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Babylon
Sweden
691 Posts |
 Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 14:04:45
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Agree!  |
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Tairema
24 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 14:14:40
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| Okay, girls this is al beginning to sound a little too much like a barbie tanningsalon here and is completely missing the point. I'm off to busy myself with better issues. Ciao |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 14:26:26
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| Sorry if we are too low brow! The original topic was serious. But like all conversations they do stray from the original point....... that doesnt make it invalid. |
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Jack
Belgium
384 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 15:40:30
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| Can someone tell me how (what kind of chemical and how they use it) black people bleach their skin ? Thanks |
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Babylon
Sweden
691 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 15:43:21
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quote:
Originally posted by Tairema
Okay, girls this is al beginning to sound a little too much like a barbie tanningsalon here and is completely missing the point. I'm off to busy myself with better issues. Ciao
 Oops sorry, didn´t mean to make it sound like a barbie chat... |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 16:08:46
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Hi Jede,
The chemical used in skin bleaching is mercury.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 17:04:14
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It's good to see that my poem "Why you want fi bleach up your skin?" has
stimulated such a diverse debate. I'd like to point out that although cauasian women tan their skin I would hazard a guess that the components used have been throughly tested to prevent skin cancer. On the contrary its more likely to prevent them from exposing their skin to long to ultra violent rays caused by sunburn.
This is not the same for African women the destruction of menalin by mecury over a sustained period leads to death.When we consider how aggressive cancer is and the expensive treatments used to treat cancer patients, skin bleaching is a habit that Africans health budgets cannot afford both in terms of human pain suffering and financially. One could argue that skin bleaching is not the same as plastic surgery, I agree to differ it's true they may both stem from the same root of wanting to be more acceptable to the media's idea of beauty, and self loothing.
However with plastic surgery there are some medical reasons for it i.e disfigurement after operations,accidents,attacks etc. In those circumstances plastic surgery is used for healing physical and mental scares.
Whereas with skin bleaching for short term gratification comes an "expensive price to pay". So it would be far better for the money, which people spend on skin bleaching to be used for counselling into the reasons why they aren't content with their pigmentation.
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 17:15:27
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Yes I agree (I supose we have to agree on something sometime!)  .....counselling would help before plastic surgery too....
Of course medical needs of plastic surgery are a different area altogether and I dont think anyone would object to that.
The bleaching has a very high price....Perhaps an education programme in schools would be a good idea..the same way HIV has been targeted? I have learnt alot on thissubject. I had no idea it was a big problem and I didnt realise it was MERCURY!!! Thanks for informing me. |
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Babylon
Sweden
691 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 17:45:55
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| I had no clue about that the bleaching creams contain mercury either until now, I just read more information about it on the net. How can they make people use such poisons???!!! That is really, really awful!! I now understand how serious this really is. It can even cause braindamage to children from their mother during pregnancy! Sorry if I sounded ignorant before, I have learned something new again today. These kind of poisonous products should not even be out there on market! It is horrific. |
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Formby
United Kingdom
246 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 17:51:28
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Don't talk to me about milk white skin and ginger hair! When I was a child it was enough to incur widespread ridicule. This is because of anti-Irish sentiment. Now, you can't strictly call this 'racism' but it's an 'ism' alright, and whoever posted some days ago about the 'no blacks, no dogs' signs at English boarding houses decades gone by forgot to mention that they usually added 'no Irish'.
Mind you, I've never sunbathed and, at the grand old age of 39, am usually thought to be in my late 20s/early 30s.
So, no I don't get a tan but so what? And my red hair is beautiful; better by far than the bland mousey brown of those who seek to ridicule it.
My personal view about African men (or mine in particular, who, by the way, is the same age as me) is that his very dark skin is beyond beautiful. It glows and shines, it is gorgeous.
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 18:17:20
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| My daughter was bullied at school for her ginger hair. Now aged 20 she is proud of it. She lives in Scotland and is at home there with her celtic looks. She has a lovely Scottish boyfriend who has ginger hair too. There is alot of prejudice against ginger..... |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 18:54:44
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Formby thanks for reminding me about the "No Irish part",it slipped my mind. Anti- Irish sentiment too goes back a long way in Britain after all before Africans were forced onto slave ships Irish were forced into impressment to man the ships that sailed to West Africa along with convicts. The Irish too have suffered at the hands of discrimination. Sometimes it's good to know where the roots of the weeds of negativity comes from so we can pluck them out. What may seem as an innocent joke can and does course offense especially when linked to oppression. I too soon will be approaching 39.
Babylon and Gambianbev, I'm glad you were more open to finding out more about skin bleaching and yeah Gambianbev we finally found something we do agree on more public awareness of skin bleaching products is important and I would go further to have a worldwide ban on mecury skin products carrying hefty fines for those who manufacture, distribute and sell them. The same is also applied to plastic surgery but this could also be extended to the vanity aspect of it.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 19:05:10
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| Perhaps we could lobby for a ban? Do you know which countries the products come from? |
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Formby
United Kingdom
246 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 20:23:37
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It's true Sister Omega, and only a few years ago a politician (Frank someone) stated in public 'who would trust a red-head'. Grr!
Bleached skin....well, I didn't know skin bleach contained mercury and that of course makes it infinitely worse. But, bleached skin has lost it's glow. It's dull and artificial-looking. I'm not black and I know little of the social pressures on black women but I would think a healthy glow was more important and more attractive. |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 20:42:09
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FACT SHEET:Mercury in Skin Lightening Soaps and Creams
January 20,2005 Draft
Introduction
Creams and soaps,labeled as “antibacterial ” and “disinfectant,” are used mainly for the cosmetic
purpose of lightening skin.The active ingredient in some of these soaps is mercury – large
concentrations of mercury of up to 3%mer uri iodine in soaps and up to 10%ammoniated
mercury in skin lightening creams.
1 Yet not all skin lightening agents are based in mercury.
Others use hydroquinone or corticosteroids for their active incredients.These alternatives are
not safe either.
Health Concerns
The mercury used in skin lightening soaps and crèmes is inorganic mercury .(Hg++)It is combined with iodide or sometimes chloride and becomes a sa t.This type of mercury will be absorbed from the skin.Some portion of this mercury will be transformed to the very toxic form--methyl mercury --in the body (in the liver),and the rest of it travels around the body and is stored or excreted in the inorganic mercury form.
The impact of prolonged use of mercury soaps and crèmes is evident.
2 Whereas the central
nervous system is the critica organ for methy mercury and mercury vapor exposure,it is the
kidney that is thought to be the main target for inorganic mercury compounds found in soaps.
3. Enormous concentrations of mercury have been found in hair from women using mercury
soaps.
4 Testing indicate that hair mercury levels range from a low of about 23 parts per million
(ppm)to 650 ppm and even higher.Such levels far,far exceed the average concentrations of total hair mercury in non-exposed people.
5 Soap usage results in severe dermatitis in many (but not al )women.The main skin diseases
they incur inc ude facial acne,facia hypertrichosis,cutaneous atrophy,and stretch marks,as we as hyper and hypopigmentation.
6 One report indicates that over 50%of women seeking medical
attention for skin ailments at a dermatology c inic in Senegal were using skin bleaching products
of various types.
7 Countries Ban Exports
Due to increasing awareness and concerns,the export of mercury containing soaps from the EU
was banned in 2003.8 In the citations is a list of soaps that are reported in recent literature to
1 W.H.O.1991.Environmental health Criteria 118.Inorganic Mercury – Summary and Conc usions.
2 Ibid.Glahder,C.M.,et a .Appel,and Asmund.
3 WHO.1991.Environmental health Criteria 118.Inorganic Mercury –Summary and Conclusions.
4 Glahder et al 1999,Appendix 3.
5 USFDA Consumer magazine,Sept 1994,revised in May 1995.Mercury in Fish:Cause for Concern?
6 de Guidice.
7 Mahe,A.et al.2003.Skin Diseases Associated with the Cosmetic Use of Bleaching Products in Women from Dakar,Senegal .British Journa of Dermatology 148:493-500.Please note that the authors identify the
glucocorticoids as ike y to be the main agents responsible for the prob ems in this case,because mercury products
were estimated to be used only by 10%of the patients.However,skin products were assayed on y for hydroquinone
and gucocorticoids and not for mercury,so hard to know.
8 Kinaboo 2004
contain mercury and a listing of their supposed manufacturing location.9 There are dozens and
dozens of brands of skin lightening soaps.Many brands have not been tested at all.
Worldwide Use
Skin lightening creams and soaps use is widespread in Africa,America,Cuba,Jamaica,Japan,
South Asia,and Trinidad and throughout the Caribbean--and maybe in South America.For example,recent studies indicate that there is:
--a 25%prevalence in Mali in 1993;
10
--a similar prevalence (27%)in Senegal in 2002;
11 Pretoria,South Africa revea ed up to 35%prevalence;
12prevalence in Lagos,Nigeria of 77%13 .Many of these can be purchased over the World Wide Web as well.
Recent sampling indicates the following:
*5 of 10 soaps purchased over the internet had mercury concentrations exceeding )0.1 mg/kg,
and
*One soap,Mekako,had 8,500 mg/kg mercury!
Critical Health Research Gap
What has not been wel studied and what we are most urgent y concerned about is the impact ofthe use of mercury soaps on the developing infant during a mother ’s pregnancy.Given that mercury is such a notorious developmental neurotoxin,the study of impacts of in utero exposure
of infants during maternal use of mercury soaps is urgent y required.
Conclusion
Our conclusion is that mercury used in soaps and cosmetics clear y poses a risk to human health.
Women are sure y unaware that these soaps contain a toxic ingredient such as mercury and/or
unaware of the problems that mercury could cause to their bodies.Although the total quantities
of mercury used in this sector to manufacture these products is re ative y small,the magnitude of
exposure for individuals using them appears to be enormous.Furthermore,the dangers involved
in this practice is not as wel recognized as other routes of exposure to mercury in the world
(such as eating mercury contaminated fish)and not near y as we l studied.
Contact Information
Michael Bender
Ban Mercury Working Group
Mercury policy@ao.com/www.mercurypolicy.org
802-223-9000
9 Kinaboo 2004
10 A.Mahe et al.1993.An Epidemiologic Survey on the Cosmetic use of Bleaching Agency by the Women of
Bamako,Mali.Ann.Dermatol.Vernereol 120:870-873.
11 Del Guidice,P.2002.The Widespread Use of Skin Lightening Creams in Senegal:a Persistent Public Health
Prob em in West Africa.The International Journal of Dermatology 41:69-72.
12 Science in Africa:Africa ’s First On-Line Science Magazine.March 2004.“Mirror mirror on the wa ,who is the
FAIREST of them all?”.www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2004/march/skinlightening.htm.
13 Adebajo S.2002.An Epidemiologica Survey of the Use of Cosmetic Skin Lightening Cosmetics among Traders
in Lagos,Nigeria.West African Journal of Medicine 21:51-55 |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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