In West Africa, the surge in skin-whitening practices has led to a dangerous market of unregulated products and health risks. From hazardous creams to dubious injections, the quest for lighter skin is fraught with scams and severe health consequences. This draws concern from health experts and regulators alike.
In her quest for “fair skin,” an Ivorian YouTuber recently visited a market stall in Abidjan to receive several injections. These injections contained whitening agents. The influencer, who asked to remain anonymous, waited 10 days in vain to see any results.
“Clearly, I’ve been ripped off,” she told AFP. This young woman is one of a growing number of customers across West Africa who seek to reduce the melanin in their skin. As fairness is associated with higher status, privilege, and beauty.
The global market value for bleaching treatments will jump from $10 billion in 2021 to $16 billion by 2030. Dozens of Facebook pages in Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Niger, and Senegal promise “uniform whitening” thanks to various creams or injections, creating a gateway to a huge web of scams. In Nigeria, numerous pages advertise so-called organic skin whitening products.
It is not uncommon to see videos of women peeling off layers of their skin to reveal a lighter hue. “There are many harmful organic products out there,” Dr Fola David, a Lagos-based dermatologist, told Guardian TV. “I would rather we stick to medical-grade products, the ones where you can see the ing.