Story by Tamuka Charakupa
A walk through any town in Zimbabwe reveals many people, both women and men on the path of skin whitening (skin bleaching), a practice often seen as a way to enhance beauty and gain social acceptance, reflecting a desire among individuals to conform to certain beauty standards.
Social media is awash with individuals who openly sell products, advertising and persuading others to join the band wagon of those swayed by those beauty standards.
Health authorities have however expressed concern over the trend of skin bleaching especially among young people, warning of dire health consequences.
One of the world’s most famous fashion designers Coco Chanel once said, “Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself,” well, then the question is, what is the cost of beauty and acceptance?
For many, sadly skin bleaching is the answer.
For a long time, women have been using various types of beauty products including skin-lightening oils, chemicals and injections in an attempt to get lighter skin.
Could this be due to the impact of popular culture, social media or peer pressure? Many questions with no one really to answer.
“I blame peer pressure for influencing an opinion that only light-skinned people are beautiful,” a concerned citizen said.
“Women bleach their skins to attract and get acceptance from men,” another citizen attempted to answer the difficult questions.
Apart from cosmetic reasons, some view bleaching as a case of identity crisis.
“Only those who deny their identities bleach their skins. We were born differently for a reason and that alone should be a reason to embrace our identities,” a natural beauty advocate weighed in.
“That is a recipe for brewing health complications. Why change your skin to please someone else?” questioned another.
While many find satisfaction in skin lightening, it is not without consequences.
“Almost if not all skin lightening products contain certain chemicals and elements that have numerous adverse health effects,” Dr Fadzai Chiwawa said.
“These include dermatitis, steroid acne, skin discolouration, changes in skin thickness, inflammatory disorders, mercury poisoning, nephrotic syndrome, and exogenous ochronosis.”
“Many skin bleaching creams contain mercury and it is advised that they should not be used for long periods,” Mashonaland West Provincial pharmacist, Mr Lewi Makaza said.
“The problem starts when one gets engaged, they tend to go light, and to maintain that new look, it comes at a cost to their skin and health. The worrying thing is most of these products are banned and sold illegally hence making it difficult to enforce use restrictions.”
Media scholar, Professor Stuart Hall once said: “Identity is always in a state of flux,” and his comments could be true as the ‘yellow born’ narrative shows no sign of diminishing.
Could this be where we throw in the ‘let’s decolonise the mind’?
