"Beauty is only skin deep." This expression means that beauty is only a temporary surface quality. And some beauty products can cause lasting damage that goes far below the surface of the skin.

“Beauty is only skin deep.”这句话的意思是美貌只是一时的表面品质。而且一些美容产品可能会造成深入皮肤表面以下的永久性伤害。

But people, especially women, will risk a lot for beauty.

但人们愿意为美貌冒很大风险，尤其是女性。

In the United States, many people use sunlight and non-natural light to darken their skin.

在美国，许多人利用阳光和非自然光线让皮肤颜色变深。

Health experts advise against what is called "tanning" because of its links to skin cancer.

健康专家不建议所谓的晒黑，因为它牵扯到皮肤癌。

In the African country of Senegal, some women take health risks trying to do just the opposite. They use products that lighten the skin.

在非洲的塞内加尔，一些妇女冒着健康风险进行与此相反的事情。她们使用各种产品美白皮肤。

The World Health Organization says that 25 percent of Senegalese women use skin-lightening products on a usual basis. These products can contain chemicals such as mercury, hydroquinone and sodium hydroxide. These are dangerous ingredients that can cause cancer and possibly other physical damage to the skin. They can actually burn the eyes and skin.

世界卫生组织表示，25%的塞内加尔妇女会日常使用美白产品。这些产品包含汞、对苯二酚和氢氧化钠等化学物质，这些都是危险成分，可以导致癌症以及对皮肤造成其它物理伤害。他们甚至会灼伤眼睛和皮肤。

An average beauty supply shop in Dakar has many kinds of skin-lightening creams and soaps.

达喀尔市的一家普通美容用品店有许多种皮肤美白霜和香皂。

Shop worker Adama Diagne advises her visitors to avoid the stronger products that promise fast results. She uses a cream that is made from carrots and not the strong chemical, hydroquinone.

店员阿达玛·迪亚涅（Adama Diagne）建议顾客避免使用承诺立竿见影的产品。她使用的一种面霜是用胡萝卜制成，而不是强化学物质对苯二酚。

She says that it is a personal choice and that no one pressures her. She says that some women want to be black every day. But for her, she likes to be a shade of brown.

她说，这是自己的选择，没人强迫她。她说一些妇女希望皮肤黝黑。但对她而言，她希望自己的皮肤是暗棕色。

Women in Senegal say they lighten their skin for the same reasons women all over the world make changes to their appearance. They say they want to look beautiful, to find a husband, or to stand out in a crowd.

塞内加尔女性表示，她们美白皮肤的原因和世界各地女性美容的原因相同。她们希望自己看上去漂亮好找个老公，或在人群中显眼。

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."

但一些产品过于强烈，必须同其它产品混合使用。这类产品就包括所谓的“婚礼前一天”香皂。

This thinking troubles Senegalese filmmaker Khardiata Pouye Sall. So, she made "This Color That Bothers Me," a film about the subject of skin lightening.

这种想法困扰着塞内加尔导演萨勒（Khardiata Pouye Sall）。所以她拍摄了“肤色之扰”这部关于美白主题的电影。

"I used the most shocking images 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."

她说，“我使用了最为震撼的画面，这样妇女们就能看到其中的危险性。很难理解为何女性会认为黝黑的皮肤不漂亮。这点深入了她们的脑海。她们想要取悦男人，被人爱。或者她们想要取悦社会取得成功。”

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.

萨勒女士表示，政府必须更好地控制皮肤美白产品的推广和销售。但她补充说，教育是说服人们不要这么做得最好方式。

This Health Report was written by VOA's Anne Look in Dakar.

本篇健康报道是由美国之音驻达喀尔市的安妮·卢克（Anne Look）所撰写。