Why is skin lightening so controversial?

falseatheist

I don't see why an adult cannot make the decision to lighten their skin if they want to. It should preferably be done under the guidance of a dermatologist who can control the usage of substances like hydroquinone.

But for some reason people think its self hate. Wanting to look good isn't self hate. Abusing drugs and alcohol is self hate IMO. Why do very few question those who get breast implants but most look down on people looking to lighten their skin?

falseatheist

falseatheist wrote: »

I don't see why an adult cannot make the decision to lighten their skin if they want to. It should preferably be done under the guidance of a dermatologist who can control the usage of substances like hydroquinone.

But for some reason people think its self hate. Wanting to look good isn't self hate. Abusing drugs and alcohol is self hate IMO. Why do very few question those who get breast implants but most look down on people looking to lighten their skin?

Why does being lighter skinned equal looking good?

5starpool

Can't imagine there are too many Irish people who want to whiten their skin even more. Is this actually a thing?

9de5q7tsr8u2im

Are you talking about the non white race trying to reach some fair skin?

BlibBlab

5starpool wrote: »

Can't imagine there are too many Irish people who want to whiten their skin even more. Is this actually a thing?

Big thing in some Asian countries anyway. Also would have been in Europe not so long ago when being pale proved you were rich enough not to have to work outdoors

falseatheist

LuckyDude12 wrote: »

Are you talking about the non white race trying to reach some fair skin?

Yes exactly

GreatDefector

5starpool wrote: »

Can't imagine there are too many Irish people who want to whiten their skin even more. Is this actually a thing?

The hack of chung-wans who smear pure charcoal on themselves every Friday for Facebook/Snapchat

Suppose the reverse works too

jam_mac_jam

It's the fact people feel they have to be lighter skinned to be beautiful. They are also damaging to the skin.

Ice Maiden

Would it not be damaging to the skin though? That is what I would deem the main concern. At least fake tan is not damaging (although I know sun-tanning and sunbeds is, for fair-skinned people anyway).

I can see why people would want to do it in the same way fair-skinned people want to have darker skin.

IrishTrajan

Candie wrote: »

Why does being lighter skinned equal looking good?

Why does being tan skinned equal looking good?

Bit of a pointless question, no?

Most people would see it as adhering to a particular, Caucasian, standard of beauty. Generally, in an ideal world, people of other races would aspire to standards of beauty applied to their own racial group and therefore be less unrealistic than that of another race.

People of colour who lighten their skin might be aspiring to a standard of another culture and that might be considered as a rejection of their own.

I'd like if everyone was happy in their own skin, and didn't feel the need to be something else.

I'd ban fake tan towards that end.

falseatheist

Ice Maiden wrote: »

Would it not be damaging to the skin though? That is what I would deem the main concern. At least fake tan is not damaging (although I know sun-tanning and sunbeds is, for fair-skinned people anyway).

I can see why people would want to do it in the same way fair-skinned people want to have darker skin.

If scientists invented a safe way to lighten or turn skin white would you be on board?

Ice Maiden

falseatheist wrote: »

If scientists invented a safe way to lighten or turn skin white would you be on board?

I wouldn't say I'd be on board - I just wouldn't have much of an opinion on it. I can't relate as I don't do anything to darken my pale skin, but outside of my own personal take, I guess people can do what they wish safely for their appearance.

Alf Stewart.

I got me a bit of anal bleaching while back.

Sparkling it is.

DEFTLEFTHAND

I don't think skin lightning is viewed as a controversial subject. As long as people are using safe products and not ones containing harmful materials.

falseatheist

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I don't think skin lightning is viewed as a controversial subject. As long as people are using safe products and not ones containing harmful materials.

I know this African guy called Jeremy who is 25. When he was 18 he told his mother that he wanted to lighten his skin not to look white but a few shades lighter. She went absolutely MENTAL saying " If God wanted you to be white he would have made you white.", "Stop hating yourself!" and other rants.

and I'm pretty sure if you ask a doctor about this they will tell you the same thing. ( excluding the religious talk)

SEPT 23 1989

Drugs and alcohol are fantastic in moderation

Nothing to do with hating oneself

Victor

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I don't think skin lightning is viewed as a controversial subject. As long as people are using safe products and not ones containing harmful materials.

Using chemicals on your skin enough for it to bleach it is not safe.

I can imagine an epidemic of cancers cases in years to come.

IrishTrajan

falseatheist wrote: »

I know this African guy called Jeremy who is 25. When he was 18 he told his mother that he wanted to lighten his skin not to look white but a few shades lighter. She went absolutely MENTAL saying " If God wanted you to be white he would have made you white.", "Stop hating yourself!" and other rants.

Sadly, anecdotal evidence is not evidence.

falseatheist wrote: »

and I'm pretty sure if you ask a doctor about this they will tell you the same thing. ( excluding the religious talk)

Unfortunately you're not a doctor, you can't really make that claim.

IrishTrajan

Victor wrote: »

Using chemicals on your skin enough for it to bleach it is not safe.

I can imagine an epidemic of cancers cases in years to come.

Well, there's an increased risk of cancer from tanning beds, but they're legal.

DEFTLEFTHAND

falseatheist wrote: »

I know this African guy called Jeremy who is 25. When he was 18 he told his mother that he wanted to lighten his skin not to look white but a few shades lighter. She went absolutely MENTAL saying " If God wanted you to be white he would have made you white.", "Stop hating yourself!" and other rants.

and I'm pretty sure if you ask a doctor about this they will tell you the same thing. ( excluding the religious talk)

I suppose as his mother, she would prefer that he accepted himself as he is. To be truly happy in life I think you need to feel comfortable in who you are.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Victor wrote: »

Using chemicals on your skin enough for it to bleach it is not safe.

I can imagine an epidemic of cancers cases in years to come.

I looked up a bit about this online, there seems to be a wide range of natural skin lightening products available. Old Asian recipes, these don't bleach the skin apparently, they inhibit the production of melanin in the area applied.

Tigger

I can hide naked in the snow
If I wasn't a never nude

rubadub

falseatheist wrote: »

Why do very few question those who get breast implants but most look down on people looking to lighten their skin?

How many people were involved in this poll you saw/conducted.

I would have no idea about the opinions of any people I know about skin lightening.

falseatheist wrote: »

I know this African guy called Jeremy who is 25. When he was 18 he told his mother that he wanted to lighten his skin not to look white but a few shades lighter. She went absolutely MENTAL saying " If God wanted you to be white he would have made you white.", "Stop hating yourself!" and other rants.

Have you genuinely no idea why she said this, did you ask the guy himself?

diomed

When I lived in Africa about forty years a go I saw lots of skin-whitening products in shop windows. It was harmful stuff. The black women went for it big time. The men were not interested.

It's not like it's some procedure.. It comes in nearly every skin care product in some countries. I was using some nivia stuff with whitening by mistake.
There are baths you can take and while the end result isn't great, who cares.


We view tan as beautiful while they view white the same. But they don't want Caucasian white just the same as we don't aim for Asian when we get a tan.

old_aussie

Michael Jackson gave us all a thriller when he turned a lighter shade of pale

walshyn93

The Buzzfeed class of society gets outraged about this all the time.

Esel

I remember when Tom Jones was white and Michael Jackson was less so.

arayess

Esel wrote: »

I remember when Tom Jones was white and Michael Jackson was less so.

i remember a time when we didn't have stupid terms like "people of colour".
I hate the way race (and other things) have this forced neutrality.

jimmy blevins

Using a benzene derivative, hydroquinone, to chemically react with skin cells can't be good for your health.

Thepoet85

Albino hero for saying it, but each to their own. Lighten up

Samaris

jimmy blevins wrote: »

Using a benzene derivative, hydroquinone, to chemically react with skin cells can't be good for your health.

Yeah, the aromatics aren't exactly the nicest things to be playing with. Looking it up, it's a Cat. 3 Carcinogen and Mutagen, harmful to people and harmful to the environment (presumably aquatic environments).

Cat.3 means "not enough evidence of x-icity in humans, but reasonably expected to be one", by the way.

Also,the whole question tends to be a much bigger thing (and controversy) amongst black or Asian folks. I personally have no opinion on it at all. We darken our skin for beauty, they lighten theirs. In general, it's a fairly silly past-time.

stefanovich

5starpool wrote: »

Can't imagine there are too many Irish people who want to whiten their skin even more. Is this actually a thing?

Big thing in the Philippines. You see girls with really horribly bleached faces. They sell soap with bleach in it. Having dark skin means you are poor and work in the field.

Nothing so different than Irish girls putting on fake tan, the difference is the PC crew don't like the idea of non whites wanting to have lighter skin, somehow they are offended by them not being proud of their darkness.

Samaris

stefanovich wrote: »

Nothing so different than Irish girls putting on fake tan, the difference is the PC crew don't like the idea of non whites wanting to have lighter skin, somehow they are offended by them not being proud of their darkness.

I think most of "the PC crew" (or the white portion thereof) don't particularly give it any thought. The few that do probably comment about tanning beds too.

One eyed Jack

falseatheist wrote: »

I don't see why an adult cannot make the decision to lighten their skin if they want to. It should preferably be done under the guidance of a dermatologist who can control the usage of substances like hydroquinone.

But for some reason people think its self hate. Wanting to look good isn't self hate. Abusing drugs and alcohol is self hate IMO. Why do very few question those who get breast implants but most look down on people looking to lighten their skin?

You've got to be joking?

Anyway, I don't think people "look down on" someone who uses skin whitening products, or someone who tries to lighten their skin tone. They just don't understand why someone would want to try and do that. There was uproar when Beyoncé did it for a photoshoot because she's supposed to be a role model for young black women. There was uproar when Rachel Dolezal darkened her skin because she was trying to be a role model for young black women.

For a lot of people, their skin colour is tied in with their ethnicity, and it's something they feel they should be proud of, rather than making any attempt to reject their ethnicity.

It was actually only recently I discovered that the differences between white and black skin are more than just colour. A friend spent a long time explaining to me about how she has to get different make-up than white women because of her skin. Most of it went over my head tbh as my mind was already blown trying to process the idea that there are differences in the chemical make up or something, and why black skin is more oily than white skin... fascinating stuff really :pac:

Eugene Norman

Candie wrote: »

Why does being lighter skinned equal looking good?

You'd have to ask the darker skinned people doing it. Since people (women mostly) Mediterranean skin types don't lighten or darken their faces it looks like there's a human universal for lightly tanned faces.

stefanovich

Eugene Norman wrote: »

You'd have to ask the darker skinned people doing it. Since people (women mostly) Mediterranean skin types don't lighten or darken their faces it looks like there's a human universal for lightly tanned faces.

As I explained earlier, in the Philippines at least the people with dark dark skin are the ones working out in the field all day. The poor. People don't want to look poor.

stoplooklisten

Dark skinned people, turning themselves white. This has some sort of racist undertone, fueled by the whites

White skinned people turning themselves dark - Fashion, unless they go too dark, then it's back to being racist

We need a dulux colour chart

Eugene Norman

Candie wrote: »

Most people would see it as adhering to a particular, Caucasian, standard of beauty. Generally, in an ideal world, people of other races would aspire to standards of beauty applied to their own racial group and therefore be less unrealistic than that of another race.

People of colour who lighten their skin might be aspiring to a standard of another culture and that might be considered as a rejection of their own.

I'd like if everyone was happy in their own skin, and didn't feel the need to be something else.

I'd ban fake tan towards that end.

The funny thing about the kind of people who think that this is a Caucasian standard of beauty is the use of the word Caucasian, an American abdomination.

In fact people in India and China have always fetished lighter skin (mostly in women) pre colonialism and post. They didn't look at officer freckles McGee and think "wow, that's where we want to be". They'd be using much harsher bleach or white paint if that were the case.

biko

Stop whitefacing! It's cultural appropriation!

One eyed Jack

This is interesting -

Why do geisha paint their faces white?

The Rape of Lucretia

IrishTrajan wrote: »

Well, there's an increased risk of cancer from tanning beds, but they're legal.

Well, theres an incresased risk of cancer from going out in the sun, and thats still legal.

suicide_circus

When white folk tan its so they can look their best.

When brown folk go pale its because they're rejecting their heritage (due to post colonial something something...)

Nodin

stefanovich wrote: »

Big thing in the Philippines. You see girls with really horribly bleached faces. They sell soap with bleach in it. Having dark skin means you are poor and work in the field.

Nothing so different than Irish girls putting on fake tan, the difference is the PC crew don't like the idea of non whites wanting to have lighter skin, somehow they are offended by them not being proud of their darkness.

Bleaching the skin? Have a big think again.

Samaris

Yeah, it's much closer to tanning bed usage than fake tan. (Although fake tan tends to look awful).

Victor

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I looked up a bit about this online, there seems to be a wide range of natural skin lightening products available. Old Asian recipes, these don't bleach the skin apparently, they inhibit the production of melanin in the area applied.

Natural doesn't mean safe.

Samaris

Victor wrote: »

Natural doesn't mean safe.

*sigh* Someday people will understand this. But not yet.

Nodin

Samaris wrote: »

Yeah, it's much closer to tanning bed usage than fake tan. (Although fake tan tends to look awful).

tanning bed usage, anal bleaching (yes, go google) and/or them tanning injections which are apparently a bit dodgy.

Ice Maiden

suicide_circus wrote: »

When white folk tan its so they can look their best.

When brown folk go pale its because they're rejecting their heritage (due to post colonial something something...)

Aye, but in fairness, a white person (with a bit of melanin - e.g. not milk bottle coloured me) only has to go out in the sun or on a sun holiday to go brown, not much effort required. Or rub a brown lotion on. No harm. It's also only temporary.

For a dark skinned person to lighten their skin, far more lengths need to be gone to, and far more riskiness. So I think there is that too. I also don't know how good it would look when the person's skin starts off very dark? Same as a pale woman lashing on fake tan badly I'd imagine - i.e. awful, and plain strange. And it's permanent.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Nodin wrote: »

tanning bed usage, anal bleaching (yes, go google) and/or them tanning injections which are apparently a bit dodgy.

There's even a tanning pill available apparently.