Are bleaching products causing cancer in Africa?
(ovarian cancer, testicular cancer, hodgkin's lymphoma, thyroid cancer, lung cancer, myeloma, mammogram, throat cancer, information)
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| ovarian cancer |
Jeanne, 63, from the African country of Cameroon, who used to wear a big hat to protect her face from the harsh rays of the sun, now regrets using skin whitening products after being diagnosed with skin cancer.
According to the French news agency AFP, Jane is one of the Cameroonian women who used controversial products that have been banned after criticism on social media.
"I feel embarrassed when people look at me," says a woman vendor selling such products in the capital Yaoundé.
After five months of developing a sore on her face, Jane went to a doctor, who diagnosed her with cancer.
Doctors told him that he got cancer from using skin whitening products for 40 years.
There are millions of people like Jain in the world who use skin lightening products.
According to the Cameroon Dermatology Society, in 2019 about 30 percent of residents of the economic capital Douala and a quarter of school girls used (whitening) products.
For some people like 20-year-old student Annette, the effects of such products can be quite harmful.
He said that he has red spots on his face, the skin is peeling and burning. In the strong sunlight, my face would get hot and I would have to stop.
Products with names like 'White Now' and 'Super White' are instantly recognizable on store shelves by the images of fair-skinned women displayed on their packaging.
Hazardous chemicals
The uproar began in the summer when social media users criticized a company that sold opposition MP Noreen Futsing's (color-whitening) products.
Many products have never been scientifically tested and contain dangerous levels of chemicals that inhibit the production of melanin, a substance produced in the body by the heat of the sun.
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| testicular cancer |
One of these chemicals is hydroquinone, which was banned by the European Union in 2001 due to its risk of cancer and genetic mutations.
On August 19 this year, Cameroon's Ministry of Health banned the import, production and distribution of cosmetic and personal hygiene products that contain dangerous substances such as hydroquinone and mercury.
According to the World Health Organization, bleaching products are commonly used by both men and women in many African, Asian and Caribbean countries. Black people in Europe and North America also use such products.
Despite the terrible results, men and women believe that they will become more beautiful after using these products.
search tage..
(ovarian cancer,
testicular cancer,
hodgkin's lymphoma,
thyroid cancer,
lung cancer,
myeloma,
mammogram,
throat cancer, information)
