Saturday, December 20, 2008

Acne and Dark Skin

Those of African, Latino or Indian decent have skin pigmentation that is darker than those who are of European decent. Treating any skin disease is often based on the color of the skin.

Some cosmetic procedures, for example, cannot be used on skin with dark pigmentation because it will leave light spots.

Actually acne is an equal opportunity disease. The color of the skin has no bearing whatsoever on whether a person will have acne.

Treating acne is based upon the type of acne it is and what the most effective treatment options are for the particular type of acne that is present in each patient.

Many acne medications make the skin sensitive to excessive sun exposure. This has nothing to do with the color of the skin. The sensitivity is simply a side effect of the medications.

Those with darker skin complexions are not usually as prone to sunburn as those with lighter complexions but these medications make dark skin as susceptible to sun damage as their lighter skin friends.

A sun blocking product with an SPF factor of at least 15 is recommended when there will be prolonged sunlight exposure.

There is one type of acne that often afflicts only those who are of African heritage. This type of acne is called Pomade Acne.

Pomade acne is caused by a hair care product that is designed to straighten very curly hair.

The product has a very heavy oil base and should be kept off of the skin as much as is possible.

The pigmentation in very dark skin can get darker after an inflammation is cleared up.

This is called 'post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation'....which means increased pigmentation following inflammation.

The spots will gradually return to their normal color over time but a dermatologist can prescribe medication which will hasten the process.

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