Beauty Obsession - Dangerously Beautiful

 by: Megat Harris Iskandar    

            Nothing much has changed despite our relationship with modernity. We are living in the 21st century but persist in discriminating against those with darker complexions. It appears we still judge people by the colour of their skin. Some may attribute this to inherent tendencies but culture and convention must also share the blame. Many dark-skinned women and men in Malaysia see hope in creams that promise to lighten their complexion. It is unfortunate that the craze for fair skin has been aggressively marketed and retail outlets loaded with skin-whitening formulas. Does it not worry them that some of these creams are a health hazard, especially cheap products made with poor quality ingredients?

            Nothing much has changed despite our relationship with modernity. We are living in the 21st century but persist in discriminating against those with darker complexions. It appears we still judge people by the colour of their skin. Some may attribute this to inherent tendencies but culture and convention must also share the blame. Many dark-skinned women and men in Malaysia see hope in creams that promise to lighten their complexion. It is unfortunate that the craze for fair skin has been aggressively marketed and retail outlets loaded with skin-whitening formulas. Does it not worry them that some of these creams are a health hazard, especially cheap products made with poor quality ingredients?

            Internationally, dark-skinned models have found a place on runways and magazines, the most recent being “Melanin Goddess” Khoudia Diop, who is based in New York City. But, the fact remains that the number of women of colour in fashion is small. This is very true in Malaysia, with local designers opting for Caucasian models over Asians, no matter what their complexion. And, it is not just on the runways that Asian models are discriminated against. On popular local fashion websites, most top-tier designers prefer to use blonde and blue-eyed Caucasian models to wear their collections, even if it is the Hari Raya baju kurung and kebaya. They fail to realise that customers prefer to know how the Baju Melayu or jubah will realistically look on dusky, exotic Asian instead of flaxen-skinned, golden-haired Amazons.

            No matter how vociferous the public outrage, it is unlikely that attitudes on skin colour will change. Society has been obsessed with fair skin since time immemorial. While this age-old, archaic notion that fair is lovely and dark is ugly is being challenged, we still have a long way to go before we can truly be free of colour bias. While colour discrimination is a very real and large problem, it is difficult to shift from the present state of affairs when the problem lies with us.

Is It Worth The Risk?

            Collagen supplements are increasingly gaining public attention as the properties are said to be able to restore elasticity and brighten the skin. But do you know that collagen can be a killer in silence? In the market, there are various products with collagen content sold up to 20,000Mg. The intake of collagen in high quantities can affect the function of the liver and kidneys which will cause failure functional to both of these vital organs.

             According to experts, when products with collagen content enter the body, they will be processed in the liver and broken into small molecules. If taken over, it loads the heart that needs to work hard to process the material. After completing the process in the liver, collagen will be transported in the blood to be transmitted to the whole body. Collagen will be decomposed into amino acids and transported through blood to needed areas such as muscle and skin. Collagen excesses cannot be stored in the body but should be excreted through urine and stool were at risk of damage to liver cells.

            These supplements do not contain collagen alone, but it is possible that preservatives are used to ensure the product is stable. This process occurs in the kidneys and if excreted excessively, kidney cells will be damaged in the long run. If you want to try collagen, consumers need to realize that the supplements industry is not monitored. Collagen content and the efficacy of a product are difficult to identify. From a medical point of view, collagen intake is actually an injection that is not through the bloodstream but is inserted under the skin layer (filler).

            Remember that no beauty can be maintained forever. The most important thing is the health care of the body. Logically thinking, it is impossible to just eat the pills or drink mixed collagen and in the blink of an eye, your skin can be transformed from dull and dark skin colour to reddish white. There must be “something” in the product. Yes, you may feel like it is nothing now, but when you are old and when your immune system is weakening, the side effects of your fast-track way of being too obsessed to become youthful will start reacting.