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Can a dark-skinned person become fair? India's obsession with skin whitening

Dr Spurti Kattimani

3 Min Read

Fast Check Fact Checked

For centuries, the Indian cultural consciousness has been deeply rooted in the preference for fair skin, perpetuating an enduring obsession with light complexions.

Suppose you’re a girl from North India with a darker skin tone, you may have encountered disparaging remarks like “Kaali-kaluti, baigan looti” from friends and family who would jest at your expense. To fit in, you may have found yourself laughing along, eager to assimilate.

This pursuit of fairness spans generations, with women passing down traditional “wisdom” to achieve a lighter complexion. One common practice involves applying a mixture of gram flour, milk, and turmeric on the face daily.

The fixation on fair skin also extends to matrimonial arrangements, where skin tone categorizations are commonly employed to describe eligible women in the arranged marriage market.

Designations such as ‘f’ for fair, ‘vf’ for very fair, and ‘vvf’ for very, very fair are used. On the other hand, if you have brown skin, you may be called ‘wheatish,’ which is one of the many euphemisms in India for brown skin, as though it is a way of comforting oneself that they are a tad bit higher in the hierarchy than truly dark people.

Read: 10 Common mistakes that are harming your skin.

Have you ever wondered why some people have darker skin than others?

The answer lies in the amount of melanin your skin produces. Melanin is a natural pigment present in your skin to varying degrees and is responsible for the color of your eyes, hair, and skin.

Generally speaking, individuals with darker skin tend to have higher melanin levels, and individuals with fair skin tend to have lower levels.

But having higher levels of melanin isn’t necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it’s good because it serves a purpose — it protects your skin from sun damage!

Here’s how:

Every time you step out in the sun, your body produces melanin in response to harmful UV rays. Melanin prevents these harmful UV rays from penetrating deeper into your cells, protecting not just your cell but also your DNA.

So the next time you’re tanned in the sun, remember that it’s your body’s mechanism of protecting you from harmful UV rays.

This is also precisely the reason why you’ll notice that generally, people living in hot climatic conditions, such as Africans, tend to have darker skin, and people living in colder climates with very little sun exposure, such as Europeans, tend to be fair.

Read: Does drinking tea make your skin darker?

Melanin helps protect against UV-ray-induced skin cancer

can dark skin become fair permanently

You may have often heard of terms like “antioxidants.” Antioxidant foods, antioxidant creams for the face, skin etc

But what exactly are these antioxidants?

To understand this, let’s first understand what Oxidants are.

Oxidants are nothing but Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)… Hold on! Let’s simplify this for you:

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are oxygen-containing molecules that are highly reactive.

They are naturally produced in the human body through normal metabolic processes, but they can also be produced by external factors such as cigarette smoke, air pollution, and UV radiation.

These ROS can damage cell membranes and other structures, including your DNA. This damage can lead to a variety of chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease, to name a few.

However, the human body has a number of defense mechanisms to protect cells and tissues from ROS damage. One of these mechanisms is by producing “antioxidants.” These are substances that neutralize ROS.

Melanin acts as an antioxidant and helps eliminate ROS.

But keep in mind that melanin alone is not enough to protect you from sun damage. Therefore, it’s important that you wear sunscreen and appropriate clothing when you step out in the sun.

Is it possible to get fair skin permanently?

Unfortunately, it is not possible to change your natural or constitutional skin tone permanently. However, there are certain measures that you can take to lighten and rejuvenate your skin to a certain extent.

To keep your skin looking fresh, plump, and relatively fair, you should do much more than simply apply sunscreen or creams. Yes, that’s important, but your skincare routine must also include a healthy diet rich in antioxidants. You must get enough sleep, drink adequate water, avoid smoking and pollution, and regularly clean and detox your skin.

Want to know how to take care of your skin? Check this AM-PM skincare routine YouTube video by Dr.Spurti.

If you have any concerns about your skin, feel free to get in touch with our skin specialists at MFine, and we will be happy to answer your questions.

Consult a dermatologist now!

Request a Call Back

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+91 80619 31523

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Written by

Dr Spurti Kattimani

Dr Spurti is a Consultant Physician with 6+years of experience. She has previously worked at Bangalore Medical College and ESIC College and hospital. She also worked as a Pathology professor and Dermatology resident in previous hospitals. Currently, she is working as a Program Manager and Consultant at MFine.

Can a dark-skinned person become fair? India's obsession with skin whitening

Have you ever wondered why some people have darker skin than others?

Melanin helps protect against UV-ray-induced skin cancer

Is it possible to get fair skin permanently?

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