Mon. Jul 13, 2009 | 10:15 AM
skin_bleaching.jpg

Skin whitening is a billion-dollar worldwide industry, and the "Tyra Show" addresses the drastic measures some women are willing to take to achieve their ideal look. African-American women talk candidly about why they bleach their skin to lighten their complexions. Plus, meet a mom who puts bleach on her three small children every day before they leave for school.


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This show made me so sad that these DROP DEAD GORGEOUS women would think they needed to change themselves to be beautiful! I live in Australia and we dont get alot of African Americans over here but when we do all I have to say you are all GORGEOUS, seriously when im like 40 my white skin is going to be all crusty and wrinkly where you skin will still be glowing and gorgeous!! Embrace who you are, dont be haters coz your not only affecting yourself but the younger generations coming behind you!
Posted by White Girl 11/19/09 6:39 AM
 
tyra is so fake. she wants to be white so bad she bleach her skin nose surgery and everything else.
Posted by Ms Diva 11/12/09 12:00 PM
 
To "doing". You sound like an ignorant dope.
Posted by Informed 11/05/09 8:15 PM
 
First I will say that Tyra Banks was hypocritical for making this episode on skin bleaching and calling the guests sick for bleaching. She is a hypocrypte because I believe that she has done some skin bleaching herself. As I recall, Tyra did not have the skin complexion she has now, in the past. Second, society's stand on this issue is also hypocritical. Tanning and plastic surgery is permissible, but something as "taboo" as skin bleaching is not. We live in an society where if we do not like something about ourselves we can change it. When do we cross the boundary and who can tell someone to stop doing something that makes them happy?
Posted by Anonymous 10/21/09 11:20 AM
 
Thank you Tyra for this show. I am not a normal watcher o the show, but I was appalled by the state of these poor women's minds. This is as ridiculous to me as tanning for light skinned people. I just don't see the reason everybody wants so badly to be someone else. EACH of those women was stunning in my opinion. FAR too beautiful to have such an opinion of themselves. I am an American of Cuban decent, pretty Anglo, but I find women of all shapes and sizes beautiful for who they are. I am sick of society shaping our ideas of beauty. Lades, be proud of who you are. manage your HEALTH, not your image. LEarn, grow, be empowered by TRUTH, not faulty social ideals that WILL pass! Love yourselves, and find contentment!
Posted by Joseph Thomas Ecehvarria 10/01/09 1:41 PM
 
Hey Tyra. I am a 17 year old Somali girl and I always get peer-pressured by my mom, my grandmother, my aunts and my mothers friends to use this cream that apparently lightens your skin. I have used it more than 10 times(I won't lie) but watching your episode made me cry. All the somali women use creams to lighten their skin and they expect me to. My aunt who was as dark as Wesley Snipes is now as light as you. My skin colour is as dark as Kelly Rowland. Yesterday I told my mom about your episode and how she pressures me to use lightening cream and she's like "oh, well I want you to be your true colour". She expects me to be the colour I was as a baby which was basically Beyonce's colour. Reality check, I will never be that LIGHT!! Anyways, thank you for that episode. I will ignore those who hate my skin colour even though they are family. Everyone is beautiful the way they are.
Posted by Nasra 09/30/09 4:57 PM
 
My name is kayla,im from TN/OH and i support most of the mesg that youy are trying to express and as a women of color myself , i can relate to the discrimination against our own race by our own race and i can understand why thes3e women do not feel beautiful because i have been discriminated against and i am only fifteen.but there are some pros and cons on this view but i do agree with you, but i also wanyt the other woomen on the show to know that we're out here feeling the same wasy you do and we aren't bleaching our skin,at least not me.
Posted by Kayla Kirk 09/29/09 9:58 AM
 
This comment is to Latosha's comment below: I saw the Tyra Banks show and I thought it was the saddest show I have ever seen. If you go back on the show, Tyra did not ask you anything about skin color, she asked your kids if bleaching your skin was good; if you are really Latosha. I find it sad that from the years of torture Black women have gone through about their non-acknowledgment of Black beauty, that you are subjected to and have manifested racism into your self-esteem. Know that you are beautiful and that Black women are beautiful in any complexion. We have this complexion for a reason and to change what has been intended could cause you and your kids serious health issues and psychological issues. I hope being on the show has helped you see that there is a deep on-going issue of race and beauty that is not your fault. I hope that you are now able to see the beauty within and outwardly as well.
Posted by Michael 09/28/09 4:59 PM
 
esperanza estas pendejqwer,,o que eso no existe en mexico and the looser who said more show sould be done about latin races is stupid.,,,.
Posted by beautifulmexicanmen 09/28/09 4:32 PM
 
black girls are hot i hate white girls they are racist and dumb,,,if you black i love you.
Posted by dong 09/28/09 4:27 PM
 
This show dealt with lightening of skin and as a fair skinned redhead, I've always admired the dark skin of many ethnicities. I think those of us that are fair have dealt with the reverse of this issue over the years. I can't count the number of times I've been told to just get a tan.....well, for me its impossible. I simply do not tan and I'm fine with that. While watching this particular show I was struck by your show pointing out that it was easier to find the lightening products in predominately "ethnic" neighborhoods. This is to be expected. In predominately "white" neighborhoods you are more likely to find darkening treatments, aka self tanning lotion. Not to say that dangerous products should be available, in fact I think there are far too many dangerous products available on the whole, not just for bleaching. I think that each and every woman is beautiful in their own way and it is so disheartening to see these beautiful women caving in to societal pressures to fit the image of what is beautiful. I believe that the variety of appearances is what makes life beautiful...if we all looked like barbie, it would be a boring world indeed.
Posted by Caroline 09/28/09 4:13 PM
 
after watching this show it made me think about race and color.. really when you think about everyone has their own issues when it comes to color.. i mean black women may bleach but white women tan to be dark.. and it goes both ways.. so the media isnt just targeting black women they are targeting white women too..
Posted by Schelene Derocher 09/28/09 3:53 PM
 
tyra is racist, and everything is about someone black...shes always saying something about skin color no matter what subject, or always makes anything anyone is talking about, something about herself. I love watching tyra but I feel its very obvious that she makes everything a "color issue"
Posted by Anonymous 09/28/09 3:50 PM
 
This is Latosha, the woman who brought her handsome sons on the show last year. I did use a skin lightener cream from the beauty supply store on my sons after coming from the beach or from a water park because they sun burn easily and so do mine. But after learning from the doctor on the show that it was dangerous, I stop putting it on them, and felt bad that I did,then the staff of the tyra show made it like it was an everyday thing when it wasn't. Also, I am so pissed off at Tyra because I never explained, or put anything negative in my sons heads about dark skin or light skin was bad or better PERIOD. Then Tyra comes along and ask my children that dumb crap about do you think light skin is better and they told them to say yea. I HATED that with a passion. Crucify ME for using creams but don't plant seeds in my kids heads about things they don't know anything about. I didn't appreciate that at all, not to mention the defamation of my character. I AM A GOOD MOM AND PERSON. I will pray for Tyra, and her staff to help people more and stop hurting people, and I do love myself and my kids and all our colors:) be blessed!
Posted by Anonymous 09/28/09 3:28 PM
 
hey Tyra, It really makes me sad to see such beautifull women thinking that they arnt good enough. I think every race is beautifull , im half an half an honestly I would love to be a little darker! It is truly sad that we cannot be happy with the body and skin god gave us. What is worse is trying to conform their kids to a so called "perfect" color. I have a newborn and he is very fair in color compaired to myself and his father and I would never try to change him.
Posted by sara 09/28/09 3:28 PM



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