My basic point is that ANYTHING you do that could damage your health in order to achieve a certain look is wrong, and there is something wrong with the persons thought process to want to destroy their health for such changes.
>What's the difference between Europeans tanning >to become darker and Africans >bleaching to become lighter?
There's huge differences that have been discussed above. I think it all boils down to what people define as "beautiful". I haven't studied the sociology of beauty, psychology...any of that, But it seems to me that most people's concept of "beauty" comes from what is viewed as powerful or successful.
Darker skinned people obviously can see what kind of power light skin can get them.
"White" (white as in the ammount of melanin they have) women have for hundreds of years had to fight to be sexually "liberated"...we all know the position they held in European and American society...and that often slaves and darker servants were viewed as exotic or as sexual beings...
...then there IS colonialism...because I have seen not only people of African decent, but arabs and other medium-toned people hold a lot of respect for lighter complected people, and these are all colonized regions that follow that pattern.
>What is it that makes a >lateral cosmetic fashion trend an >appealing and encouraged practice on >their behalf and signification of >a deep rooted global self >esteem problem on ours?
I think it's because of the point I brought before...people with dark skin (that try to lighten their skin) seem to base their concept of beauty on power and racial worth. Darkening the skin seems to be a more recnt problem and seems to have more of a social aspect to it.
>It seems to me the major >concern would be health consciousness >but even there the door >swings both ways- overexposure to >the sun can be damaging >nonetheless we dont necessarily consider >"white" people pawns in the >game for taking part.
I DO NOT buy the arguement that lighter people need to tan for health - that is an apparent flaw in the concept of beauty also. In times past people needed to be lighter to deal with climate issues in northern regions. Saying that small amounts of melanin need to be added from slight exposure to sun is like saying it can't hurt to bleach "just a little bit". Granted, we ALL need exposure to the sun for the benefits it does give us...but that is a small amount each day, not so much that we burn our skin. there is SPf protection that can be used.
And not that anything is wrong with slight tanning from being outside - but the argument that tanning is NEEDED in small amounts is not based on any kind of medical information...and may even harm very fair people.
The fact that someone is disgusted by seeing another's veins show's that people can not accept skin for what it is and must put some kind scale for an acceptable skin color that we all should follow.
Either way, not accepting and protecting our skin in it's natural state is unhealthy and anyone that would go to an extreme and that would risk their health has been affected by SOMETHING to want to do such.
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