Indo-Americans Favour Lighter Skin Tones, Says Study

WASHINGTON – A vastmajority of Indian Americanshave an aesthetic preference forlighter skinned people and considerthose with darker skin tobe less attractive, according to astudy conducted by an Indian-American dermatologist.Sejal K. Shah, a youngdoctor at the St. Luke’s andRoosevelt (SLR) Hospital inNew York City, conducted thestudy with Andrew F. Alexis, directorof SLR’s Skin of ColourCentre.About 190 individuals recruitedfrom local cultural fairsand temples participated in thestudy.One out of seven – or approximately15 percent of participants- said they use or haveused some sort of skin-whiteningor bleaching productbecause they want to makethemselves look more beautiful.An equally alarming resultfrom the study indicateda low awareness of the potentialrisk of skin canceramong South Asian Americans:* Only 46 percent ofthe study population believesthat individuals with darkerskin tones are at risk for cancer;* Only 26 percent reportedregularly protectingthemselves from sun exposure;* Only 64 percent believethat sun exposure is associatedwith skin cancer.Shah blames pop culturefor most of the misunderstanding,especially forthe biases Indian Americanshave towards lighter skinnedpeople.“Many Bollywood actressesand Miss India winnershave noticeably lightercomplexions,” she notes.“A quick look at Indianmatrimonial sites also indicatesa strong preference fora ‘fair’ bride.“Our study brings tolight what has long been suspectedin the South Asianculture: Lighter skin tonesare favoured.”Most disturbing, Shahpoints out, is the commonlyheld – and incorrect – beliefamong South Asian Americansthat they do not requirethe same skin protectionagainst the sun in comparisonto people of paler complexionsand skin tones.“People with darker skintones have more melanin,which is a natural protectoragainst ultraviolet radiation,”said Shah.“However, that does notmean that skin of colour individualsare not at risk whenout in the sun.”Shah and Alexis havesubmitted the study to a peerreviewedjournal for publication.