I can't get over his ears. He needs to explain why his ears are so damn light….

C'mon Son!! *scrunched up Ed Lover face*

W.E.E. Peeps Thursday Link Sweep is up.

Hydroquinone Creams
Everything You wanted to know

Hydroquinone is a skin-bleaching or skin lightening ingredient that may be used anywhere on the face or body to lighten areas of darkened or hyperpigmented skin such as freckles, chloasma (skin darkening caused by hormones), melasma (general skin darkening) and age spots (sometimes referred to as solar lentigenes).

Preparations containing hydroquinone are only available in certain countries. In most countries including the USA and New Zealand a 2% preparation is available without a presription. In Canada, however, hydroquinone is available as a 2% or 4% cream for topical application without a prescription and may be purchased from most pharmacies.

Hydroquinone is available in a number of skin lightening products including Lustra, Glyquin XM, Neostrata HQ and Ultraquin. All may be purchased as a dual sunscreen/skin lightening products. Lustra, Glyquin XM and Neostrata HQ have the added benefit of glycolic acid, an exfoliant that helps to increase the efficacy of hydroquinone by gently removing dead skin cells on the skin surface. Ultraquin does not contain an exfoliant but can be used in conjunction with one. Products such as MaMa Lotion (an alpha hydroxy acid preparation) and Green Cream (a retinol preparation) will complement the action of Ultraquin and other hydroquinone preparations.

How does hydroquinone cream work?
Hydroquinone works by decreasing the production and increasing the breakdown of melanosomes (melanin pigment granules) in the skin's pigment cells (melanocytes). Melanin and melanocytes are responsible for skin coloring. Hydroquinone does this by inhibiting the activity of tyrosinase, the enzyme needed to make melanin.

How effective is hydroquinone cream?
In most cases, some skin lightening will be apparent after 4 weeks of treatment. Though it may take longer to see complete results, generally within 8 to 12 weeks. If no skin lightening effect is seen after using a hydroquinone product after 3 months, then treatment should be discontinued.

One thing I read was that Sammy had laser facial treatments. I understand his skin was pretty blemished and he was willing to undergo facial peels with a laser. Those lasers can have varied effect on pigmented skin and perhaps that may be a factor in Sosa's loss of facial pigmentation.

I too, am unaware of any prescription products that would lighten a person's skin to such a degree.

Black Americans are not the only people who attempt to bleach their skin tones, colored people all over the world do. Bleaching cremes are a multi-billion dollar business.

I agree with you, in not viewing it as self hatred as well. I think it is the same as how men would process their hair or women get hair relaxers, people simply want to do what is 'fashionably' popular, whether it is hair, clothes, bling or bleaching cremes.

if there was or is a product that can lighten folks five or six shades, there are many, many, many black folk that would regularly use them. I will not say it is self-hatred, but I will say it may be a form of internalizing the larger societal message of not being 'good enough' in the skin they're in.

Thank You Sagittarius, W.E.E. strengthen our community when we enlighten and engage each other. You strengthened us all this morning.

Not sure. As I said, members of my family have these spots, as do I. It is also only on my mom's side though – my dad and his family don't have this condition.

I appreciate your reply. Heck, I appreciate this website. We learn from and teach each other.

Re: bleaching products – again, I don't think there is any product that can cause such a dramatic change. And yes – I will go there; if there was or is a product that can lighten folks five or six shades, there are many, many, many black folk that would regularly use them. I will not say it is self-hatred, but I will say it may be a form of internalizing the larger societal message of not being 'good enough' in the skin they're in.

Thanks for enlightening me about Vitiligo and sharing you and your brother's personal story.

When I used the expression “so-called,” my intent was to refer back to Michael's claim and not deny the existence of the disease. Thanks for correcting me–the answer has been adjusted.

As for “continuing the MSM foolishness,” it's clear that the MSM is approaching the story from one angle, “Is Sosa trying to be like Michael Jackson?” when there are possibly more dimensions to the issue.

A greater question is how do W.E.E. regard the use of bleaching products in general, since that is what Sosa has now stated is the cause of his “rejuvenation.”

In any event, thanks for elaborating on it all!