By Philip Lako
Beauty, while often linked to self-worth, is deeply subjective. Yet when perception is shaped by insecurity or misinformation, it can lead to harmful practices, such as skin bleaching.
Skin bleaching involves the use of chemicals on the body to lighten the skin. Many are becoming familiar with and comfortable with this practice, despite its serious health risks. This article is aimed at any adult or young dark-skinned person considering bleaching to alter their skin colour. If you are already bleaching, this may not be helpful to you, especially if you have already made your decision. If you are a committed skin bleach user who believes beauty and confidence come from bleaching, then this article is not for you. However, if you have ever questioned or thought about the potential risks associated with skin bleaching or have started to realise the harm and feel concerned, then read on. For those new to city life and unfamiliar with what skin bleaching entails, you might find this article valuable.
The Beauty Myth
There’s no universal standard of beauty. What one person deems beautiful differs vastly from another. Yet, in many societies, lighter skin is unfairly equated with superiority, often due to weak personal identity or media influence. This distorted ideal pushes some to bleach their skin in pursuit of acceptance.
In urban settings, cultural pressures often shift. Traditions are shed to assimilate into modern life: avoiding traditional meals, rejecting herbal remedies, even enduring heat in western attire. Unfortunately, such changes sometimes marginalise our rich heritage. As someone who grew up in Mundari, I support the end of harmful cultural practices—but I also warn against trading authentic identity for a fabricated version based on urban ideals.
A Crisis of Substance
Those who adopt city life rituals—like bleaching or seeking attention on social media—without anchoring themselves in personal values risk becoming directionless. Any dark skin person who seeks to harness the imported cultures, such as skin bleaching and the insatiable desire to be likeable, is like a seaweed floating away along the White River Nile and a leaf swept by the wind; they drift without purpose. Let skin bleaching not be your rite of passage into city life. Stay grounded. Honour your roots, your family, and your culture. Resist the shallow narratives amplified by social media.
Inner vs Outer Beauty
While it’s true that inner beauty matters, outer appearance often shapes first impressions. Unfortunately, mainstream media and peer pressure warp our perceptions, turning beauty into a commodity. This leads to a diluted sense of self that can be both psychologically and spiritually dangerous.
Skin bleaching, in this sense, is not merely cosmetic—it symbolises a deeper identity struggle. True beauty and confidence cannot be bought or chemically attained; they are cultivated through self-respect, resilience, and integrity.
Health Hazards
Scientific evidence warns of bleaching’s risks:
Cancer risks: Hydroquinone and mercury, common in bleaching products, weaken the skin’s protective melanin barrier, increasing vulnerability to melanoma, a highly fatal skin cancer.
Organ damage: Prolonged use may harm internal organs like the liver, kidneys, and brain.
Skin deterioration: Thinning of the skin heightens the risk of injury and infection.
Mercury poisoning: This can occur through skin absorption, ingestion, or inhalation.
Black skin, naturally rich in melanin, offers protection against the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Bleaching strips away this natural defence, exposing users to grave medical conditions.
Rediscovering Worth
Authenticity is the cornerstone of self-worth. If you’re struggling with self-image, seek support. Don’t let social media determine your value or appearance. Instead, choose to define beauty on your terms—through dignity, culture, and purpose. And stay grounded in your moral convictions and be virtuous.
The writer of this article, Philip Lako, is the Author of the book titled “The Ten-Year-Old Man”