My friend really hates her dark skin...

I think it has to do with low self-esteem. But you seem like a really good friend to be posting this discussion in wanting to help her out. What I would do is show her all the beautiful dark women there are in this world. Look at Beyonce', and Tyra Banks, Whitney Houston, and so forth. Dark skin is beautiful. Tell her God created her for a reason, and she should be proud of who she is.

She needs to talk to someone professional about this. She seems to have some self esteem/self image issues.

I would say, get a group of friends and go get a tan! Or you could all go on a shopping spree... or try on dresses! That will let her see that she looks way better in certain color dresses than other ladies! That would be fun as well!

hmmm.....i wonder who is that? will i guess she have to learn to appreciate her beauty.

What you can do to help your friend is to boost her self-confidence.Once she's confident about herself,she would realize and understand that having dark skin does not make her any less beautiful than girls with white or fairer skin. Maybe you could suggest for her to wear clothes with colors that would best match her skin complexion so she will gain more confidence in her appearance.

Being dark is one of the two possibilities . The probability of being dark is hence 50 % . And what a lucky person you are . The colour of skinn is just a function of the amount of melanin you have inside or your predecessors and the kind of climate they lived in . Stop worrying about things that you can not change . The life has much more to offer . Do not even consider wasting time thinkning asbout your skin colour . Having fair skin does not make anyone a better person .

Tsk! Tsk! It seems that your friend is a typical filipina who got influenced byt the tv / media and who wants to look like the fair skinned americans and europeans. Tell her that most women in the usa would die for a tanned skin, they would roast themselves under the sun during summer and pay a hefty amount to tanning salons during winter just to get darker. All she needs to do is to maintain the softness of her skin. Try looking at the Dove's campaign for real beauty site and you might find some inspiring stories there about women who felt ugly then later on realized that they are beautiful in their own way.

your friend definitely thinks what most people think, that black is ugly...she needs to be enlightened about it and she needs to know how to be confident of what she is..black is beautiful just like the old saying goes.

Wow! That's so hard to understand. Most girls are trying to get their skin darker. I was using sunless tanning for the longest time. Many people ask me if I'm latin and say I look fabulous when I use it. I get tired of applying it though. It works great, but I worry also about maybe some sort of chemical absorbing in my skin. I won't use the tanning beds anymore. Too worried about drying up my skin.

I think your friend is just not happy with how she looks. Of course it doesn't mean she is ugly some people are just not happy with what they have. How many women are getting sun baths to get tan? I personally think that dark skin is very beautiful. Tell her about the women who have fair skin and the celebrities who are always tan artificially. Tell her she is beautiful!

There's nothing wrong with dark skin. Black is beautiful and I'm proud of it. Going to a specialist did not enter my mind. Before undergoing a procedure to lighten up her color she should know first the good and bad effect of it.

First, this is NOT A RACIST RESPONCE. I am not a racist. Furthermore, I hate racism of ANY KIND. This is a responce in regards to skin color within the black culture. I think U R a very good friend who loves her girl and is probably a little bias...as we all R when it comes 2 our loved ones. However, let's face it. Do they have crispy dark people in the media, tv, magazines, reality shows, modeling agencies, etc? NO. Why?...cause they R not out scouting a crispy black person. They want beautiful people who they R able to capture on film. We also can't lie 2 ourselves and say it's a racist thing...cause it not. We R in 2007 and I think that we have moved passed that. There R all KINDS of different nationalities on TV...all KINDS of races of people....of ALL colors and shades...but NEVER or at least hardly ever is there crispy black. Once more, crispy black people usually R not good looking. Whether we want to face it or not. Being very very dark skined black is not a positive physical feature and never has been. No one wants 2 get that color. Ask yourself honestly if U would want 2 B. I know that U wouldn't. Having a color like that causes one alot of pain, obviously. U R just trying 2 make her feel better, which is understandable...cause U R her friend and U love her. U also R very fortunate not 2 have 2 live with that negative physical trait. The best thing I think U could do 4 your friend is not 2 B unrealistic. I don't think that she is looking for someone 2 lie 2 her (even if it's with good intentions). I think she just wants someone 2 understand her...that it's not easy being forced 2 deal with something like. I also think U can help her by doing research on skin lightening methods. There R methods out there that actualy work (sometimes cosmetic surgery may be the answer if other things don't work). Tell her to try rubbing a half of a lemon on her face and do it every morning after she washes her face. Also tell her to invest in some skin bleaching cream. Apply it every night on a clean face (or as directed). Im not a dermatologist....so this is just something for educational purposes...Her best bet is to see her Derm. Tell your friend 2 keep her head up. Her problem is one that can b solved. She may not EVER become Michael Jackson white, but there is still hope 2 do things that will help her become a more better looking color, especially since she has good features.