Some people will do anything to look good! In Brazzaville in the Congo, there has been a disturbing rise in the cosmetic use of depigmenting products. Among women, but also among men. Doctors are warning about the frequent and potentially serious complications associated with what is known as kapokola.
Some people will do anything to look good! In Brazzaville in the Congo, there has been a disturbing rise in the cosmetic use of depigmenting products. Among women, but also among men. Doctors are warning about the frequent and potentially serious complications associated with what is known as kapokola.
These findings are the result of a study conducted in Brazzaville, as part of a humanitarian mission, by Dr Mohamed Boui and his team at the Mohammed V military hospital in Rabat, Morocco. Of the 450 men examined, 18 – ie 4% – presented with clinical signs associated with this practice.
The researchers state that these men were either well-off or civil servants. The complications observed – mainly on the face, hands and feet – are hyper or hypo-pigmentations and stretch marks. Cases of infections and acne were also identified.
On the other hand, there were none of the diabetes and hypertension complications found mainly among women. The authors put forward two explanations for this: one – the men had embarked on this practice considerably later than the women; two – they had used less of the depigmenting product than the women.
Nevertheless, indiscriminate use of depigmenting products can lead to serious complications, Dr Boui told us. He has also identified a number of toxic substances such as hydroquinone. This has been banned in the European Union since February 2001 but is still used in sub-Saharan Africa in very high concentrations.
Unfortunately, the usage instructions fail to mention the concentrations in the products used. Dr Boui goes on to say that the majority of traditionally manufactured products contain corrosive substances such as acid, lemon and even African black soap…
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