06 September, 2004 – Published 18:31 GMT
Women bleach at their peril: Dark-skinned women in the Caribbean are putting their health at risk by using dangerous methods to lighten their skin.
A report on skin lightening that was broadcast on the BBC World Service programme Health Matters revealed that many women in Jamaica are using homemade concoctions made up chemicals such as hair straighteners and bleach to attain a lighter skin colour.
The report said that many black women wanted to be more like ‘brownings’ – the light brown, usually mixed race women who are said to be regarded as more beautiful than their dark-skinned counterparts.