The physician, however, said the vulva is not meant to be the same colour as the skin and it should not be bleached.

“This procedure is born out of extreme and unrealistic standards of beauty because the skin around the vulva is not meant to be the same colour as that of your skin. It is done by using products like cream or oils which are applied with the aim of lightening the skin around the vulva.

“The vulva shouldn’t be bleached. What is important is keeping great hygienic practices. It is normal to have a darker vulva.There are different colours, shapes, and sizes.

“There isn’t any standard or way it must look. The colour of its skin is influenced by hormones and changes with age; but if you are extremely worried please see a healthcare professional, rather than using bleaching products,” she noted.

According to Adeyemi, bleaching products have no benefit, as they usually alter the integrity of the skin and expose it to infections over time.

According to an article published online by the United Nations Africa Renewal Magazine, statistics compiled by the World Health Organisation in 2011 showed that 40 per cent of African women bleach their skin.

In some countries, the figures are higher. A staggering 77 per cent of women in Nigeria, 59 per cent in Togo, 35 per cent in South Africa, 27 per cent in Senegal and 25 per cent in Mali use skin-lightening products, recent reports show.

The World Health Organisation, however, warns that skin bleaching can cause liver and kidney damage, psychosis, brain damage in foetuses and cancer.

source: HealthWise