Telltale  signs of skin that is bleached 

Dermatologists are seeing women aged 20 to 50 years at least once a week with severe side effects from the skin-lightening creams. There is quite a striking difference between skin that is naturally light and that, which is artificially light. PHOTO/FILE

What you need to know:

  • A woman whose skin has been lightened using chemicals is easy to recognise. First, the skin tone tends to fluctuate from time to time. Sometimes, it tans for no reason, while at other times, the lightness intensifies.
  • Since it is very difficult to bleach the knuckles, lightened skin will appear extremely pale everywhere else, except at the knuckles, which will retain the original colour therefore standing out in contrast to the lighter fingers.

The skin lightening debate has been raging ever since Vera Sidika underwent a lightening process.

There is quite a striking difference between skin that is naturally light and that, which is artificially light.

You may know someone who was once dark but now has light skin.

This scenario is quite similar to that found amongst European women who have lightened their hair colour to become blonde-haired women.

A woman whose skin has been lightened using chemicals is easy to recognise. First, the skin tone tends to fluctuate from time to time. Sometimes, it tans for no reason, while at other times, the lightness intensifies.

This skin turns red in the sun. Skin that has been lightened with steroid creams will appear yellow in the morning when it is cold, and then gradually become slightly grey and darker as the day wears on.

Since it is very difficult to bleach the knuckles, lightened skin will appear extremely pale everywhere else, except at the knuckles, which will retain the original colour therefore standing out in contrast to the lighter fingers.

Bleached skin looks thin and delicate. In some cases, beard starts to grow on the chin due to the hormonal imbalance brought about by steroid use.