What do you think of skin lightening?

[Anonymous]

I'm thinking of getting my skin lightened. I want to get it done by an expert not anything shady. I'm pretty dark and I would love if my skin color was similar to Jessica Alba's because this is a color that's safe enough for every race.

A lot of people are against people lightening their skin but I don't see how it's any different than tanning, laser hair removal, botox, etc. Why is it such a taboo thing?

[tohrment]

I really dislike it.

I'm Sri Lankan with Euro ancestry, and in our culture white skin (or at least fairer skin) is idolised. I find it offensive, ridiculous and sad. Don't get me wrong, pale skin is beautiful, but why not darker skin, too? Well, it IS beautiful, but some people are sticking to old conceptions of beauty and saying it isn't. I was brought up with the same ideals thrust upon me. My mother discouraged me from going in the sun and so on all with the fear I'd "get darker" and whatnot. I'm a medium/caramel brown and I love it. Regardless, those beliefs have stuck in some ways. I have a psychological aversion to the sun, and even though I know myself it's because of this stupid obsession with being fair, I can't shake it. Anyway, my own mental issues aside...

I think it's unnecessary. Love the skin you're in. I would never do it, myself.

[Asker]

Thanks for your input. I really appreciate it.

[pr3ttybr0wn]

i'm against it because I see it as a form of cultural submission. your skin color is a trait of whatever heritage you are. I'm gonna assume you're a minority. to me, getting your skin lightened is like conforming to white supremacist colonialism and buying into the fact that you aren't as good as the majority.

also, how could it be permanent? your body is constantly renewing its skin so I just see it as unsafe and something you'd have to constantly keep doing

if you were jessica alba's color as a child then you can't possibly be that dark now anyway so I just don't think you need it anyway

[tohrment]

"i'm against it because I see it as a form of cultural submission" <-- such an epic statement. Love it.

[Asker]

Yes I can, it you spend enough time in the sun you're going to get really dark. If you know MAC colors I'm a good NC45 now. As I said, I don't want to be white, the skin color I want to have isn't even white. I'm not trying to get plastic surgery to get rid of my ethnic features. So I don't see how that has anything to do with white people.

[Anonymous]

I have no idea why people are so obsess about skin color. The most important thing is what you acheive in life irrespective of considering the skin color or race. It is stupid to keep the debris of centuries old concept of skin color. It is understandable people doing facials or hair removal things to be clean. But it is sad somebody is trying to change the skin color by thinking that dark is no pretty. Try to work hard acheive something in life to show those foolish people who think dark skin is inferior.

[Arwens-Fire]

Im completely against it because you dislike your skin color...which is disliking yourself.So to be accepted by societys standards of beauty,you are willing to damage your skin just to be..."accepted". No offense,buti believe you should deal with those issue in your psyche because there is a severe issue going on and it's manifesting itself in this very vain way.It sounds like self hate in my opinion.White skin is what's most accepted,and no one really cares either way if someone white gets a tan,or not...because that skin color is widely accepted.But whitening your skin to fit in with what's widely accepted (because you know that society has so many negative associations to dark skin) is what's "taboo".

I'm dark skinned as well,but I wouldn't think of exposing myself to the dangers of skin whitening.I actually love myself enough not to.

[Arwens-Fire]

link

Don't let this be you. :/

[Asker]

So if you don't like one part of yourself that means you hate your whole self. Okay...

[Arwens-Fire]

In my opinion...yes.No where in this thread did you express real reaoning for wanting to do this.Maybe it's because you don't want to be judged?I dunno.But I do associate this type of change to self hate which somehow runs rampid throughout minority communities.So yes,i am drawing conclusions...but that is because anyone I have seen doing this,its because they hate their dark skin.I don't know you,but I bet some insecurity issues exist.I think you just ned to be honest with yourself about it.:/

[Asker]

Of course there is some insecurity present. I don't like my dark skin and I wish it were lighter. At least the color it was when I was younger, but I don't hate myself or my ethnicity.

[Arwens-Fire]

Hmmm...okay. -_-

[Arwens-Fire]

Btw: You're still beating around the bush as to why that insecurity exists in the first place.And even to what that isecurity actually is.

[kamryrose]

That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Your parents (and God if you believe in him because I do) gave you that skin and you're going to mess it up just because you think you're dark. I have problems with myself too but I wouldn't change with plastic surgery or anything.

[Asker]

My mother hates that I'm so dark actually. No one calls anyone dumb for purposefully getting tan :(

[kamryrose]

I wasn't calling you dumb I was just saying that what you want to do is dumb. And my dad's side of the family (Italian) don't like that I don't have blond hair and a big butt. But I don't care because if they can't respect me for who I am I don't have to talk to them. I'm just trying to say that you should try to learn to comfortable in yourself. I had to do the same to.

[lolli]

Your skin is your largest ORGAN on/in your body. I just think it's a bad idea. The side effects probably aren't know completely yet. I wouldn't do it. Everything you put on your skin is injested to your whole body. For example, birth control and smoking patches.

What if it makes you more susceptible to get skin cancer?

But on the other hand, I've never been self conscience about my skin color so I don't know what that's like either.

[Asker]

Using makeup and shampoo makes you more susceptible to cancer too.

That's the price you pay for the sake of beauty. Women do all kinds of things that slowly kill them.

[lolli]

Ok then. Good luck.

[This_is_a_complement]

" this is a color that's safe enough for every race."

That sounds really messed up. I think physical alterations that have nothing to do with helping deformities (i.e. tanning, hair dying, make-up, skin lightening, plastic surgery [except for hair removal.. I know I'm contradictory at times..]) are all kind of strange. But, I also think people should what they wish to their own bodies.

If you're happy doing that, so be it. I personally wouldn't lighten my skin, but that's just me.

[Asker]

Yes it does sound really messed up but it's true. Thank you for your input.

[lananoel]

I don't like it. I'm a dark.! I would not feel safe chemically changing it. I lighten my scars but that's about it. I'm sure your complexion is just right for you. I don't agree with hardly any permanent cosmetic procedure.

[TheGoodTheBadTheHOT]

"I would not feel safe chemically changing it. I lighten my scars"

Im sorry but, how is that any different?

[Asker]

No it's not just right for me because I used to be only a bit darker than Jessica Alba, but during my childhood I spent a lot of time outdoors against my mother's wishes and I got very dark. She told me not to spend so much time outside but all I wanted to do was play at the time now I have come to regret it. I feel like my complexion was meant to be lighter.

[lananoel]

It's a smaller area with less harsh chemicals . I use cocoa butter so it isn't the same as a bleach

[ivarei]

It's taboo because you're a human and humans come in different colors. Trhe color doesn't dictate how beautiful you are but YOU are letting it. Your natural skin is beautiful what are your reasons for changing it?

[Asker]

People go tanning all the time instead of just being white

[ivarei]

And I think that's silly to. I'm uber white and I have never tanned, I carry an umbrella out in the sun. It protect my skin; my skin isn't the ideal of beauty and maybe yours isn't eithern but it doesn't mean we should give in and fit the mold. Don't change the things that make you unique.

[ivarei]

Are you of Indian descent by any chance? Indian like Asian, not like Pocahontas.

[rachiee]

Its definitely not safe. Its permanently changing your skin tone/pores. I don't even think its really possible. Your skin dies off and new skin grows, you'd have to dye it constantly.

[Asker]

It's possible and it's not so much as dying as blocking melanin production. A lot of celebrities have gotten it done.

[rachiee]

Like who? And no its really not possible. Unless you're talking about Michael Jackson... which is ONE celebrity and he actually had a disease.

[Arwens-Fire]

Michael Jackson supposedly had vitilago.But I don't believe it was that severe.He went from being a black man to a white female mannequin.(I loved michael btw).But it is clear that he was a liar in regards to his appearance and that he even had some serious issues regarding it.Just like in a Diane sawyer interview,he claimed that he only have ONE operation on his nose.Mmmmmhmmm...hence him not having a nose and needing a prosthetic?Lies.But I think michael just wanted to be white...and he more

[rachiee]

Its not possible to change your skin tone completely forever though. His disease had a lot to do with it. To change your skin tone you have to completely dye your pores. Your skin dies quickly. Every time you exfoliate your skin (take a shower), the dead skin comes off which means you're left with brand new skin that is the color you natural are. You can dye it but its not going to grow that color. If this was possible then wouldn't you think people would always be tan?

[Arwens-Fire]

I hear you.But Michael did bleach is skin throughout most of his life.I still don't believe vitilago has much to do with his skin bleaching.I believe it was a cover up to his other insecurities and a lot of those insecurities were revealed in interviews after his death.*Im just saying,ive ben a michael fan for years and have watched interviews,read articles etc in reference to him.So granted,he could have gone back to his real complexion at some point,but I believe he just KEPT bleaching.

[Arwens-Fire]

But I do agree with you rachiee...that it isn't a permanent change.I posted a link about sammy sosa,and his complexion returned after using the bleaching products.

[sephora]

Because it shows that you are uncomfortable with what ethnicity you are, and you shouldn't be ashamed about it.

[Asker]

That's not true. I love my ethnicity. There are a lot color variations in my ethnicity.

[sephora]

if you loved your ethnicity, you wouldn't be using skin lightning products. and there is no such thing as a color safe for every race, where did you get that idea from?

[Asker]

There are many people in my ethnicity who are like Jessica Alba and lighter. I don't see what that has to do with not liking ethnicity. I'm not trying to make my skin very light like a Caucasian person.

[Cuddle_Muffin]

Oh, F***ass no!