This is really big in some countries to say the least, the idea that you should actively whiten your skin.  Some people believe obviously that whitening the skin serves as a greater sign of youth, vitality, luxury in some ways, and so they always stay out of the sun and such.  Staying out of the sun is a good thing.  Staying out of the sun helps to prevent sun damage that would break down the skin, and they are also in general really good about putting sunscreen on. 

In the United States, it’s not the best thing to be pale.  But that’s basically the only country in the world where this mentality is considered.  We only use bleaches for dark spots.  This being said, you should never use a bleach on your skin at all.  Yes, your skin will be whiter.  But frankly, it is like the sun in the fact that it will break down your skin cells and otherwise cause greater damage that in some ways cannot be repaired.  It will age you faster, possibly cause skin cancer problems in the future, and otherwise you will really not benefit from using any kind of bleach on your skin.