Since starting this column we have been b****arded with questions by our reader and so we've taken the decision to address another one of those growing concerns, this has to do with the bleaching phenomenon that has taken over Jamaica. There obviously is an inferiority complex bug (because it still could not be slavery) going around that's affecting a lot of people and what's even more disturbing it has crossed over into the male population. (yes the fish, the male dancer dem, and the bwoy dem weh a borderline homosexual like shebadda and him fren dem)

Initially bleaching was something done only by women (till the fish dem and the man dem weh claim seh dem a bad man and garrison yute oh! and some a the uptown one dem as well, start feel like seh dem pretty too, and hence di competition start, dem all a push di woman dem out adi video light) but the men have found some comfort in the trends and arguable are now outdoing the women, one in every five males you pass on the streets seems to have some evidence of skin lightening going on. Is it that our men are now trying to get too much in touch with their feminine side to the point of competing with the fairer sex, hence the shaving of eyebrows, the wearing of tight fitted clothes and bleaching their bodies. (di people dem wah kill oonu)

To start, variety is the spice of life, such as variety in food, clothes, hairstyles, etc. Variety also abounds in nature. That is why all people on Earth belong to different types of skin colours, from white to yellow to black. Our living environment accounts for the different skin colours we have. For example, in cold climatic regions such as Europe, inhabitants tend to have a lighter complex due to the cold weather, whereas in Africa, darker skin is better suited in the hot and humid climate.

However, many people nowadays are bleaching their skin. Why are they doing that? Is fairer skin really more appealing than darker skin? (No is just that some a dem feel like dem need fi look like a walking Duppy..Freddy Kruger nuh have nutten pon dem)

Actually many beauticians and doctors advise us that by eating healthily, exercising and using body cream rich in Vitamin E, Aloe Vera and Collagen Elastin will produce more fascinating effects than applying mere bleaching creams. (thank you that is all dem need fi duh, cause if yuh ugly an a bleach di only ting ago happen is yuh ago tun inna a lighter looking Duppy..wha sense that mek)

All skin bleaching products contain one of the two active ingredients; Hydroquinone and Mercury.

- Hydroquinone lightens the colour of the skin areas to which it is applied by killing off the melanin-making cells - the melanolyte. It is also the active ingredient in fade-off creams for freckles, age spots, etc.

Historical background - Hydroquinone was first use in the thirties. Some of the African-American employees found that spots of discolouration appeared on their skin. The chemical substance responsible for it is Monobenzyl Ether of Hydroquinone (Monobonzone for short). Monobonzone thus became a newly discovered bleaching agent. However the daughter molecule of Hydroquinone later replaced it as it caused spots of depigmentation all over even in unapplied places.

- Mercury-based bleaching creams contain ammoniated mercury or mercrous chloride as a bleaching agent.

Some of these creams may contain up to more than 2 - 5% mercury that will be harmful to health. Thus resulting in mercury poisoning, especially chronic mercury poisoning, may result.

Skin bleaching destroys the black pigment found in the epidermis (top layer of the skin). Exposure of the dermis layer, underneath the epidermis layer, to the harsh weather will increase the incidence of skin cancer. The dermis cannot compensate for the absence of the epidermis and coupled with the hot sun one will get a higher risk of cancer.

Thus we can see that despite having fairer skin as desired, skin bleaching is also damaging to our skin. Then again the whole bleaching trends stems from the fact that in Jamaica having a lighter skin tone is perceived as being beautiful and also regarded as a higher class in our class prejudice society. But most evident is that the men in our society are still brainwashed with the mentality that having a brown girl (a browning) is the way to go ( dat is why a lot of dem pick up garbage, because all dem see is di pretty looks and not di dutty attitude an odda flaws dat come along with some of these so-called brownings, who dem a walk round wid fi impress dem friend and family)

By this time, hopefully, ladies and gentlemen you would have had more insights about the causes and effects of bleaching of the various parts of our body. To bleach or not to bleach? Is it worthwhile to risk the high chances of causing damage to our precious teeth, skin or hair, in exchange for our perceived view of beauty? Some said that Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and Being natural is beauty in itself. What do you think?