Skin lightening creams and permanent skin damage
THE desire to be fair-skinned leaves many turning to products that contain harmful ingredients which may result in permanent skin damage.
Clinical psychologist Dr Sherona Rawat says the need for South Africans to get fairer is rooted in their need to fit into the false general definition of what beauty is.
“If a community idealises fair skin, many will feel the need to strive towards this with the assumption that society will value them. It is primarily individuals with a low sense of self worth who may feel heavier pressure to succumb to this,” said Rawat.
According to her, this pressure comes from a larger, global definition of beauty. Indians in South Africa have the added pressure of Bollywood in perpetuating the belief that fair skin is superior.
John Abraham, Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and Aishwariya Rai-Bachchan, are a few of the B-Town celebrities who promote skin lightening products.
“However in South Africa it is also coloureds and blacks, who seek out skin lightening products.”
She said many people, across the board, viewed lighter shades of skin as being more beautiful.
“Society’s pressure to conform to a certain idea of beauty will always be there.”
But Rawat maintains that every individual should develop a deep love and acceptance of themselves by focusing on their character and developing a spiritual purpose. For her, this will allow for a new level of existence that is free of the negative effects of superficial social constructs such as skin colour.
“Start to value yourself and the world will follow by changing its description of beauty, one individual at a time.”