By Mariama Njie
Women have been strongly advised against the dangers of skin bleaching, as the nation’s lawmakers upheld a ban on the practice amid a heated debate.
Speaking to The Voice in an exclusive interview amid ban on skin bleaching in the country, Awa Leigh, who confessed that she used to bleach in what she believed would had given her good looking, but was starkly advised by a doctor to stop before she would develop skin cancer.
Her advice comes as the nation’s lawmakers retained the law that criminalise skin bleaching, in which the bleaching cream seller, the importer, and the user are liable for punishment.
“I used to bleach in the past as result of wanting to look more attractive and I have a tone skin,” Ms Leigh said.
But according to her, since she stopped skin bleaching: “I used to love my new look but after many years of doing it my skin start damaging, I start having rashes on my skin, I went to the hospital the doctor advised me to stop bleaching before I developed skin cancer, which I did.”
“Even though I stop bleaching now my skin colour is not back to normal. I regret bleaching at the first place, if only I knew this could be the consequence I would have never bleach,” she added.
She urged young people to refrain from bleaching, as she supported lawmakers ban on bleaching and said: “there should be a banned on it because it causes more harm than good to human health.”
Meanwhile, in separate interviews, Yahya Jallow said: “skin bleaching is prohibited in Islam, as God create mankind in their best form and therefore if some women chose to change their original colour to artificial it is like telling god indirectly that I’m not satisfy with what you give me.”
Mansata Darboe, said many see skin bleaching as a choice but it is cursing more harm than good in the society, adding: “you will see health fat women but the moment they start bleaching they will start losing weight and look skin, what sort of a beauty is that? The chemicals in those creams are very harmful.”
She urged government to banned skin bleaching products from the market for the safety of all.
