Why do black women feel the need to bleach their skin?

With all the social media posting by black people lately, the one thing that keeps cropping up is “Proud to be black” (and yes, why not be proud if you want to - though I have never said “proud to be white” or “proud to be small in stature”)

But why do so many black women (and men, but not so many) feel the need to bleach their skin?

I guess black celebrities will claim that it helps them “get ahead” in the business but it’s becoming more and more popular within black communities too.

Here’s Beyoncé...who is an absolute beauty, and extremely talented, so why does she continue to bleach her skin?

Because they think lighter skin is more attractive.

Why do white skinned people sit in the sun or go to tanning salons?

I'm sure some will say it goes far deeper than mere vanity though.

Syl wrote:Because they think lighter skin is more attractive.

Why do white skinned people sit in the sun or go to tanning salons?

I'm sure some will say it goes far deeper than mere vanity though.

Yep. White people want to be darker, as you said, by tanning in the sun. White women will make their hair curly and yet black women straighten their hair.

But why do we do this?

eddie wrote:

Syl wrote:Because they think lighter skin is more attractive.

Why do white skinned people sit in the sun or go to tanning salons?

I'm sure some will say it goes far deeper than mere vanity though.

Yep. White people want to be darker, as you said, by tanning in the sun. White women will make their hair curly and yet black women straighten their hair.

But why do we do this?

Personal preference?
Vanity?
Fashion?
Coercion?

All good answers but I’m really getting at this:
Why is skin bleaching so important to black women? Who made this so?

Well behind the four suggestions I gave will be different reasons for different women,
.

Why do you think they do it?

Scientists have done experiments that show that in every ethnicity, women tend to be lighter-complected than men.

Just like having breasts, an hourglass figure, etc., lighter skin is an indicator of femininity.

It makes sense that women would try to lighten their complection through various means. It's just like how women have (since ancient Egypt at least) used makeup to mimic the appearance of a woman who's sexually aroused -- redder lips, flushed cheeks and wider eyes.

White women going darker is a bit harder to fit into this theory, but it could be that it's an attempt to stand out from the herd, to look a bit exotic -- because people also tend to be attracted to the exotic. A classic example of that is how, for instance, American women are stereotyped as getting all swoony for a man with an accent

eddie wrote:All good answers but I’m really getting at this:
Why is skin bleaching so important to black women? Who made this so?

I think the answer you're looking for is this: The dominate race is the model for excellence, and to be like the dominate is to be superior.  This filters down to all aspects of the culture, including standards for beauty.

Now we are experiencing mixed signals, and there are signals in the community that black is beautiful, resulting in reversal of this trend.  But reality wins out...in today's culture, white will always be the model for superiority...unless we decide to change.

We have seen recently a growing number of young girls come to believe they are trans. Simple because they believe they will be better accepted in society as boys. Whether they are lesbians finding a girl to date them or because boys have things better in society. That it takes unnecessary attention they receive from boys away from them looking as females. If they seek to change to look as boys. This also includes a perception around acceptance of homosexuality when they are lesbian, that they fear being accepted as lesbians. That they seek to change through their gender. To then believe they will be more accepted in society as a trans boys and heterosexual
This is quite a new phenomenon called Rapid onset gender dysphoria.

Maybe the same applies here and more so in western society with black women. In regards to where they come to believe white people are more accepted in western society. than people who are black.  There is certainly centuries of the oppression and discrimination of black people living alongside whites through racism.  That they believe they should whiten their skin. Believing they will be more accepted into society this way?. Face less discrimination? Hence it maybe where they are growing up, they believe that they are not seen or are ignored in society with being black.


In both the examples I have given. Is it not the problem in societies on and around perceived perception around acceptance?

Just a thought on why this may occur

I think it’s an absolute shame that people feel the need to change their looks so completely in order to be perceived as beautiful. Skin-bleaching just sounds awful.

eddie wrote:I think it’s an absolute shame that people feel the need to change their looks so completely in order to be perceived as beautiful. Skin-bleaching just sounds awful.

Yeah. But people follow fads. That's why designers make so much money.

Original Quill wrote:

eddie wrote:I think it’s an absolute shame that people feel the need to change their looks so completely in order to be perceived as beautiful. Skin-bleaching just sounds awful.

Yeah.  But people follow fads.  That's why designers make so much money.

Yes and mostly they design stuff to make (mostly) women, feel like they’re not good enough.

eddie wrote:All good answers but I’m really getting at this:
Why is skin bleaching so important to black women? Who made this so?

that's a weird thing for you to say eddie

Do not some black men openly say they prefer white women?
Could this be a reason some black females want to lighten up....to please their men??

Syl wrote:Do not some black men openly say they prefer white women?
Could this be a reason some black females want to lighten up....to please their men??

gelico wrote:

Syl wrote:Do not some black men openly say they prefer white women?
Could this be a reason some black females want to lighten up....to please their men??

Yep...'some'.


IF it's some sort of coercion by their man to lighten up, my advice would be Change your man not your skin colour.

Syl wrote:

gelico wrote:

Yep...'some'.


IF it's some sort of coercion by their man to lighten up, my advice would be Change your man not your skin colour.

well absolutely syl but eddie was saying why is it so important to black women like as in all black women but from the black women i know and have known, and even the ones i dont know but see around town, i would say skin bleaching is probably the last thing they would be thinking about. i think it's actually only some but they are high profile so it looks like it's a big thing for black women in general

i'm not sure that's the case at all tbh

gelico wrote:

Syl wrote:
Yep...'some'.


IF it's some sort of coercion by their man to lighten up, my advice would be Change your man not your skin colour.

well absolutely syl but eddie was saying why is it so important to black women like as in all black women but from the black women i know and have known, and even the ones i dont know but see around town, i would say skin bleaching is probably the last thing they would be thinking about.  i think it's actually only some but they are high profile so it looks like it's a big thing for black women in general

i'm not sure that's the case at all tbh

Possibly a fad then, if Beyonce does it (and I have no idea if she does, I thought she was naturally light skinned) but if she does she is an icon to millions of females, so a minority may copy.
A bit like some white girls copied the Katy Price trout gob.   .....young women of every colour can be influenced by whoever is in vogue at the moment.

I dont brag about it, but I have a beautiful black relative who has had 3 beautiful mixed race kids.
They are all happy with their colour, their afro hair, and their facial features. They probably mess around with themselves less than the majority of younger white women I know/see around, who it seems to me, have their lips puffed out en masse.

Though maybe that's just in my area, maybe someone is doing a BOGOF special offer.

eddie wrote:With all the social media posting by black people lately, the one thing that keeps cropping up is “Proud to be black”  (and yes, why not be proud if you want to - though I have never said “proud to be white” or “proud to be small in stature”)  


But why do so many black women (and men, but not so many) feel the need to bleach their skin?

I guess black celebrities will claim that it helps them “get ahead” in the business but it’s becoming more and more popular within black communities too.

Here’s Beyoncé...who is an absolute beauty, and extremely talented, so why does she continue to bleach her skin?

Same reason she's got a blonde wig or extensions in. Same reason straight haired women get a perm or tan.

Syl wrote:Do not some black men openly say they prefer white women?
Could this be a reason some black females want to lighten up....to please their men??

I'm reminded of that scene in the musical Hair, where two sets of female choruses, one black and one white, sing the praises of the men in the other group:

Black girl chorus:

[ballad like] White boys are so, so pretty,
Gentle and so sweet,
And when they touch your sho-ou-oul-der,
OOOOh, that's the touch that kills...

White girl chorus:

[hard rock] Black boys are so, so yummie,
Black boys fill my tummy...
[while rubbing their abdomens in a circular motion]

It brought down the house.

Original Quill wrote:

Syl wrote:Do not some black men openly say they prefer white women?
Could this be a reason some black females want to lighten up....to please their men??

I'm reminded of that scene in the musical Hair, where two sets of female choruses, one black and one white, sing the praises of the men in the other group:

Black girl chorus:

[ballad like] White boys are so, so pretty,
Gentle and so sweet,
And when they touch your sho-ou-oul-der,
OOOOh, that's the touch that kills...

White girl chorus:

[hard rock] Black boys are so, so yummie,
Black boys fill my tummy...
[while rubbing their abdomens in a circular motion]

It brought down the house.  

Lol, everyone has a preference don't they, be they black, white or everything in between. Didn't you once say you were attracted to Nordid looking woman?
The problem would only arise if someone tried to change the person they were with.....in which case, I would advise anyone to move on.

Syl wrote:Didn't you once say you were attracted to Nordid looking woman?

Nordic women.  I had a gf from Finland when I was younger.  A beautiful woman.  Bright blond hair, and the classic high cheek bones of the Tutonic people.