is naturally built to produce melanin, the pigment that makes one dark-skinned. Melanin protects the skin from ultra violet rays, which can cause skin cancer.

These skin products contain harmful ingredients such as mercury, hydroquinone, steroids and many other chemicals that can cause major damage to the skin.

"Use of skin lightening products is widespread. Dermatologists have tried to ensure they are banned from this country, but they still find a way through the back door," says Dr Hoseah Waweru a dermatologist at the Upper Hill Medical Centre.

He adds that these products, including skin lightening pills, contain components such as mercury, which ends in the kidney and liver and can lead to organ failure. Hydroquinone, which is a carcinogen, causes ochronosis — thickening and darkening of skin while steroids can cause thinning of skin.

Life long damage

"Although hydroquinone is found in pharmacies, it should not exceed a rate of two per cent. Face creams with this ingredient have to be prescribed by a dermatologist and should only be used for the time period recommended," says Dr Waweru.

Steroids are also a component found in some of these products with the common one being clobetasol propionate.

These creams will have appealing names like fade out cream, white cream or spot reducer, but according to Dr Waweru, not all manufacturers indicate their components.

He advises every person with skin problems to visit a dermatologist instead of buying creams over the counter.

"You may end up creating a lot of damage to your skin," he warns.

Skin lightening products are made in such a way that they inhibit the production of melanin, giving the appearance of lighter skin. When the natural structure is altered, it leads to a vicious cycle of skin problems. One is more susceptible to skin cancer due to lack of melanin that protects sun’s ultra violet (UV) rays.

These products always have negative results in the long run: uneven colour of the skin leading to a blotchy skin, permanent sun sensitivity, skin irritations and nasty break outs upon discontinued use.