I have always wanted to be fair in complexion; well that's the only thing, physical in me that I feel I should change.
We all know the creation story and the saying "we are beautiful in our own different ways".
I am handsome I must confess, (I am only confessing, I don't know if I am handsome). But there is just this one thing that I would give anything to change, naturally of course, not by some artificial means. I think my desire to become fair drove me to buy a bleaching cream, which I used for some years. After 3 years or so, after using the cream, I still became dark again, I dreaded the outcome, I was little back then so I didn't know that was possible.
I recall when I was In junior secondary school, JSS 1 to be specific, there was this uncle of mine that came to stay with us. Gosh I really looked up to him, he was dark and handsome and was really neat, he was very neat, so neat that all his clothes were white.
He did ask me to collect girls' number for him, seeing that I was fluent with English and had a cute voice. I was his tool for getting the beautiful ladies.
Back then he would always tell me that fair girls are beautiful, every single time him and I were together, or we step out. Literally he graded girls that we see based on their complexion. All the dark girls were dark. I always wonder he too was dark, so why say so, that was before I knew of something called 'SPEC'. The reason I always wanted to be fair because of his constant words. I too wanted to be handsome, I believed that to be handsome means to be fair, so all through my secondary days I wanted to be fair, I still do.
Being an introvert also worsened my condition, I wanted girls to chase after me and not me after them, becoming fair then was a sure ticket.
It was not until I went to the university that I knew bleaching of the skin had serious repercussions. The lecturer said it destroys the skin, and it really got to me.
I still don't know if being fair or dark is beauty, I only know that bleaching is bad. I guess, I really am a product of influence. My uncle's influence.
Back the,n I would give anything to be fair, I thought; since I saw fair girls as being beautiful if they are fair implied I too being fair would mean that I am handsome. That really messed up my head.
Growth is honestly an interesting thing. I now understand that I prefer being fair, but not necessarily, I must be fair. The cost of fair complexion is very great. And I have accepted my complexion, partially! Lol. But if given a chance to change it without any chemical means or means that are detrimental to my being. I would go for it without any hesitation.