China's love of white skin is cosmetic conceit with possible genetic roots
Yonden Lhatoo says new research may suggest an ancient genetic link to Chinese people’s obsession with porcelain-pale skin, but it’s still cultural and social baggage that should be dropped
It can be quite chilly out there, jogging by the harbour these winter mornings, so I enjoy every bit of sunshine.
The same doesn’t apply to the female joggers – or walkers, to be more precise – whom I often come across, wrapped in swathing bands like ancient Egyptian mummies so that every inch of skin is hidden from the sun’s rays. They also wear those gigantic sports visors turned down to cover their entire faces so they don’t pick up the slightest tan.
These phengophobic women’s fear of the sun is not a medical condition but a cosmetic conceit; they’re paranoid about becoming darker-skinned.
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This is an age-old hang-up among Asians, and Chinese people seem to lead the pack when it comes to obsession with porcelain-white pigmentation.