By Angela Adu-Asomaning
Colorism is slowly eating into our system through the alteration of the skin complexion. Africans, and for that matter, Ghanaians, are we saying we do not appreciate our God-given skin colour? A rather troubling skin-bleaching habit is becoming a common phenomenon.
As strange and bizarre as this may sound, some parents have taken skin bleaching to another level by lightening the skin of their babies, middle-aged children, and teenagers.
While some attribute the act to illiteracy on the part of parents, others believe it is simply due to ignorance.
In certain quarters, light skin is equated to beauty, and people who bleach their skin believe it makes them look more beautiful, attractive, irresistible, and charming.
Skin lightening is seen by both sexes, as a way of boosting one’s self-esteem. This is done, all in the name of “my child used to be fair and has now become dark”.
Bleaching the skin of these children is in a way saying, ‘’ I am roasting your kidneys at this tender age”. A Senior Specialist in Dermatology at the 37 Military Hospital, Dr Jeannette Aryee Boi, says the growing craze of parents lightening the skin of babies, middle-aged children, and teenagers is worrying and must stop forthwith.
She warned that these little ones will have to deal with the side effects for the rest of their lives if the practice does not stop.
Dr Boi said not all side effects are reversible, and the onus is on Doctors and Health Professionals to educate people on the dangers of skin bleaching, especially among children.
Skin cancer, kidney diseases, liver and nerve damage, dermatitis, steroid acne, changes in skin thickness, inflammatory disorders, and conditions such as mercury poisoning are all serious side effects of skin bleaching, and children who have fallen victim to skin bleaching are likely to experience one or two of these side effects.
The solution is to enforce the ban on some of these products.
Doctors, on the other hand, need to be bold and educate parents of these children about the long-term effects and encourage these parents to embrace the God-given colour.
