Ritah, an employee of a Mama Lususu salon in Kampala, Uganda, has her skin worked on by her colleagues. Ritah has extremely bleached skin with many infections, according to German photographer Anne Ackermann.
Anne Ackermann
An optical enlarger waits for customers at a Mama Lususu salon in Kampala.
Anne Ackermann
Jassinta shows her hands, which have a two-toned look. The skin on joints and ankles is thicker and therefore more difficult to bleach. Many women come to Mama Lususu's to specifically brighten the knuckles, feet and elbows, Ackermann said.
Anne Ackermann
Customers' clothes hang over a wall at Mama Lususu's. Full-body bleaching takes place behind closed curtains in small wooden cabins.
Anne Ackermann
Susan visits Mama Lususu's during her lunch break to have her skin treated. She said she doesn't bleach her skin.
Anne Ackermann
Creams and conditioning agents are seen at the salon in a busy Kampala shopping mall. "There seems to be a serious pressure for women to fit into dominant beauty stereotypes in a society based on the belief that the fairer and lighter is associated with beauty and wealth," Ackermann said.
Anne Ackermann
Aisha receives a face mask at the salon. For two months, she had been using a brightening product at home. It caused acne and inflammations in the face.
Anne Ackermann
Feet of customers are seen from behind a curtain in Mama Lususu's salon.
Anne Ackermann
Ritah treats her pimples while looking into a mirror.
Anne Ackermann
Mama Lususu also has male clients. Hussein, seen here, comes for stain treatment and for bleaching.
Anne Ackermann
Only a thin plastic curtain separates the waiting area from the treatment cabins in Mama Lususu's salon.
Anne Ackermann
Sharifa came to Mama Lususu because of pimples, a common side effect of at-home bleaching.
Anne Ackermann
A woman sits in the beauty salon. She has brightening cream on her knuckles. On her face, she wears a mask that includes avocado, banana, ghee (curdled butter), egg yolks and honey.
