“I love women with big breasts,” a man told Joy News earlier this week. “The ones that shake when the body moves. They are very attractive.”

Thoughts from men like these are a large part of the reason why women have resorted to purchasing illegal breast enhancing cream, Joy FM’s Animwaa Addo thinks. The ointments have become increasingly popular throughout the country, especially for young women in senior high school.

But prolonged use of the products can be linked to cancer and other skin diseases, medical experts warn. Recently, the Food and Drug Authority has cautioned against usage of the creams, which also come in pill and injectable forms.

“A lot of our women work in the sun. We sweat a lot where the breasts are and the pores in the skin open which means chemicals can seep in,” said Naa Adorkor Aryeete, a radiation oncologist at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

So why do women go to extreme lengths to attain a standard of beauty?

“The evolution of what beauty is has changed. You look on TV and you see these very curvy women who seem to have these superpowers of attracting men and living happy lives,” Addo said on the Super Morning Show Thursday. “They’re trying to fit into a culture of what men want.”

Earlier this week, Luv FM’s Nana Yaw Gyimah investigated the black market of breast enhancing cream in Kumasi, where many cosmetic sellers have the products in stock. While visiting some of the shops, he noted that some sellers denied carrying the product on suspicions that he was a man.

He eventually found a male shop owner who revealed a cream to him called “Pretty Cowry Breast Lifting Fast Cream.” The packaging displayed a picture of a white woman exposing her cleavage. The price? GH¢35 cedis a pop.

“I expressed interest in joining the business,” Gyimah reported while undercover. “He pledged to assist me to find my way into a business he says is very lucrative.”

While the business is booming, though, health officials warn of hazards – some of which could include cancer. The number of women diagnosed with breast cancer has risen exponentially. In Ghana alone, there are a reported 2,900 new cases emerging each year. Globally, it the most common form of cancer among women. In 2011, breast cancer claimed half a million lives.

“We can’t pinpoint the cause,” said Aryeete. “We know that it comes by an abnormal growth of cells in the breast. But what causes that is unknown.”

And there is no cure, she continued. The good news is, it is one of the most treatable diseases, but early detection is necessary.

Aryeete advises that women begin getting mammograms once a year beginning at age 40. Once a year, mammograms can scan the breast for lumps and other abnormalities that may be hidden deep within breast tissue. Self-examinations are critical, too, she said. 

Once a month, immediately after a menstrual period, use the pads of your fingers and gently feel the breast in a circular motion. Look for lumps and irregularities in the shape or color of the skin surrounding the region. Any abnormal discharges from the nipples should be looked at by a doctor.

Read more: Widespread use of breast enhancing creams among SHS students

If it is revealed that there is cancer in the breast, “don’t fear,” said Juliette Erawoc Lutterodt, a breast cancer survivor who called Joy FM Thursday.

“The will to live surpassed everything for me. I challenge people that if your faith is strong, fear will not exist. Be in the right spirit to go through this. Life is already difficult as it is. This is just a small curveball.”

As for women who feel they need to enhance their breasts with creams and other procedures, Addo suggests that you “love who you are. Your beauty may not be recognized by everyone, but you are beautiful anyway.”