THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION SAYS A QUARTER OF WOMEN IN SENEGAL USE SKIN-LIGHTENING PRODUCTS
REGULARLY.
THE PRODUCTS CAN CONTAIN MERCURY OR CAUSTIC AGENTS LIKE SODIUM HYDROXIDE.
THESE DANGEROUS INGREDIENTS CAN BE DISFIGURING, AND EVEN CAUSE CANCER.
BUT AS VOA'S ANNE LOOK TOLD ME, SOME WOMEN IN THE CAPITAL, DAKAR, SAY THE RISKS ARE SIMPLY
THE PRICE OF BEAUTY.
SO ANNE, THIS SKIN LIGHTENING TREND THAT YOU REPORTED ON OUT OF SENEGAL, HOW COMMON IS
THIS?
IT'S REALLY COMMON IN SENEGAL AND THROUGHOUT THE REGION, THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENT REALLY.
FOR A WHILE, PEOPLE REALLY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE HEALTH IMPACTS, YOU KNOW, WHAT SERIOUS
HEALTH CONSEQUENCES THESE CREAMS, THESE SOAPS CAN POSE, BUT THAT LATELY IN SENEGAL THERE'S
BEEN A LOT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
YOU KNOW, WOMEN ARE STARTING TO REALIZE HOW DANGEROUS THESE PRODUCTS ARE, BUT THEY CONTINUE
TO USE THEM, AND THAT'S WHAT I FOUND SO INTERESTING FOR THE STORY WAS TO KIND OF TALK TO WOMEN
ABOUT WHY THEY KEEP DOING IT.
WOMEN IN SENEGAL SAY THEY LIGHTEN THEIR SKIN FOR THE SAME REASONS WOMEN THE WORLD OVER
SAY THEY TWEEZE, SQUEEZE OR OTHERWISE ALTER THEIR BODIES - IN SOMETIMES DANGEROUS WAYS
- TO ACHIEVE A CERTAIN STANDARD OF BEAUTY...
TO CATCH A HUSBAND, TO STAND OUT IN THE CROWD, TO SMOOTH OUT IMPERFECTIONS, TO GET READY
FOR A SPECIAL EVENT.
YOU KNOW, THE WORST OFFENDERS, THE WOMEN WHO REALLY ENGAGE IN SOME OF THE MOST DRAMATIC
SKIN LIGHTENING, YOU KNOW, ARE VILLAGE WOMEN WHO COME AND MOVE TO THE CITY AND KIND OF
WANT TO LOOK BIG CITY, WANT TO LOOK MORE SUCCESSFUL, WANT TO LOOK MORE IN, MORE ON TREND, ETCETERA.
AND THE OTHER THING IS IT REPRESENTS A CERTAIN LEVEL OF SUCCESS, I MEAN THESE PRODUCTS ARE
EXPENSIVE.
A TYPICAL BEAUTY SUPPLY SHOP IN DAKAR, COMPLETE WITH A SELECTION OF SKIN-LIGHTENING CREAMS
AND SOAPS.
"THIS LOTION, IT IS CARROT-BASED.
IT WILL GIVE YOU AN AMAZING COLOR."
SHOP CLERK ADAMA DIAGNE SAID SHE USES A SIMILAR CREAM, AND SHE TELLS CLIENTS TO AVOID THE
STRONGER ONES THAT PROMISE FAST, DRAMATIC RESULTS.
"IT'S A PERSONAL CHOICE.
NO ONE PRESSURES ME.
SOME WOMEN WANT TO BE BLACK EVERY DAY, BUT I PREFER TO BE A SHADE OF BROWN.
IT'S BETTER FOR ME.
I LIKE IT.
YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THESE NEGATIVE HEALTH EFFECTS THAT WE'VE SEEN FROM THESE LIGHTENING
CREAMS.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE DANGERS?
THE CREAMS ARE SO STRONG, I MEAN SOMETHING LIKE HYDROQUINONE YOU KNOW, THEY'RE CARCINOGENIC,
I MEAN THEY CAN CAUSE CANCER IN AND OF THEMSELVES BY THE CHEMICALS IN THE PRODUCTS.
WOMEN COMPLAIN THAT PRODUCTS LIKE THIS CAN STING THEIR EYES OR BURN THEIR SKIN.
THE HARSH CHEMICALS CAN WEAKEN THE TISSUE, LEADING TO STRETCH MARKS AND INFECTIONS.
BUT STILL THEY DON'T STOP.
SENEGALESE FILMMAKER KHARDIATA POUYE SALL WAS SO TROUBLED BY THE TREND, IN PARTICULAR
AMONG PROMINENT FEMALE PUBLIC FIGURES IN THE MEDIA, THAT LAST YEAR SHE MADE HER INTERNATIONAL-AWARD-WINNING
DOCUMENTARY "THIS COLOR THAT BOTHERS ME."
IT AIRED NEARLY A DOZEN TIMES ON STATE TELEVISION IN SENEGAL.
"I USED THE MOST SHOCKING IMAGES SO THAT WOMEN WOULD KNOW WHAT THEY ARE EXPOSING THEMSELVES
TO," SAID SALL.
"MANY OF THEM KNOW THE DANGERS, BUT DON'T THINK IT WILL HAPPEN TO THEM.
IT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHY A WOMAN WOULD TELL HERSELF THAT DARK SKIN IS NOT BEAUTIFUL.
IT'S IN THEIR HEADS.
THEY WANT TO PLEASE A MAN, TO BE LOVED.
OR THEY WANT TO PLEASE SOCIETY, TO SUCCEED."
ONE INTERESTING THING THAT WOMEN TOLD ME IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IN SOME WAYS IT'S AN ILLUSION
BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE PROMINENT WOMEN, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL SEE POLITICIANS, SINGERS, MODELS
THAT YOU SEE ON TELEVISION, MUSIC VIDEOS, ETCETERA, THAT HAVE THIS.
IT LOOKS ALMOST LIKE ASHEN, WHITE SKIN, I MEAN IT'S SO LIKE JUST PALE, KIND OF EVEN,
BUT THAT'S JUST MAKEUP, AND THAT WHEN YOU SEE THESE WOMEN IN PERSON, I'VE SEEN IT MYSELF
IN DAKAR, THEIR SKIN IS VERY SPLOTCHY AND DRY, AND IT'S NOT NEARLY WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED
FOR PEOPLE ON TELEVISION.
SO ANNE, IN GOING OUT AND REPORTING ON THIS ISSUE HOW WILLING WERE WOMEN TO TALK TO YOU
ABOUT THIS?
WOMEN WERE TERRIFIED TO GO ON CAMERA TALKING ABOUT IT.
BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THAT THEY HAVE PERHAPS INTERNALIZED OR REALIZED IT'S A BIT
TABOO, OR IT'S A BIT DANGEROUS, OR IT'S BAD FOR THEM YOU KNOW, AND THEY DON'T WANT TO
KIND OF 'FESS UP (CONFESS) AND ADMIT TO DOING IT.
ONE WOMAN DID DO AN INTERVIEW.
SHE WAS A YOUNG WOMAN, PROBABLY ABOUT MY AGE, ABOUT 30.
HER SKIN WAS VERY DAMAGED, AND VERY PALE, AND WE DID THE INTERVIEW AND SHE CALLED ME
ALMOST IN TEARS LATER, AND BEGGED ME NOT TO USE IT, BECAUSE SHE WAS SO AFRAID THAT, YOU
KNOW, HER, HER FIANCÉ MIGHT SEE IT.
WOMEN ARE STILL FAIRLY CONFLICTED ABOUT DOING IT EVEN IF THEY DO IT.
AND AGAIN, THAT WAS ANNE LOOK, WHO COVERS WEST AFRICA FOR VOA FROM SENEGAL.
ANNE SAYS WOMEN USING THESE CREAMS SAY THEY ARE NOT TRYING TO "BECOME WHITE," BUT INSTEAD
JUST WANT THEIR SKIN TO BE A LIGHTER SHADE.