“Beauty is only skin deep.” This expression means that beauty is only a temporary(暂时的)surface quality. And some beauty products can cause lasting damage that goes far below the surface of the skin.
But people, especially women, will risk a lot for beauty. In the United States, many people use sunlight and non-natural light to darken their skin. Health experts advise against what is called “tanning” because of its links to skin cancer(癌症). In the African country of Senegal, some women take health risks trying to do the opposite. They use products that lighten skin(美白皮肤).
The World Health Organization says that 25 percent of Senegalese women use skin-lightening products on a usual basis. These products can contain dangerous chemicals, which can cause cancer and possibly other physical damage to the skin. They can actually burn the eyes and skin.
Women in Senegal say they lighten their skin for the same reasons women all over the world make changes to their appearance. They want to look beautiful, to find a husband, to stand out in a crowd or to simply look great for a special event.
An average beauty supply shop in Dakar has many kinds of skin-lightening creams and soaps. But some products are so strong. They must be mixed with others before they are used. One such soap is called “Day Before the Wedding.”
This thinking troubles Senegalese filmmaker Khardiata Pouye Sall. So, she made "This Color That Bothers Me," a film about the subject of skin lightening.
"I used the most shocking images(形象)so that women would see the dangers. It is hard to understand why a woman would tell herself that dark skin is not beautiful. It is in their heads. They want to please a man, to be loved. Or they want to please society, to succeed."
Ms. Sall says the government needs to better control the marketing and sale of skin lighteners. But she adds education is the best way to persuade people against using them.
【小题1】What is the common problem caused by skin darkening and skin lightening?| A．Hair loss. | B．Some cancer. | C．Heart failure. | D．Ugly appearance. |
| A．To make women realize the danger of skin lightening. |
| B．To control the sales of skin lightening products. |
| C．To teach women how to do skin lightening properly. |
| D．To persuade women not to darken their beautiful skin. |
| A．How to make yourself beautiful. | B．Beauty matters a lot in life. |
| C．Skin lightening means success. | D．Beauty is only skin deep. |
