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Fifty Shades of African Lightness: A Bio-psychosocial Review of the Global Phenomenon of Skin Lightening Practices

Skin-lightening is an aesthetic practice of global concern. By adopting a biopsycho-social approach, we consider the interplay between the biological, psychological and social factors that underpin the circulation and consumption of skin lighteners in South Africa. This paper reflects on biological...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Jacobs, Meagan, Levine, Susan, Abney, Kate, Davids, Lester
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: PAGEPress Publications, Pavia, Italy 2016
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5345401/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28299156
http://dx.doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2016.552
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author Jacobs, Meagan
Levine, Susan
Abney, Kate
Davids, Lester
author_facet Jacobs, Meagan
Levine, Susan
Abney, Kate
Davids, Lester
author_sort Jacobs, Meagan
collection PubMed
description Skin-lightening is an aesthetic practice of global concern. By adopting a biopsycho-social approach, we consider the interplay between the biological, psychological and social factors that underpin the circulation and consumption of skin lighteners in South Africa. This paper reflects on biological aspects of skin lightening, interpersonal relationships, individual beliefs and expectations about the maintenance of health and well being that informs cosmetic practices. The paper seeks to examine claims made by historians (Thomas) and political philosophers and activists (Biko) that colonialism and apartheid in South Africa historically reinforced the use of skin lightening products in the country. The paper also investigates the role of media in staking out the boundaries of beauty. We argue that men and women practice skin-lightening not only as a complex result of the internalization of global standards of beauty, but meshed with a national politics of race and colorism. Banning skin lightening products without understanding the biological effects but also the social forces that underlie their increased popularity will prove futile. Moreover, we must consider the immeasurable pleasures associated with lightening, and the feelings with achieving visibility in South Africa, a country that continues to wrestle with blackness.
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spelling pubmed-53454012017-03-15 Fifty Shades of African Lightness: A Bio-psychosocial Review of the Global Phenomenon of Skin Lightening Practices Jacobs, Meagan Levine, Susan Abney, Kate Davids, Lester J Public Health Africa Review Skin-lightening is an aesthetic practice of global concern. By adopting a biopsycho-social approach, we consider the interplay between the biological, psychological and social factors that underpin the circulation and consumption of skin lighteners in South Africa. This paper reflects on biological aspects of skin lightening, interpersonal relationships, individual beliefs and expectations about the maintenance of health and well being that informs cosmetic practices. The paper seeks to examine claims made by historians (Thomas) and political philosophers and activists (Biko) that colonialism and apartheid in South Africa historically reinforced the use of skin lightening products in the country. The paper also investigates the role of media in staking out the boundaries of beauty. We argue that men and women practice skin-lightening not only as a complex result of the internalization of global standards of beauty, but meshed with a national politics of race and colorism. Banning skin lightening products without understanding the biological effects but also the social forces that underlie their increased popularity will prove futile. Moreover, we must consider the immeasurable pleasures associated with lightening, and the feelings with achieving visibility in South Africa, a country that continues to wrestle with blackness. PAGEPress Publications, Pavia, Italy 2016-12-31 /pmc/articles/PMC5345401/ /pubmed/28299156 http://dx.doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2016.552 Text en ©Copyright M. Jacobs et al. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
spellingShingle Review
Jacobs, Meagan
Levine, Susan
Abney, Kate
Davids, Lester
Fifty Shades of African Lightness: A Bio-psychosocial Review of the Global Phenomenon of Skin Lightening Practices
title Fifty Shades of African Lightness: A Bio-psychosocial Review of the Global Phenomenon of Skin Lightening Practices
title_full Fifty Shades of African Lightness: A Bio-psychosocial Review of the Global Phenomenon of Skin Lightening Practices
title_fullStr Fifty Shades of African Lightness: A Bio-psychosocial Review of the Global Phenomenon of Skin Lightening Practices
title_full_unstemmed Fifty Shades of African Lightness: A Bio-psychosocial Review of the Global Phenomenon of Skin Lightening Practices
title_short Fifty Shades of African Lightness: A Bio-psychosocial Review of the Global Phenomenon of Skin Lightening Practices
title_sort fifty shades of african lightness: a bio-psychosocial review of the global phenomenon of skin lightening practices
topic Review
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5345401/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28299156
http://dx.doi.org/10.4081/jphia.2016.552
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