What made you start lightening your skin?

BrownDeceit · Oct 9, 2009, 03:12 PM

Hey. I'm just curious as to everyone's reasons as to why they want to lighten their skin. No one is here to judge!!!! Everyone has different reasons, one reason is not better than the other. Some people may be doing it because of social class and social standards (I know in a lot of Asian countries a lot of the social structure is dictated by skin color), some may be doing it for their own personal liking, some were teased, maybe you think it suits or facial features better, maybe you have a few skin discolorations, you were inspired by a celebrity, you're doing it for fashion, etc. What's your reason?

My reason: I'm of African descent. My father is very dark my mother is very fair. I came out dark. Like the skin complexion of the singer Kelly Rowland. I've never had a problem with my complexion all the way up until junior high school. I always thought I was really pretty. I loved my skin color. I ENJOYED getting darker. I was just so happy with myself. UNTIL. Junior High started. And I started getting teased and told I was too dark. And all of the guys would only be interested in the fairer skinned girls. I love dark brown skin. Still until this day. I LOVE it. I think it's beautiful. But what I think and what a lot of people in society think.... Is totally different. So when I was around 15 I started rummaging through the contents in my mothers cabinet and I started bleaching my skin. I was really new to it and I didn't tell my mother what I was doing and so I used Movate in large quantities with NO MIXING and it really broke me out really bad and just made my skin a mess. But it did make it lighter. Lol. Of course I stopped using it. I started using a variety of other things that got my skin to the beautiful color that it is now. I know society may tell us that it is wrong to want to lighten our skin. But the question is. Would you rather be RIGHT and UNHAPPY? Or lighten your skin and be WRONG and HAPPY? Because right now, I'm sure many people would say I'm wrong for lightening my skin. But am I wrong for liking the fact that men find me to be very beautiful now that my skin is fairer? Am I wrong for placing higher in beauty pageants because my skin is fairer? Am I wrong for wanting to be happy? Am I wrong for wanting to obtain a husband? I can honestly say. The way I was treated when having dark skin, compared to my golden caramel complexion now. Is TOTALLY different. Why should I be shunned because I want to reap the benefits that a woman with lighter skin receives?

And please avoid childish comments like: "Well I'm already light, but I just want to be a shade lighter." Bottom line. You're still lightening your skin. And please don't bash the next persons reason. They have a right to do what they want!

nikkicute · Oct 10, 2009, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanillawannabe

I started wanting lighter skin when i was told that i was brown skinned. Prior to being told that i was always told i was the lightskinned girl, but i guess its all perception. Anyway, I know this will sound racist but i think lighter skin looks more clean and pure. I love how clear the skin looks when its very light brown, and plus I want to look racially ambiguous, because even at this shade, people think i am not black (biracial, still black though). So for me i would say its half racial, and half of it is because it looks pure and clean. very dark skin looks dirty to me ( in know its sounds terrible) and they also look like they smell bad.
I hate that i believe this way

Would you be friends with someone with dark skin?

brightskin · Oct 10, 2009, 01:46 PM

Thank you very much for the kind words, nikkicute

Vanillawannabe, I understand what you mean about the racially ambiguous part- I'm mixed with a little bit of everything, but I don't look like it. I would like it if people had to guess what race I was.

EggoMini · Oct 10, 2009, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanillawannabe

I started wanting lighter skin when i was told that i was brown skinned. Prior to being told that i was always told i was the lightskinned girl, but i guess its all perception. Anyway, I know this will sound racist but i think lighter skin looks more clean and pure. I love how clear the skin looks when its very light brown, and plus I want to look racially ambiguous, because even at this shade, people think i am not black (biracial, still black though). So for me i would say its half racial, and half of it is because it looks pure and clean. very dark skin looks dirty to me ( in know its sounds terrible) and they also look like they smell bad.
I hate that i believe this way

wow!

@ darker=stinkier.... i need a fainting smiley

Well, I'm not sure what to say.

I do think that sunburned or fading tans & patchiness can look dirty.

A clear radiant skin looks good to me at any color.

Itss A New Day · Oct 10, 2009, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanillawannabe

I started wanting lighter skin when i was told that i was brown skinned. Prior to being told that i was always told i was the lightskinned girl, but i guess its all perception. Anyway, I know this will sound racist but i think lighter skin looks more clean and pure. I love how clear the skin looks when its very light brown, and plus I want to look racially ambiguous, because even at this shade, people think i am not black (biracial, still black though). So for me i would say its half racial, and half of it is because it looks pure and clean. very dark skin looks dirty to me ( in know its sounds terrible) and they also look like they smell bad.
I hate that i believe this way

I'm sorry you feel that way. I guess it's your opinion at the end of the day but I'm dark skinned and I smell better than roses and do not look dirty even on my worst day, but to each his own

EggoMini · Oct 10, 2009, 03:03 PM

I've noticed no connection between melanin (or lack thereof) and body odor. In my experience there are great-smelling and peeyew people of all shades.

nikkicute · Oct 10, 2009, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brightskin

Thank you very much for the kind words, nikkicute

Vanillawannabe, I understand what you mean about the racially ambiguous part- I'm mixed with a little bit of everything, but I don't look like it. I would like it if people had to guess what race I was.

Actor Wentworth Miller (cute guy from the Mariah Carey videos)

I would have never guessed this guy was mixed.
His dad is black/Jamaican.

BrownDeceit · Oct 10, 2009, 03:20 PM

Lol @ Vanilla. I'm not mad at you for thinking that way. I kinda think it's funny that someone could actually think that way and I feel sorry for you though. :/ I guess some of us are a bit more extreme than others. Did something happen to you in your childhood? This is sad.

nikkicute · Oct 10, 2009, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Itss A New Day

I'm sorry you feel that way. I guess it's your opinion at the end of the day but I'm dark skinned and I smell better than roses and do not look dirty even on my worst day, but to each his own

Yeah Vanillawannabe did go a little over board with the dirty and smelly part.
My lightening has always been about me NEVER anybody else.

Even if I saw a darkskinned person I would never think "oh they could use to go a couple of shades cause they're dark", it's not about how someone else looks it's about how I want to look.

That's why I asked Vanillawannabe would she/he even be friends with a darkskinned person?

I've seen some darkskinned guys you can eat off of!! Hair,shoes, clothes, looking sharp from head to toe!! And smell gooooood!!

My reasons for lightening are pretty superficial. LOL!!
I have no deep seeded reasons to the point where I would look down on others who are darker than I am.

EggoMini · Oct 10, 2009, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikkicute

Actor Wentworth Miller (cute guy from the Mariah Carey videos)

I would have never guessed this guy was mixed.
His dad is black/Jamaican.

LOL! A lot of people are surprised about W.M. I can't say that I was but I kinda have 'the eye'.

I'm not 100 percent at guessing but I can almost always tell when someone (dark, medium or light skinned) is multirace-mixed.

Golden_Girl · Oct 10, 2009, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Golden_Boy

Was that "BodyBleach"? That was one of the first I tried too it was nasty, almost as bad as Fair Flawless. It say iare extracts but seemed like hydroquinone thrown in lotion. Left a brown stain in my skin almost a whole year.

Anyways thanks for sharing.

Oh yes! It was the rare extract crap BodyBleach. That mess did nothing. It looked and smelled awful and all it did was make my skin burn, no lightening.



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