Skin lightening products ‘damage self-esteem’

Skin lightening products have been used over decades for many skin issues. However, along with skin-related issues, it is likely to affect a person’s self-esteem regarding their skin. Umamah Bakharia reports. 

Skin lightening or bleaching products have over the years become a product used by both men and women to lighten their skin tones, because there is a societal belief that the lighter your skin tone is, the more attractive you are to attract a partner. 

Coming from an Indian background, I was always made to believe from a young age that the lighter you are, the more value you have in society. As a darker-skinned girl from this very society, I was called a numerous number of names from both my friends and family. This made me doubt my own value and my self-esteem took a knock very early on in my life.

This resulted in me experimenting with different skin lightening products to look like “one of them”. I made use of these products without anyone knowing because I thought to myself at that time how proud everyone will be of me if I suddenly appeared lighter. That thought made me feel confident.

However, a year later, the eczema I was born with got worse and my whole face started patching up with it [eczema]. Because I was now dark-skinned and had patches on my face, my self-esteem, belief and confidence went down and I was diagnosed with depression at 14. I was embarrassed by who I was and until today there are probably four pictures I have of my childhood because I didn’t dare to face the camera and smile as I was made to believe that I was “ugly”.

Psychologist Dr Lizelle de Klerk said, “Most issues on appearances come from society whether its family, friends, magazines or television. People are brought up that this is how we should look, and we take our time carving that image of perfection. Later in life, we start developing our own perceptions and then only do we realize that at that time in life, we had low self-esteem or no self-confidence.”

Not only does skin lightening products affect self esteem but it is reported to be risky as well. Skin lightening products contain a bleaching agent known as hydroquinone which is a product described by Bthe BC, “that can remove the top layer of skin, increasing the risk of skin cancer, and cause fatal liver and kidney damage”.

Even though there is no clinical evidence to prove that hydroquinone is harmful to the skin, studies have shown that there are minor side effects such as temporary redness or dryness, that is visible in the area applied. However, the use of this bleach agent has also been shown to treat skin conditions related to hyperpigmentation such as acne scars, face spots, freckles and melasma. 

Another agent most used in skin lightening products is mercury. Inhalation of this vapor could be damaging to kidneys, nervous systems, and the immune system without you knowing it. This causes neurological and behavioral disorders such as tremors, anxiety, insomnia and headaches.

If ingested, the salts of mercury are scarring to the skin, eyes, and gastrointestinal tract. It is important to check the ingredients first before making use of skin lightening products or have a doctor’s prescription as it has a high possibility of damaging the skin.

Dr. Fran E. Cook-Bolden, a dermatologist at Skin Specialty Dermatology in Midtown Manhattan and co-author of Beautiful Skin of Color: A Comprehensive Guide to Asian, Olive, and Dark Skin told the BBC, “That doesn’t mean it’s [skin lightening treatment] necessarily bad, but it’s probably not a good idea to use something when you don’t know all the potential side effects.”

However, skin lightening products are not only limited to store bought products, but they can be made at home as well. “I used to mix turmeric and yogurt together when I was a teenager to try and lighten my dark complexion because I was told that darker skin tones were not beautiful in an Indian society,” said Muhammed Reeza Hoosen, a third-year LLB student. Hoosen continued, “I was unhappy with myself and I needed a way to feel valued,” he said.

In a survey conducted by threestreamsmedia on Instagram with 200 participants, 50% of them said they felt conscious about their skin color, 32% said yes to be brought up to think that a certain skin tone makes you attractive and 28% shared that their self-esteem has been affected due to their skin tone. When asked what they thought of skin lightening products, some said skin lightening companies feed off society’s beauty standards for financial gain, while others agreed that the use of skin lightening products can assist in clearing uneven skin tones and scars.

“From an outside perspective you can’t really see the internal damage of physical appearances of people struggling from it, but it’s there” Dr de Klerk said.