Officials warned of Dangers of Skin-Whitening Products

[gurusforum]

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Qamar Ali Haji has been using skin-lightening products for four years. Initially she liked the change in her appearance but now the exposure to the chemicals in the products is taking a toll. She says she regrets it.

"I can't sit too long in the school, I cannot bear the heat, my cheeks turn red, and I cannot go into the kitchen," Haji said. "I cannot bear the slightest heat, I become boiled, there are ulcers on my legs, redness all over."

The 19-year-old student is one of a growing number of women in Somalia who use the skin-lightening products.

Locally known as "qasqas" or "mixture," the term reflects the combination of various skin-whitening products. Health advocates say using these products can cause dangerous side effects and lead to physical and mental health problems.

Somali officials and activists said the country's political upheavals and the war on the al-Shabab militant group are overshadowing socially driven health dangers like skin-whitening. Due to a lack of awareness, some people don't realize how dangerous these products can be.

The issue has attracted the attention of Amira Adawe, a leading activist with a master's degree in public health from Minnesota. Adawe has traveled to the Horn of Africa region multiple times in recent years as part of her research into the practice of skin-whitening.

She is the founder of Beautywell, an organization that has been addressing this issue in the United States.