November 18, 2001
Remember the song by the late Afrobeat king- Fela Anikulapo Kuti christened "Yellow Fever?" The song satirized the use of bleaching creams to lighten the complexion of the skin in the quest for beauty. The song is a classic example of how Fela used his songs to focus awareness on some of the problems that he saw in the Nigerian society. He describes (in the song) the transmogrifying effects the bleaching creams had on the skin - "your face go yello, your eyes go yello, your skin go yello"
Right after the release of the song, the practice of skin bleaching which had almost gained acceptance in the Nigerian society, started on the downward spiral. The song had raised awareness about the deleterious effects that the creams could have on the skin of the user. Infact, at the sight of any one perceived to have bleached, children would be heard shouting invectives at the person including "iru fanta, ukwu coke" meaning fanta-colored face but coke -colored legs. This was in reference to the way the creams bleached the face giving it a yellowish, fanta -colored look while the rest of the body remained as dark as the drink coca cola.
The use of the creams became so widespread that it almost became difficult to tell the actual complexion of our young girls and some women! Suddenly it seemed like every young girl and young woman (including those that used to be as dark as myself) all became fair complexioned. The after effects of the use of the creams began to lend credence to the Latin phrase"cuculus non facit monarchum". Essentially, just because someone looked fair in complexion does not mean that the person is actually fair in complexion.
I failed to see the rational in the bleaching of the skin because even women with beautiful dark-complexioned skin, also took to the practice at the time. It became a fad!
I must confess that even though I disagreed with the practice of skin bleaching, I never really thought seriously about the probability that these creams could be causing harm to long-term users until I read a recent article on CNN.com/World of August 14, 2001. It stated "Uganda is set to follow Kenya's example and outlaw dozens of popular creams and soaps used by African women to lighten their skin as awareness grows of their harmful side effects"
Apparently, sometime in the past, the Kenyan government banned these creams for reasons related to their damaging effects on the skins of long term users. My assumption here is that the Kenyan government did not take this type of drastic step based just on mere hear-say, but must have undertaken some type of research which led them to the conclusion that these creams and soaps were really damaging to the skin. They did what any government interested in the welfare of her people would do - ban the use.
The CNN article further stated "millions of women throughout Africa use creams and soaps containing hydroquinone and mercury to lighten the color of their skin, believing that it makes them more beautiful. Dermatologists say prolonged use of hydroquinone and mercury-based products destroy the skin's protective layer, ultimately, it can damage the nerves or even lead to kidney failure or skin cancer"
Out of curiosity after reading the CNN article, I did a quick search to get a better idea of what the ingredient hydroquinone was and how it accomplished its bleaching action.
Hydroquinone and products containing it are used as de-pigmenting agents to lighten the skin. It works as a skin-lightener by killing the cells that produce melanin (melanocytes) Because of safety concerns, hydroquinone is banned in a number of European countries and limited to a maximum concentration of 2% in North America.
Obviously, I am not a clinical Scientist and so the real ramifications of the use of these creams may remain fuzzy to me. I however do know that prolonged use of the creams result in an unevenly toned, dry-looking, blotchy skin.
The awareness raised by the CNN article in my mind has elevated my level of consciousness about skin bleaching. On a recent trip to the Northeast to an event that attracted a large gathering of Nigerian and indeed African folks, I noticed that the "iru fanta, ukwu coke" syndrome is very much alive and well within our African women folk. Without sounding critical of our women-folk (because I do respect and adore them greatly), I came to the conclusion that the use of bleaching creams is not just endemic in the African continent, but Africans and indeed Nigerians living in the Diaspora still use them heavily.
The telltale signs of the effects of the creams on the body are unmistakable - "the face go yello, the fingers go brown, the knuckles, the ankles and the knees, go black! Some go look very fair for face but when them stretch them hand to shake you, you go notice say them fingers black". I am trying to use some light heartedness to soften the seriousness of this matter, but the fact remains that it is far from being a laughing matter.
The aim of the article is obviously not to criticize or embarrass anyone who relishes the use of the creams. I am however concerned that if these creams actually cause lasting damages to the skin, our women-folk may not be aware of it and may be putting their lives in danger unknowingly. As they say, discretion is the better part of valor; the banning of these creams in Kenya, Tanzania and with Uganda readying to follow suit, is sufficient reason for Nigeria's health Ministry or Food and Drug Administration to act. They should take a closer look at the creams to ascertain their efficacy and any probable damage as alleged in the CNN article.
In fairness however to our women folk, it is incorrect to assume that anyone who uses bleaching cream is doing so in the quest for beauty. Just as Michael Jackson stated that he started bleaching his skin to cover up vitiligo, some of our people actually use the creams to ward off skin ailments like acne, pimples and other skin rashes. I know this for a fact because during my early years in secondary school in Nigeria, as puberty was setting in, I could not escape the onslaught of facial pimples just like most of my contemporaries at the time.
We naturally sought reprieve from pimples by using some so-called medicated soap at the time. Some even used bleaching creams then. In my own case, I used the most popular medicated soap at the time (which contained mercury) and after three days of continuous use, it "burnt" my face as we used to say. Even though this happened over two and half decades ago, I still have the scars to show for it. Needless to say that the experience caused me to refrain completely from the use of these "medicated" soaps. This is the primary reason the CNN article caught my attention.
I have no problems per se with our people using these creams since most are of adult age anyway and could make decisions for themselves, but as a public service, the government should institute a research into these creams and soaps and make the results known to the public. Government research into this issue could be as simple as just conducting a literature search of existing and factual documentation and delving into the reasons for which the other African Countries banned the creams. Most would agree with me that if these creams and soaps are indeed proved to be harmful to the body, most people would stop using it of their own volition. It will therefore be unnecessary for the government to try banning these creams; they should simply provide information to consumers so that they can make more informed decisions about consumption.
I believe we have a highly qualified pool of Nigerian experts (both in Nigeria and the Diaspora) who would willingly join forces with the Nigerian government to get to the bottom of this issue. They could help by providing research information, commentary and any germane information to prove or disprove the efficacy of these creams. Valuable commentary and evidence could also be obtained from the countries that have already banned these creams as to why they took that course of action.
On a slightly separate but related note, it is a fact that several African countries have been used by unscrupulous business concerns to dump products that would not even pass a usage test in advanced Countries like USA. These unscrupulous business concerns import and dump fake medications in our country! It is conceivable that adulterated skin bleaching creams and soaps may be finding their ways into the Nigerian market also.
With the above in mind therefore, I urge the Nigerian Food and Drug Administration to look into not only the efficacy of the products, but the contents and sources also. During the investigation, they should even invite testimonies from long-term users of these creams and soaps to hear from them about what their experiences may have been. This should be an open exercise founded on fairness and equity. It should not be used for witch-hunting or intentionally clamping down on legitimate business concerns.
At the end of the exercise, all findings both inculpatory and exculpatory must be made public. At that time, the government should become satisfied that it has fully discharged a public service obligation
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