The true cost of skin bleaching on health and identity

“I just wanted to look like my siblings. I felt like an outsider. I could never embrace my dark skin,” he confesses, pain still evident in his voice.

Psychologist Jacqueline Gathu offers some insight into why many people resort to skin-bleaching. “One reason is the desire to attract the opposite sex. But more deeply, there’s colourism—prejudice or discrimination against those with darker skin tones, often from within the same ethnic or racial group,” she explains.

A 2010 study titled Skin Bleaching in Jamaica: Self-Esteem, Racial Self-Esteem, and Black Identity Transactions examined the self-esteem (SE) and racial self-esteem (RSE) of black Jamaicans. The study found that those who bleached their skin had lower self-esteem compared to non-bleachers, but both groups had comparable mean racial self-esteem. These results suggest a negative relationship between self-esteem and skin bleaching.

“If you look at what was happening in the 70s, 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, beauty standards were defined by the people we watched on TV. Tyra Banks, for example, was our standard of beauty,” says Hafsa Arthur, the regional head of category and brands at PZ Cussons.

Hafsa adds that for Africans and people of colour to combat colourism, it’s essential to acknowledge that it exists. In Ghana, some women who are pregnant take certain pills so that their babies will be born with lighter skin.

Dr Saini Roop, a consultant dermatologist, states that skin bleaching is a common but very risky practice, not just in Kenya, but in many other parts of the world.

“While many people use skin-bleaching products to remove dark spots, uneven skin tone, hyper-pigmentation, and scars, bleached skin is weak skin since it cannot withstand the effects of ultraviolet (UV) rays,” she explains.

Companies that sell these products also promote the idea that lighter skin is more desirable, making people believe that skin bleaching is the best solution. These ideas have been passed down through generations, stemming from colonial history, and are perpetuated by the media and societal expectations.

“There are safe treatments for hyperpigmentation, dark spots, and uneven skin tone, but bleaching your entire skin is not safe at all. Some products and ingredients, such as vitamin C, niacinamide (Vitamin B-3), and kojic acid, are dermatologically approved,” Dr Roop explains.

However, many bleaching creams contain harmful chemicals, such as steroids, which can cause skin thinning and other long-term health problems.

“A high dosage of hydroquinone can cause Ochronosis, a paradoxical permanent darkening of the skin. Other chemicals, such as mercury, can damage the skin and nerves. Many products on the market can cause health defects,” Dr Roop warns.

She adds that skin bleaching can cause extreme sensitivity, acne, and ochronosis—a bluish-black discolouration of the skin. Other organs, such as the kidneys, can be damaged through mercury poisoning. Certain steroid-based creams can affect metabolism, leading to high blood pressure and diabetes. Prolonged use of other products can even cause skin cancer.