This trend, surfaced among the rich, powerful and upper class Nigerians, when the use of assorted cosmetics formulations became prominent. But this wealthy class have taken skin bleaching to a different level, especially with the improvement in global technology and beauty products. CELESTINE OKAFOR examines this development.
Like drugs, the rich, powerful and the upper class Nigerians are getting hooked to it. Affluent Nigerian men and women who bleach their skin are growing in their numbers. You see them in their posh cars, in super-markets or shopping malls; in well-appointed offices, in the aircrafts and even in the boardrooms, among many other places.
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In recent years, this class of super-rich Nigerians have found it fashionable to bleach their dark skin pigmented skin to “ look good “ like models, new born babies or like creatures from another planet. Some of them, on enquires, would readily tell you that they are not bleaching but rather “ toning up “. While some look good in their new skin, others simply appear funny and ridiculous in their newly acquired complexion. They bleach their bodies “ white or red “ with expensive and mostly imported high percentage hydroquinone and mercury filled body creams, all in a bid to look attractive and trendy.
Though the poor and the not so rich in Nigeria also bleach, but the proportion of those who engage in this practice is relatively higher among the wealthy class. In the league of privileged Nigerians who bleach or tone their bodies as the case may be, are politicians, business men and women, senior military officers and those in the other armed and para-military services; top government functionaries and civil servants, corporate chief executives, high street industrialists, musicians, successful private entrepreneurs, those in the formal professions as well as some clergy men and women, etc.
To these groups of people, body bleaching has become a fad, a show of wealth and acquired status. It is also a way of keeping up with the trend of the new age and to make themselves appealing and acceptable to the opposite sex and to the younger generation. In addition to body bleaching creams, is the use of specialized cosmetics and other forms of make-up by the rich and world leaders who have skin deficiencies or are surviving serious manifest health challenges.
For instance, in the late 90s, former Russian President, Boris Yeltsin, reportedly used certain body enhancing cosmetic make-up to bolster his looks, especially his pale and waxen-face. During his historic meeting with the former United States of America Secretary of States, Maudline Albright, in Kremlin, the Russian capital, on the proposed expansion of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) which Russia then fiercely opposed, Yeltsin wore a body make-up known among the rich in an attempt to disguise his ashen features during the diplomatic talk with Albright. The former Russian leader’s daughter, Tatiana, was known to help with her father’s grooming.
But why are the rich, the faous and the affluent engaging in the practice of body bleaching? Chief (Mrs) Kuburat Onafowape, a wealthy Cosmetics and Textile importer with business in both Wuse Market Abuja and Oke Arin Market in Lagos, told LEADERSHIP Weekend that people bleach their bodies for several reasons. “ Most of the rich persons who bleach their bodies simply want to look good and young. I am over 60 years-old now but you won’t believe l am up to that age because l look after my body by toning it “.
Onafowape said “ body bleaching is all part of body enhancement to look trendy and youthful, and it is only when you can conveniently and constantly afford it that you can bleach your body. The rich ones do this thing all over the world where l have been to. So it is not only in Nigeria. But one thing you have to know is that those who have girl friends and boy friends among them engage in body bleaching just to appeal to their younger lovers or to look like them. Such people are usually on the frivolous side. They are the type that want to look perpetually young “.
She further said: “ don’t forget that we are living in a jet world and everybody, whether young or old, want to look modern, fashionable and attractive. So because of this desire to ‘belong’, many rich people including those who are not rich or too wealthy, try to wear cosmetic body creams. But for the women in particular, body bleaching is regarded as part of their beauty routine “.
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According to Onafowape, evidences reveal that most men, whether rich or not, who engage in the practice of body bleaching were introduced into it by their girl friends and wives who are equally into bleaching. Some others, she said, bleach because their local or foreign beauty counsellors recommended it for them. “ The younger people among the rich group in Nigeria are the ones that bleach their skin most to look trendy “, said Onafowape, “ but most of the older men and women who bleach, do so mostly because they still have their eyes on younger women and men. The men in particular are those type of old men who marry more than one wife. Sometimes, their younger wife look even younger than their daughters “.
However, Lolo Jessica Nkechi Onyia, an English-trained Cosmetologist and Director of Clean Look Services, Wuse 2, Abuja, defended the men in particular. She maintains that the issue is not whether, the rich men bleach their bodies to attract younger women, but whether they are looking good to reflect the new age. “ Let’s face it. Am a beautician who wants people to look their best. From my professional experiences over the years both here in Nigeria and in England where l trained in cosmetology, everybody desires to look good.
“ I am not saying that it is not true that these men could be chasing younger women because of their new look, but the important thing is that they should look neat. For instance, people who are coming to meet an executive in his office are not necessarily expecting to meet a paragon of beauty but someone they can do business with- a neat good-looking and confident executive. This development should not really be seen from a negative perspective. As a beautician, l insist that people should use the right type of cosmetics and fragrances because the two go together “, said Onyia.
A wealthy company executive who uses body enhancing cosmetic creams but does not want his identity mentioned in this story, told LEADERSHIP Weekend that he uses bleaching creams to pep up his natural features. “ Yes, a lot of people tell me that l am handsome and l therefore thought that if that is the case, l should use good formula cosmetics that will project this beauty of my person “.
Dr Tanko Zubairu, a Consultant Dermatologist in private practice based in Zone 7, Abuja, advised that though using body bleaching creams does not come cheap, it should be applied strictly on recommendation by dermatological experts like him after a body or skin type analysis. He told LEADERSHIP Weekend that “ what you see these days among the rich people are application of corrosive body mixtures which leaves their skin badly damaged through over bleaching and thereby making their bodies susceptible to skin cancer and other skin diseases “.
A PortHarcourt based Pentecostal clergyman, Bekinbo Young-Harry, however views the whole concept of body bleaching by the rich and influential as a show of lack of confidence and dissatisfaction with oneself. “ It is sheer stupidity of the mind “, he fumed. “ It is very clear to me that men, whether rich or not, who indulge in body bleaching are inferior minded people desperate to be loved and accepted by the young women they chase up and down. It is even more painful to me that priests, men of God like me also indulge in such thing these days. Those ‘ yellow pawpaw ‘ men are just realizing that their bags of money can no longer catch the young girls for them “.
Most of the rich women or wives of rich men who equally bleach their skin are said to be either seeking to retain the love and attention of their husbands and boy friends or are in search of a lover in their lives. These women believe that wealthy husbands usually stray out of their marriage nest to hanker after young or, more beautiful girls most of who equally are in the expensive habit of body bleaching.
LEADERSHIP Weekend however gathered that by Nigerian social standard, fair-skinned individuals tend to be regarded as better looking, beautiful or handsome as the case may be. Hence the craze to bleach bodies by both the rich and poor, whether it is affordable to them or not. And for this reason, foreign manufacturers of range of body creams and other cosmetics products in alliance with rich Nigerian businessmen and importers, bring into the country, toxic and poorly formulated creams, body lotions and soaps with high percentage hydroquinone and bleaching components which are hardly used in their home countries. The local cosmetic importers are encouraged by the fact that a ready market for their imported products already exist in Nigeria. The huge profits they make in the business is also another incentive.
Skin bleaching by rich Nigerians has been a regular practice since decades. In the early 1970s and 80s, many male Nigerians, including the rich and not so wealthy, were into body bleaching. Then, bleaching cream products like Ambi, Clear Tone, Venus de Milo and Nku creams, were highly patronized by both genders, and they were cheaper then. But whatever be the argument, Cosmetologist Lolo Onyia, insists that the rich Nigerian men should really step up on their body enhancement.
“ That, to me, is not bleaching. They are simply toning up “, Onyia reasoned, adding that “ l call that toning of the body. The Nigerian men generally, and not only the rich ones, have come to appreciate the art of looking good. By applying the right kind of moisturizers, body lotions and creams on their skins, there is a tendency for them to look younger, because the creams contain some anti-aging chemical compositions. They are now in tune with what is happening in the global world.
“ Whether they are rich Alhajis here in the Northern area of this country or in the South, they are keeping up with the trend in the fashion world, and l should say it is a good development. You can see that the progression is phenomenal in the last few years. My point is that while toning up their bodies, these men and women should seek expert advise on the correct usage of those creams “, Onyia said.
Dermatologists and medical experts have warned that body bleaching has severe adverse implications on the human skin, especially during surgical operations. According to an Abuja based medical doctor, Dr Kayode Olusola, when individuals bleach their bodies, it is difficult to stitch their skin after operations. “ The skin keeps tearing away because of its tenderness caused by the removal of the pigments during bleaching “, said Dr Olusola. He revealed that “such people are open to all kinds of skin infections.
Another Skin Doctor, Dr Ephraim Ajene, told LEADERSHIP Weekend on Wednesday in Abuja, that people who bleach their skin run the risk of developing stretch marks and wrinkled skin. He said this is evident in the case of women who constantly use bleaching substances to enhance their skin. “ We therefore advise that rather than using body corroding creams, individuals should cultivate the habit of eating a well balanced diet. This builds and nourishes the body. The work of good food is internal and it shows on the surface of the body “, Ajene said.
The range of cosmetics often used by the rich and affluent Nigerians are varied. There are body bleaching creams of the recent years most of which still exist in the market, even with the existence of their fake, counterfeit or substandard versions. The adverse effects of these range of body creams to consumers however compelled the nation’s apex food, drug and chemical regulatory agency, NAFDAC, to impose a ban on the use of some of the bleaching substances.
Today, the rich and wealthy, including the young city ladies who crave for fair or spotless bodies, are going for higher range of skin lightening creams. Not only that, there are other methods of skin bleaching done through pills and injections. Some affluent big society ladies and men often undergo skin renewal, either from the common practice of dark skin to white skin or from chocolate complexion to glowing yellow skin. This skin change are so professionally done without leaving any trace of old colour.
Presently, a new more sophisticated method of skin lightening has become the most sought-after. It is the use of magic milk called Kamana (Egyptian milk) which is more active than the use of steroids products and Glutanova. Others are Saluta, Taitionil, Germed and a host of others. But Glutanova injections are commonly used because it gives a whiter skin while removing all kinds of blemishes including scars and pigmentation.
There are other common method of toning with strong body lightening creams with chemical/substances like hydroquinone, steroids and mercury which have shown to be effective in skin bleaching. Creams with hydroquinone is a strong inhibitor of melanine production, the substance that is responsible for dark skin color. It has been banned in many countries because of its risk of causing skin cancer.
In the case of Glutanova, it is an antioxidant and also comes in pills too. It is usually used to treat toxidity, acne, cancer, and hyrendysfunction. But it’s more popular for its skin whitening property. It is taken twice a week or once in 3 days. It also has its adverse effect like nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Kamana Egyptian Milk lotion has been adopted lately for skin whitening and it’s very effective such that it records a very positive result within a short period of 2 to 3 months.
However, there are powerful and expensive creams, lotions, moisturizers and soaps patronized by the rich in Nigeria over the years. Among them are Revlon Skin Lotion, Neutrogena (soap and creams), Alovera, Esoterica, Elizabeth Arden, Glycerin Rose Water, Jergens, etc, which are said to heal rough skins. These are advanced therapy creams and lotions which prices are as high as between N5,000 to N25,000.
For the perfumes that go with it such as world designers like Hugo Boss, Tahoe, Gentlemen, Exclamation, Georgio Amani, Sio-Series, Pacoraban, Givenci, Old Charlie, Classics, etc, their prices oscillate between N3,000 and N50,000. Infact, almost every world class designer now has a fragrance patronized exclusively by the rich and affluent in Nigeria.
The appropriate regulatory agencies in the country like the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON), the National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), have all warned the consuming public, at various times, about the danger inherent in the use of these range of bleaching chemical formulations and products to the human body. The warnings came following the continued influx of the substandard varieties of these body creams into the country.
Even the Federal Ministry of Health in 1989 under the late renowned pediatric doctor, Prof Olikoye Ransome-Kuti as Minister, was the first to raise alarm on the menace of bleaching substances. Kuti followed his warnings with an outright ban of certain category of bleaching creams including the ones that contain two percent of hydroquinone, a major bleaching component.
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