LUDHIANA: In case you presumed that the popularity of Punjabi song, "Brown Ranga", had any effect on the outlook of the society and the girls would stop using fairness creams, you probably need to get a reality check done! The song might have helped the wheatish complexioned girls lessen their inferiority complex, but experts say that city girls are still crazy about having a fair-complexion as they feel that fairer is better.

Neha Malhotra, a fashion designing student from Sector 32 on Chandigarh road, says, "I am wheatish, but would love to have a fair complexion . I have been using fairness creams since years but with not much result. However, I still continue to apply various fairness cream formulations with a hope of improving my complexion one daya, at least of the face."

However, girls with close to fair skin colour, long for a very fair, scarless and glowing skin. "I feel lucky to have a fair skin, but I want it to be at least two shades fairer than what it is. Apart from applying fairness cream, I also use anti-marks cream for a clear and fair skin to get a ravishing look," adds Shikha Bhardwaj.

Given the filmy nature of the Ludhianvis, who tend to follow the Bollywood like a religion, the film industry too is majorly responsible for this outlook of the citizens. A number of Hindi movie songs with regards to fair skin, has what has lead t this craze among the youngsters for fair skin.

Shifali Verma, BA student from Civil Lines, says, "There are a lot of Bollywood songs glorifying the fair skin tone. Songs like 'Gore Rang Pe Na Itna Gumaan Na Kar', 'Gore Gore Chand Se Mukh Pe', 'Gore Gore Mukhde Pe Kaala Kaala Chasma' and 'Yeh Gore Gore Se Chore' and others, forces the youngsters to dream about the same skin tone."

However, this longing for a fair skin tone, is not only limited to the girls, but the boys too have been showing their preference for fair tone. Sumit, an engineering student from Model Town, says, "Majority of boys also have this love for a fair tone and don't even feel shy from using a fairness cream. They want not only a fair skin but also want their female partners to have fair skin tone."

Experts confirm that there is a craze for fair skin tone in the city and also in the country and this preference spans across all the age groups. Dr Alka Dogra, reputed dermatologist, says, "Almost everyone who comes to us for treatment for other skin problems (2-3 in a day) also want us to prescribe a good fairness cream. Some of the clients, come exclusively to know how to get a fair skin. However, ethics teach us to be true so we do tell them clearly that they cannot have a fair skin by applying such creams and maybe in some cases these creams can prove to backfire in results."

Meanwhile, psychologists say that preference for fair skin tone is all in the mind of the people. Dr BP Mishra, psychologist at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, says, "These days teenagers have become very conscious and hence this madrush to get fair skin tone. But the preference for a particular skin tone is all in the brain and is people's perception in the city."