By Maria Famakinwa

The desire for a fair complexion is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria. Findings revealed that it was deeply rooted in a history of slavery and colonialism which is a response to hundreds of years of colonial indoctrination that has been passed down through socialisation since independence. Since then, fair skin has been read as a market of privilege.

 Ladies with fairer skins are rewarded directly, indirectly and gets compliments. This has forced some dark skinned ladies to embrace bleaching to solve the challenge of inferiority complex they feel their complexion imposed to them. it is rather scary and disturbing to observe that dark complexion ladies and women who are bent on achieving quick fairer skins have jettisoned bleaching creams and switched to ingesting whitening pills, injections and drips. The act, which is currently trending among the female folk was said to be a quick and easy way to achieve their brighter, prettier skins, as investigations revealed that the whitening pills which are taken like normal drugs helps to whiten the skin inside-out, while those with hard skins are placed on whitening drips for quick results. This is the case of Pemi (not real name), a 27-year-old dark skin lady who has been going from one teaching hospital to the other after she was diagnosed of liver problem for using toning pills.

 While fighting back tears, Pemi revealed to this writer that her problem started after a year of taking toning pills introduced to her by her friend and warned ladies to learn from her mistake. She said: “My preference for fair skin was the genesis of my predicament. I cherished fair skin and wanted it at all cost. When I saw that my friend with natural dark skin had completely changed to a fair lady without any traceable dark spot on her skin through the help of toning pills, I was convinced that I could also do the same. After taking the drug for a year, my health started failing, I visited the hospital and I was diagnosed of liver infections. My friend who introduced the drug to me is also struggling with her health,” she disclosed. Another victims of toning injection is a beautician, Nike who is presently under medical observation. She disclosed to this writer that her neighbour introduced bleaching injection to her after she complained that the bleaching cream she has been using for three years was not effective. According to her, she accepted to take the injection in order to make her knuckles and elbows which had been proving difficult with bleaching cream rhyme with her skin.

 Her words: “I took the bleaching injection to whiten my knuckles and elbows which bleaching creams could not do for years. I was happy when I saw that the injection did not only work well on my knuckles and elbows but gave me overall white clean skin within three months. It was so effective that my skin was not only fair, but so thin that a touch would bruise my face. I was spotless and many who knew me before could hardly recognized me. I became a consultant to other ladies like me who were not contended with their natural colours. “The fact that the injection was as high as N12,000 and above depending on the brand was not enough to deter me.

 I struggle to buy the injection to achieve my dream complexion until after eleven months when I started having serious stomach upset to the extent that I could not stand without being aided. I was rushed to the hospital and asked to carry out some medical tests. The results of the tests revealed some internal damages. The doctor asked if I had taken any drug. I opened up to him and he wondered why I wanted to kill myself. I have been placed on special diets since then because the intravenous toning injection affected my digestive system. As I speak with you, none of those I introduced to the toning injection three years ago is living well without having serious health issue. “I wish I had not taken the injection. I have spent all my savings on medical treatment and still need more financial assistance. If I am well today, I will be down tomorrow. My health has drained me financially. I was warned but adamant. I pray that God see me through, so that I can correct my mistakes. This is not my nature, I was very plump and agile , but now, I have become a shadow of my former self. I weep anytime I look at myself through the mirror. My aim was to get a fairer skin but I got more than what I bargained for. I can tell you that this toning pills and injections are the major cause of untimely deaths among celebrity women,” she said. In order to get more information about the toning pills, this writer spoke with a Cosmetologist, Mrs Nifemi Yusuf, who also affirmed that ladies and women who prefer very fair complexion and can afford the cost now go for whitening pills for quick results, because bleaching creams have burnt their skins despite not giving them the expected results.

The cosmetologist also revealed that some women and ladies, including pregnant women who want immediate results take toning drips along with the pills which she described as the fastest and most effective. Her words: “Dark skin ladies and women who want to alter their skin colours at all cost now go for whitening pills that bleach inside-out. Some of them who are so desperate for quick results take bleaching drip along with the drugs because it is more active. It is like a patient who take drip together with the prescribed drugs to make the healing process faster. Not even the cost of the pills that ranges from N200,000 and above is enough to discourage them. Yet, they must continue with the pills and be going for the drips at a regular interval otherwise, their skins will be damaged.” On why pregnant women are using toning pills she said: “They want their unborn babies to have fair skins as themselves.” On the side effects of taking toning pills and drips, the cosmetologist said that it could negatively affect any organ of the body. She said: “I have been talking to those who came to me for such service against the idea because of its adverse effects. It is foolishness for someone to spend huge amount of money to utter her skin despite its many health hazards.” Yusuf while advising ladies and women to love their natural skin colour, warned that taking whitening pills, injections or drips has serious health implication like cancer which is responsible for sudden deaths among high profile ladies. “Women are being diagnosed yearly of terminal diseases due to toning pills, injections and drips and most of them don’t survive it. Imagine someone taking drugs that will tone the skin inside-out. That means, it will affect body organs. If you love your future and want to enjoy the fruit of your labour, please stay off toning pills, injections and drips. There are body creams one can use and have natural beautiful skins, instead of endangering one’s life all in the name of achieving a fair complexion,” she warned. This writer spoke with Dr Bola Arohunmolase of Primary Health Care Board, Akoko North-East Local Government area on the health implications of taking toning pills. The medical practitioner who explained that the desire for a lighter complexion is becoming a trend in Nigeria among the female folks warned that skin lightening pills, injections and drips

 contained some harmful ingredients that could have the opposite of the intended effects and destroyed the body immunity. Dr Arohunmolase who condemned any act of bleaching the skin revealed that bleaching creams causes internal damage, not to talk of ingesting bleaching pills and drips. He said: ” It is shocking that anyone can go to the extent of taking whitening pills, injections or drips to achieve a fairer skin. It will be advisable for whoever is using them to desist from it as it may affect any organ of the body and lead to untimely death. Any pill aimed at bleaching the skin inside-out because of its effectiveness can cause cancer. Not only this, the components in skin whitening pills interfere with the normal production of melanin on the skin as well as certain hormones in the body. This disturbs the normal skin functioning of the body thus, resulting in detrimental effects. “How can people venture into taking drugs, injections or drips that have no medical basis because they prefer fair skins? Taking them can also lead to cancer, liver and kidney failure and do other damagesl in the body. Once the liver or kidney is damaged, what is left for the person? My advice is for those on toning drugs, injections or drips to stop immediately and seek medical attention because one can only talk about beauty if one is healthy,” he warned.