Is skin lightening a mark of low self-esteem?

Colorism & It's Impact on self – esteem

Recently I watched colorism being discussed on Oprah’s life class and it just stroke a core. It brought back sad memories of my childhood. Whoa!

First of all discrimination based on skin color, or colorism, is a form of prejudice or discrimination in which human beings are treated differently based on the social meanings attached to skin color. You know the light skin, dark skin prejudice where people of color discriminate against each other within their own race.

It's an issue that wreaks havoc among African-American, Africans, Asian, Latin American, and other communities. It really boils down to the belief or misconception that the lighter your skin tone, the prettier you are, the smarter you are, and the easier you have it your way.

I have experienced Colorism in my own family. We have different skin colors in the family. Some are very light. Some medium darkish-chocolaty like me and some quite dark. My mother always favored my light skinned sisters in a lot of ways. She did love all of us but those were her favorites. My younger dark skin sister and I were the ones that did most of the work in the family like go to the family, or go fetch firewood etc. My fair sisters may get up one morning and say they don't want to go to the farm and it was ok by my mother. But let me or my sister try it. However my mother was smart enough to quickly correct her ignorance because it was really affecting us.

Outside the home in my community, light skin girls were regarded as special and treated as such. Whenever a man wanted a light skin girl for marriage he had to fasten his belt because the bride price was more expensive as compared to that of the dark skin girl. So sisters with light skin always ignorantly felt superior to their sisters with dark skin.

The desire for lighter skin is something that is universal. Indians and African Americans spend money on so called bleaching creams that promise to make them lighter. I read recently that beauty pageants in India, the Philippines and in Mexico do not have any dark skinned participants. Even the current Miss America, who is a dark skinned Indian, was told that she could not win a beauty pageant in India because she was considered too dark.

My preference is dark skin too because even though I am not light skin, I know I am very beautiful, smart and fierce. I love beautiful brown, chocolate skin, but I realize that a person's skin color has nothing to do with beauty. If that were the case, all white/light-skinned people would be beautiful, and all dark skinned people wouldn’t. It’s just insanity that we as a nation still carry around ignorant doctrines.

The Economics of Colorism

We must also understand the economics of Colorism. Multinational skin care companies like Unilever made over$2 billion dollars last year selling skin lightening creams worldwide to mostly dark skin consumers. To spur this growth, they run television commercials telling 90% of the world’s population who have color that if you have lighter skin you will be more attractive and you will get hired, or you will get a better job. At the root of self-hatred is low self-esteem. Colorism is an outgrowth of low self-esteem and historical ignorance.

That's less than 1/2 of the $5 billion dollars that light skinned consumers pay to get darker at tanning salons.

We have to see how virulent colorism is in our own communities, learn to reject its influence, and heal from it.

Everyone, regardless of being a man or woman, wants to have a flawless, even and smooth skin tone.Skin bleaching is a good option to get rid of the black spots or any other type of spots on skin. But, skin whitening options have become very complicated these days and there are plenty of options available in the market leaving the customers confused.Although skin bleaching or whitening could be a good option for getting rid ofdark spotsor skin discoloration, the process is not free from side effects. Some of the products are rather very harmful and cause skin cancer too. Therefore, it is very important you find out the side effects of skin bleaching before you opt for the whitening of yourskin.

Harmful side effects of skin whitening:

*Dark grey spots,

*Skin cancer,

*Acne

*Swelling of the skin

*Thinning of the skin

*Body odor

*Cataracts

*Setting down of fat on face, chest, upper back and stomach,

*Increase in appetite and weight gain,

*Osteoporosis

*Neurological and kidney damage due to high level of mercury used in the creams,

*Psychiatric disorders

*Severe birth defects

*AsthmaLiver damage

N/B -Some of these side effects could be seen almost immediately while some are seen after prolonged use ofskin whitening creams.

Skin whitening is also a journey of no return. Once you’re in you just have to keep going.

Moral lessons

*Using chemical bleaches for whitening and bleaching skin can cause harm to your skin in the long run. Therefore, it is essential to usenatural remediesfor having clean and flawless skin. Sure it may take time but will leave your skin with no harmful side effects.

Dare to celebrate you

*Love and more love for self. I can't emphasize enough how important it is to love and just believe in your own beauty and uniqueness. Celebrate and appreciate the skin you're in and carry it joyfully, completely and with pride. I am not bragging here but I think I love my color to bits and never wished I had it any other way. This is what my creator gave me so who am I to alter it? The attitude of any woman light or fair skin should be--see me, like me, love me.What you see is what you get. If you don't then that's too damn bad.

*Parents should help right from home to nurture a healthy self- esteem

In their daughters regardless to their skin color. Teaching our children about their history and cultural heritage is another important way to promote resilience and offset the negative effects of colorism.

*In the midst of colorism, we are not without tools to protect ourselves .Basic practices can be put in place in neighborhoods and communities, schools, churches and the media, and in the home to foster positive images for the young, thus changing the negative effects of colorism.

Dare to Be Unique

*And for those whose main intention is to attract men, trust me on this one ladies. Real men are not attracted by bleached skin because it a big mark of low self-esteem and shows your lack of confidence. And ONLY ignorance small minded men will do that. Real men run after healthy self - esteemed -confidence women who not only knows what they have but also knows how to walk it.The bitter truth is that when your skin start falling off, the men you were trying to attract wouldn't be there. Your body, your color is a scared place and must be treated with so much love and care.

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