Kanye West showed off a new look yesterday, and many across social media suspect that Ye, who has been cozying up to White nationalists lately, may have started bleaching his skin.
Ye’s new look startled many of his fans, Media Take Out has learned. And his new “lighter” appearance is all the talk across Black Twitter.
Here’s what Kanye used to look like:
And this was him yesterday:
Here’s a side by side picture of Ye’s old and new skin color:
Skin bleaching is a popular cosmetic procedure, which is frequently used by Black Hollywood celebrities. Typically, Media Take Out learned, it’s done by using the chemical hydroquinone – either in cream form or intravenously.
Hydroquinone lightens the skin by supressing melanocytes, the skin cells that produce melanin.
Melanin is the pigment that gives our skin and hair its color.. Hydroquinone slows down melanin production, and over time will dramatically lighten a Black person’s skin color.
However, it can take several weeks for you to see the full results. As one doctor explained to Media Take Out, “Hydroquinone creams work at the cellular level to reduce the production of pigment,” so you need to allow the skin to shed old cells and produce new ones.
So – if Ye is in fact bleaching his skin – expect him to continue to lighten over time.