Doctors are raising alarms over a rise in cancers and irreversible skin damage linked to skin-lightening creams, as colourism continues to shape beauty ideals across Africa and Asia. The global skin-lightening industry, now worth US$10.7bn (£8bn), is projected to grow to US$18.1bn by 2033, with reports of these products being used even on babies and young children.
Professor Ncoza Dlova, head of dermatology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, says she sees patients daily suffering from ochronosis—dark pigmentation—and stretch marks caused by these creams. One patient, who used a cream for three years to emulate a friend, was told her skin damage was irreversible. Dlova can only offer sunscreen to prevent further harm or skin cancer.
The Guardian reported last month on women dying from cancer after decades of use. Dlova and colleagues are now documenting over 55 cancer cases from countries including Mali and Senegal. “People don’t know the complications and side-effects. The patients I see who have side-effects regret it,” Dlova said.
Skin-lightening cream use is not new; reports of harmful effects emerged in the 1970s. Initially containing mercury, these products were banned in South Africa in 1975 due to brain and skin damage risks. Manufacturers then switched to hydroquinone, but concerns persist about its long-term safety.
The enduring appeal of lighter skin is rooted in colonial beliefs that lighter skin conferred greater worth—a legacy that continues to shape beauty standards despite decades of movements like “black is beautiful” that urged pride in natural features.
