PERHAPS THE LADY ON THE BUS HAS ANSWERS. . .

Some call it skin bleaching while others who use more sophisticated machines and high end creams call it “skin toning” or” skin lighting”. Skin bleaching, toning, lightening, or however you choose to call it does not happen in Africa or among Blacks only as people mistakenly perceive. It’s a phenomena happening worldwide – from Asia to the Americas.  These skin products are multi-billion profit making industries in China, India, Japan and some European countries which have found their way onto our markets. In this light I ask, are people bleaching because producers are good at marketing their products or they bleach in response to some socioeconomic conditions perceived as the necessities for “status”, “success” and “beauty”?

In as much as I’m highly against skin bleaching, I do well to keep my opinion to myself but quite recently people who bleach - as I call them the “Association of Skin Toners” (AST) were determined to draw my attention to this practice thereby making me write on this issue.

It all started when a heavy set woman who’s bleaching made her appear as a cross between a pumpkin and green pepper decided among all the empty seats on the bus to sit right next to me – oh, I’m screwed, I thought to myself. It wasn’t yet midday (the sun was actually lenient that day), was quite breezy yet this woman was already sweating as though she had just run a 100m dash. At this point I must warn you that people who bleach tend to have an indescribable body odor after bleaching for quite some time very unique to them – makes “Lavender Hill” smell much better. To make matters worse she was on her phone throughout the journey talking loudly till my eardrums hurt. My ears and nose where being assaulted without reprieve and there was nothing I could do (unless you count jumping out the window as an option).  

Finally the trotro got to Tema Station and just when I was about to heave a sigh of relieve there appears a second AST member, a skinny looking one this time. Her burns from bleaching were much worse and YES she had that peculiar body odor when she walked past me. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who had noticed how badly burned she was because heads turned as she walked down the street. From then on it was just a full onslaught of AST members, 1 out of every 5 women I met had altered their skin complexion.  Taking into consideration the efforts made by health professionals and other organizations warning people about the dangers of this practice, I started wondering why skin bleaching still existed in our society.

As I walked through the streets I realized about 30% of the billboards had skin advertisements with pale looking models that read - “giving your skin a beautiful tone”, “for clear smooth skin use XYZ” , “to bring out that colour in you ”. . . The subtle messages these billboards carried could not be missed, at least not by me. 

Quite recently, the South African singer Nomasonto Mnisihas (Mshoza) has come under intense criticism for her decision to bleach. In response to her critics she defended her decision by insisting bleaching made her feel prettier and simply wanted to experience what it felt like to be White.  While some activists argue Mshoza could be bleaching in response to the complexities of the socioeconomic situation in South Africa post apartheid, others argue her decision to bleach validates White oppression of Blacks in South Africa – that the Black skinned African must look paler so as to be given the same regard as the White South African.

Skin bleaching in Ghana still remains a mystery to me as Ghana is not a country racially polarized for one to feel the need to look paler when applying for a job or wanting to live in a specific neighborhood etc. We did have our share of White oppression during colonization but after our independence in 1957, the direct influence of White rule or presence slowly dissipated.  Nonetheless I can admit colonization did leave behind some legacies. Biracials – colloquially known as “half casts” do stand out in our society and receive praises for their lighter skin tones; therefore could people be bleaching so as to look like our biracial folks? Or probably a man once told a lady he loved her for her “fair skin” thus driving other women to bleach as a tactic to attract prospective spouses. But well, I never knew the expression “beauty is skin deep” was to be interpreted literally so as to make one feel beautiful and confident, thus resort to scrapping off some skin. How did we manage to get here? I believe we are also not winning the fight against bleaching because people considered as “role models”, highly educated and well informed are doing it as well. They usually are the ones who get all fancy with their terms and call it “toning”.

I do need to emphasis though, that most Ghanaians take pride in their natural skin complexions and will never trade it for a lighter skin tone through bleaching.  Besides from my point of view skin bleaching only compounds to skin issues – from skin breaking easily, sweating irregularly, emanating unexplainable body odors, burns, to skin cancers. But even being aware of these side effects many do go ahead and bleach. Why? I can’t tell. I should have probably asked the lady I rode the bus with for answers. In the interim I am seeking to have a restraining order served against members of the Association of Skin Toners (AST) - my eyes and nose can’t take anymore of the onslaught.

WHEN A CHILD'S TOY BECOMES SOMETHING MORE...

It had been another hectic day and after standing in a long winding queue for over an hour, grabbing that last trotro seat felt really good. Fifteen minutes into the journey and we were stuck in traffic - nothing surprising if you live in Accra, and the street hawkers took charge from that point. One of these hawkers was selling a plastic doll holding a ball that bobbed when wound up. Sitting next to me was a young lady with a baby girl and the sight of the bobbing doll attracted the attention of the child whose doting mum decided to buy her one, unwrapped it and gave it to her. After playing for a while the toy made its way into the mouth of this infant. The baby’s antics with her new toy amused me. I just watched her play, smiling to myself until nosey me picked up the wrapping that came with the toy and noticed “made in China”.

Children’s toys or playthings are made from a varied number of materials including PVC (polyvinyl chloride), nylon, polyester wood etc.  However in recent times it has been found that some of these toys are manufactured with lead paintings which far exceed the acceptable limit. Furthermore, PVCs contain plasticizers like phthalates (this is what makes PVCs softer and flexible in making toys) which have been found to be carcinogenic (ie cancer causing substance).

Now, the influx of sub-standard products especially from China has been of great concern to me more especially toys made for children - the sort of materials used in manufacturing them, safety precautions etc. You are bound to encounter these toys wherever you go in the city – from them being thrust into your face on the streets of Makola to the comfort of your car when stuck in traffic.

Lead-poisoning is a very serious medical condition which can lead to liver and brain damages with the damage sometimes irreversible. By just licking on a toy produced with lead painting, dangerous quantities are ingested by the child whose side effects will manifest with time.

In Europe and the US, toys manufactured and or imported from China are subjected to stricter tests for the presence of these substances of which they must pass before they can be allowed on their market. China on the other hand produces lots of toys due to their cheap labor and lax regulations on quality control.

We cannot decide on how China chooses to produce their goods in their country; but as our country has become one of their biggest consumers I’m concerned as to whether we’ve put in place quality control measures to ensure toys produced with any of these harmful substances do not find their way into our markets.  And if we do have these regulations, are they strictly enforced and adhered to?  How safe are the toys we buy for our children? Are there ways for us the consumers to verify whether they are lead safe or not? So many questions run through my mind and looking at the rate at which made in China goods flood our market I do have a bad feeling my worst fears might be happening.

As I watched this innocent baby continue to play with her toy, my tummy squirmed anytime she placed it in her mouth.  Innocently the mother bought a simple, harmless toy for her child. But if only she knew what more could be present in that perceived “harmless object”. . .

A VISIT TO THE DENTIST

Woke up this morning and I knew visiting the dentist was a must before the day ended. The reason? The gum beneath my lower right canine was hurting so bad, the sort of hurting you knew that after a few more hours and you'll be screaming or crying (which ever you prefer) your way to the nearest clinic/hospital. Despite this the will power to get out of bed was just not there, after much contemplation, tossing and turning I finally got out of bed and not long was on my way to the hospital.
The records unit was my first point of call when I got the hospital to pick my folder. Then came the next part, waiting for my turn. Whilst in the waiting room I must confess I was a little scared (yes nurse to dey fear wai). My sweet tooth had landed me in trouble. If only I hadn't over indulged during Christmas I kept thinking to myself. Finally it was my turn, I entered the dentist office and was ushered into the famous dentist chair.
A drap over my chest, examination light on and the setup was complete, smiling at me the dentist said ''open wide''. After poking around for about 8 minutes and asking me questions in between she turned around to her desk to write in my folder. She finally looked up and said ''Yvonne, your gum is suffering from overzealous brushing''. I just looked at her sheepishly, you see I love sweets so much and knowing how bad it could be for the teeth I brush them very religiously and somehow i had brushed a part of the gum away exposing the enamel hence the pain and sensitivity.

Yep my overzealous brushing was becoming a pain to my gums. After giving me a lecture on the need to minimise my sweets intake, tips on good dental hygiene and a prescription I was sent on my way.
On my way out of the hospital I saw a shop and lying so neatly and beautifully arranged in a tray was some bars of golden tree chocolate..........

what the heck i'll brush after eating it.

TO DOUCHE OR NOT TO DOUCHE..... THAT IS THE QUESTION

The recent influx of vaginal douche products on the market with constant adverts both in the print and electronic media touting its ability to keep a woman clean and fresh is a cause for concern. A lot of unsuspecting women are being lured into using vaginal douche at the expense of their vaginas. One may ask, “What is vaginal douching?”
Vaginal douching is a process of rinsing or cleaning the vagina by forcing water or any another solution (usually antiseptic or vinegar) into the vaginal cavity to flush away vaginal discharge or other contents.
Vaginal douching is a centuries-old practice that was practiced in the believe that it kept a woman clean and also  as a form of birth control by rinsing the vagina right after sex to get rid of semen. It is still practiced today with more sophisticated equipments and solutions. To better understand the topic under discussion let us examine the female anatomy particularly the vagina briefly.

The vagina is a flexible tube-shaped organ that is the passageway between the uterus and the opening in the vulva. In view of the fact that during birth the baby travels from the uterus through the vagina, the vagina is also known as the birth canal. A woman's menstrual flow comes out of the uterus and through the vagina. When a man and a woman engage in vaginal intercourse, the penis is inserted into the vagina. A healthy, normally developed vagina is self-cleansing; the vagina is moistened by mucus from the cervix and a transudate that seeps out from the blood vessels of the vaginal wall. The vaginal fluid or secretion is highly acidic owing to the presence of lactic acid formed by the action of Döderlein’s bacilli on glycogen found in the squamous epithelium of the vaginal lining. The acid deters the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

Therefore the practice of douching where an antiseptic, water or vinegar is used to cleanse the vagina rather destroys the normal bacteria in the vagina and change the pH of the vagina thus encouraging growth of pathogens.
Given this realities one would wonder why some women douche but there are varied reasons why women douche. Most women douche to:
      Rinse away any remaining menstrual blood at the end of the monthly period.
      Rinse out semen following sexual intercourse to avoid pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases.
      Reduce vaginal odors.
 In addition, some women sometimes don’t feel they are clean unless they use vaginal douches regularly. Doctors occasionally recommend vaginal douching for the treatment of chronic yeast infections or chronic bacterial infections; however, douching for this purpose is done only under a doctor's supervision using the special solution provided.
So then, is douching healthy? Simply stated, NO!
Regular vaginal douching changes the delicate chemical balance of the vagina and can make a woman more susceptible to infections. Douching can also introduce new bacteria into the vagina which can spread up through the cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes causing fertility problems. Researchers have found that women who douche regularly experience more vaginal irritations and infections such as bacterial vaginosis, and an increased number of sexually transmitted diseases. Douching as a means of reducing pregnancy is ineffective as the solution used in washing out the semen rather ends up pushing it further into the vagina which may result in pregnancy.

In addition, regular users of vaginal douches face a 73% greater risk of developing pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) – a chronic condition that can lead to infertility, or even death, if left untreated (US Department of Health and Human Services). Bacterial vaginosis and pelvis inflammatory disease (PID) can have serious adverse affects on pregnancy including infections in the baby, labor problems, and preterm delivery. Furthermore, unclean douching equipment may also introduce undesirable foreign bodies into the vagina.
The only safe and healthy way to clean the vagina is to let the vagina clean itself.
So, to douche or not to douche, I would say not to douche.  The demerits of vaginal douching out-weigh the merits (if there are any) therefore every woman should treat her vagina like her jewel and not abuse it by practicing vaginal douching.

CHANGING LIFESTYLE OR IDENTITY CRISIS?

In recent times the African woman has been very versatile in what she can do to her hair, we braid, perm/texturize it, fix hair extensions etc all in a bid to look more beautiful or better still presentable. Whilst there is nothing inherently wrong with this there comes a time or moment where you wonder if we have not gone overboard…

Case in point is sending our little girls to the salon to have their hair fixed. On my trip to the salon today I met two adorable girls and their mother. The oldest girl would be about 7years and the youngest not more than 3years; they had come to get their hair braided. I watched as this two girls cried especially the youngest whilst her hair was being braided and all their mother could say was “stop crying don’t you see I am trying to make you look pretty”. Saying I was shocked at what I heard would have been an understatement. Seriously?? Really?? Making them go through this ‘torture’ just to make them beautiful??  The only thing I picked from this statement was that this woman didn’t consider her girls pretty enough until they had their hair braided (or permed).  Talk about psychologically harming your children subtly!

The scenario above is not isolated. I have seen children less than 10years having hair extensions fixed… and no they were not flower girls or in a school play or something else fancy of the sort, their mothers just decided extensions would look cute on them. Personally what gets my goat is seeing a child of less than 10years getting a perm. Honestly, seriously a perm??!!! Couldn’t simple parting the hair into smaller sections adorned with ribbons (now the ribbons, that’s another story for another day) do the trick?

I stopped using adult relaxers close to 3years now… these days I just use the hair relaxer for kids and it still works perfectly. So assuming this kids relaxer which is supposedly for a kid’s hair and not an adult’s hair works perfectly on my over 20 something years old hair, then really how ‘gentle’ and ‘safe’ are those relaxers for our children? (no I am not being an alarmist, just thinking out loud).

I am not yet a mother, more especially a mother of a girl child, however I do understand the desire of mother’s to make their children especially girls look adorable and all but please you have got to draw the line somewhere. Your little girl is not your play doll for you to experiment different hair styles on!

So after close to almost 3 hours the braiding was done and I could see ‘super mom’ admiring the hair of her girls telling them how pretty they looked. The oldest just looked sullen and the little one… well she was still cranky and crying and to placate the crying little girl she pulls out canned malt drink, opens it and gives it to the little girl. At this point I realize this woman is a lost cause.  Children have the tendency of either sticking their tongue into the little opening or even their finger and the outcome of that little adventure turns out to be bloody, that is if one is unlucky. Of course being Yvonne I just couldn’t keep mute anymore, I called the woman aside and told her the possible danger of giving a child any drink in a can and politely suggested she could pour the drink into a plastic bottle and give it to the child. Her response to me… let’s just say minding my own business was a much better option.

As India Arie would say “I am not my hair”; indeed our little girls are not their hair…… they are way more than that.

PS: my New Year resolution was to talk less and mind my own business more…… and my big mouth just failed me. Please say a prayer for me.