Why white skin is all the rage in Asia

[QuotaMan]

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/china-and-its-neighbors/091123/asia-white-skin-treatments-risks

 

HSINCHU, Taiwan — Walking along a rushing stream in Hsinchu, Hilda Chu balanced an umbrella in one hand and textbooks in the other. Her skin was ghostly white. “I try hard to make my skin white,” said Chu, 18, a student at National Tsing Hua University. “If my skin is lighter, I will be happier because I think I look good. It makes my emotion better, yes.”

 

She's hardly alone. Asians spend an estimated $18 billion a year to appear pale.

 

“Asians like white skin," said Dr. Hsieh Ya Ju, a dermatologist at MacKay Memorial Hospital in Hsingchu, who sees about 25 patients a day. Outside Hsieh’s office, four middle-aged chalky-skinned women sat patiently awaiting treatments that cost $300 to $500 per session. They are there to take pills that Hsieh says will help their skin turn white. Doctors in Taiwan also use lasers, creams, surgeries and other means to lighten skin.

 

Nydia Lin, a senior executive in Taiwan for Japanese cosmetics giant Shisedo, said as many as 50 percent of Taiwanese women (and growing numbers of men) are paying big money to medically alter their golden exteriors. “We promote the idea of whitening. Especially in Taiwan we see many beautiful idols on TV and they are all focused on their whitening skin. As the Chinese say, ‘You can cover all your defective parts if you are white.'”

 

Variations of that slogan are heard throughout Asia, with the most common translation being, "One white can cover up three ugliness.” According to a 2004 study by global marketing firm Synovate, nearly 40 percent of women in Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines used skin whitening and lightening products that year.

 

Asian skin whitening has a tradition that stretches back centuries. "The feminine ideal during the Han period for women of the court was almost unearthly white, white skin. Moon-like roundish faces, long black hair. You can see how a culture that maintained that as an early ideal might continue with an ideal that light skin equals beauty," said Anne Rose Kitagawa, assistant curator of Japanese art at Harvard’s Sackler Museum.

 

Asia’s obsession with whiteness is also a reflection of economic status. "Those who had skin burnt by the sun were working in the fields, therefore, the whitening of the skin was a reflection of labor status,” said University of Houston historian Gerald Horne.

[Kandinski]

I say no to white, a little brown farmer girl works just fine with me

 

Interesting article btw.

[midge]

http://www.globalpos...reatments-risks

 

 

 

if i don#t prefer dark skinny LBFM,so for what i should come to the LOS????

[Scumbag]

This is the reason behind it:

"Those who had skin burnt by the sun were working in the fields, therefore, the whitening of the skin was a reflection of labor status.”

 

Thai TV is is full of ads for skin whitening products.

[Radler]

The Thais get a kick out of the falangs chasing the brown Thai girls. They don't understand why the falangs come to Thailand to sleep with what they consider the ugly women.

 

For me, the darker the better.

[Lambik]

Same reason as most white people, especially ladies, like to have a tanned skin.

[Edge]

Another Topic was started on the same subject just 13 hours before this one HERE

Coincidence or what?

[McFly]

I'm going to start wearing pants and long sleeve shirts and gloves now to avoid the sun. In a month the girls will think I'm more handsom! NICE!

[Buddy Edgewood]

Indeed, an interesting article.

 

I like'm dark too and i ask the girls that I'm with not to put that powder on their face, it looks like they've got a layer of wax or icing on their face when I take their pics, hence the term "icehead" i suppose.

 

But if they want to lighten up the skin around their asses and bung holes, that'd actually be okay with me... sometimes it looks like they haven't wiped their ass well enough...

[ruckusr]

hey there

 

its some thing from the first trip i had to thailand

 

how the brown women wanted to be white

 

but at home the white women want to be brown

 

go figure

[pimpgreen]

Jesus! I'm a black dude, Thai's must hate my fucking guts! when I'm out there LOL..

[ruckusr]

Jesus! I'm a black dude, Thai's must hate my fucking guts! when I'm out there LOL..

 

 

haha you can never just win hey

 

 

i say this respectfully,but with lots of cheek

[pseasnain]

"One white can cover up three ugliness.”

 

At last the secret is out. This is why I'm a 'hansum man'. 555

[Kama boy]

Hey guys, every culture & region has it's differences.

Just accept it, it is as simple as that.

Kama Boy

[lostagain]

"One white can cover up three ugliness.”

 

At last the secret is out. This is why I'm a 'hansum man'. 555

 

 

Didn't wok for me .. I am still ugly.

[dtyolmn]

I prefer a darker woman, she is very sexy against the white sheets. The white women remind me of American women which is a great turn offf.

[swagman]

It may well be a culture thing, as a dark skin would show more exposure to the hot sun.

 

This could perhaps, represent the perceived lowly status of a manual labourer who spends all day in the sun (IE a Farmer)

 

Whereas if your further up the social ladder - so to speak, then you'll be someone doing something in a more sophisticated & educated role & out of the sun, so hence less dark skinned...I think.

 

For me I lurve em a bit on the brown side!

 

Also, with more pigment in their skin they age slower too - if they keep out of the sun!

 

Talking of 'The Sun'...I'd like to see a few Thai's on Page 3 LoL

Edited April 3, 2011 by swagman

[eatmstrmndd]

My understanding is that for many years white was right. That was mostly because only those folks who were brown were involved in manual labour, meaning they were not wealthy. White was a status symbol. Some readers may recall photos of large white wigs and men with white faces. This was very popular in Europe. I can imagine that Giesha followed a similar theme, but confess I have not personally read that.

 

Brown girls from Issaan, whom I personally adore, are not considered as beautiful as the fairer girls. Many girls have told me that they don't like their brown skin, their black eyes, and fuller lips. Personally I think that look is amazing, especially the full lips. They consider themselves looked upon as poor peasants from Issaan, which tragically many of them are.

 

Coco Chanel popularised the sun tan for Europeans (I don't have a reference, but heard it from a beautician). The status symbol shifted. Brown skin meant you had time to relax in the sun, and in effect were wealthy enough to do little more than sit in the sun.

 

Asia and Europe did not share the Coco Chanel experience. Asians understand the fasion, but some of the side elements of fashion (e.g. sun tan as a status symbol) are challenging much more stringent cultural norms.

 

Every chance I get I tell the ladies how I love their 'perfectly full beautiful lips'. They are amazed. I am honest when I say it.

Edited April 6, 2011 by eatmstrmndd

[pseasnain]

My understanding is that for many years white was right. That was mostly because only those folks who were brown were involved in manual labour, meaning they were not wealthy. White was a status symbol. Some readers may recall photos of large white wigs and men with white faces. This was very popular in Europe. I can imagine that Giesha followed a similar theme, but confess I have not personally read that.

 

Brown girls from Issaan, whom I personally adore, are not considered as beautiful as the fairer girls. Many girls have told me that they don't like their brown skin, their black eyes, and fuller lips. Personally I think that look is amazing, especially the full lips. They consider themselves looked upon as poor peasants from Issaan, which tragically many of them are.

 

Coco Chanel popularised the sun tan for Europeans (I don't have a reference, but heard it from a beautician). The status symbol shifted. Brown skin meant you had time to relax in the sun, and in effect were wealthy enough to do little more than sit in the sun.

 

Asia and Europe did not share the Coco Chanel experience. Asians understand the fasion, but some of the side elements of fashion (e.g. sun tan as a status symbol) are challenging much more stringent cultural norms.

 

Every chance I get I tell the ladies how I love their 'perfectly full beautiful lips'. They are amazed. I am honest when I say it.

 

Yes you're right. However we're coming at it from a Western cultural perspective and the Thai view on skin colour is different to ours. A bit like East is East and West is West ...

 

 

 

[Tuwaiq]

The adverts here on TV here in KSA have quite a few ads for creams and ointments that lighten women's skin so i suppose thats its popular thing here too with Arabic women.

[must_tang50]

My pasty ass is finally paying off!!!! Yessssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

[pseasnain]

I hope this guy never goes to Pattaya. There won't be any girls left for anyone 555

 

 

[BeerN'Babes]

That's it I'm not going out in the sun until I go to Pattaya for the first time in a few months, lol.

[Club-Soda]

how the brown women wanted to be white

 

but at home the white women want to be brown

 

Are you sure about this? When North European women say they like tall and dark men they don't mean other ethnicities, more like this.

 

 

Asian women might want to look like this.

 

Skin tone, (Brown/White) might not be about race.

 

[GoldCoastJon]

I prefer darker skin girls, i have a very fair complexion and the girls always say they want Same Same me (Skin colour) and i always say where i'm from people prefer to have a tan than pale skin. Least i've finally found somewhere where pale skin is looked upon as sexy lol