A CONCERNING trend of skin-whitening is gaining traction in West Africa, with individuals resorting to risky injections in pursuit of lighter skin tones. An Ivorian YouTuber, who preferred anonymity, recently underwent injections promoted as containing whitening agents but saw no results after waiting for 10 days. Expressing disappointment, she stated, ‘Clearly, I’ve been ripped off,’ shedding light on the risks associated with the region’s burgeoning skin-whitening industry.
The desire for fairer skin is rooted in societal perceptions associating lightness with higher status, privilege, and beauty. This demand has fuelled a lucrative market for bleaching treatments, with the global market projected to soar from $10bn in 2021 to $16bn by 2030.
Facebook pages across Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger, and Senegal entice customers with promises of ‘uniform whitening’ through creams or injections. However, investigations by French news agency AFP unveiled that some popular products contain no whitening agents, exposing the prevalence of scams in the industry.
While creams have traditionally dominated the market, injectable liquids are gaining popularity, especially among young people, for their perceived faster and more uniform effects. Marcellin Doh, the president of a civil society collective in Cote d’Ivoire fighting the skin-whitening fad, noted, ‘The effect is thought to be “faster” and “more uniform”.’
However, experts caution about the significant health risks associated with these injections. Dermatologists warn that injectable whitening agents often contain strong anti-inflammatories, potentially leading to severe side effects such as depigmentation, diabetes, and hypertension, particularly with prolonged use. Grace Nkoro, a dermatologist at the Gynaeco-Obstetric Hospital in Cameroon, observed, ‘Young, educated women aged between 25 and 30 [inject themselves] every week, sometimes every second day,’ highlighting the concerning trend.
Neighbouring Ghana issued a public health alert in 2021, highlighting the toxic side effects of glutathione injections on the liver, kidneys, and nervous system. Concerns also arise over the unsafe administration of these products, with merchants providing injections in markets or stores, posing a risk of communicable diseases like hepatitis.
Despite bans on certain whitening products in Cote d’Ivoire since 2015, those containing glutathione remain widely available, both in markets and online. The lack of regulation and medical supervision exacerbates the dangers associated with these products, raising urgent concerns among health authorities.
As the skin-whitening trend continues to thrive, there is a pressing need for stricter regulations, increased public awareness, and targeted interventions to safeguard the health and well-being of individuals across West Africa.