Acne and Dark Skin

by Mary B Murphy

Some people say to me that while on Sun holidays in the likes of Spain or Greece they notice that the people there seem to have perfect skin and don’t seem to suffer from any skin ailments such as acne. This may seem so but, skin color has nothing to do with acne.

While a dark pigmentation may shield redness and other more obvious skin defects that are very noticeable on pale skin people, the underlying problem and skin damage is still there.

When acne is treated, it doesn’t matter what your skin color is. All that matters is that you get the best treatment based on the type of acne you have.

Sun burn is obviously a much more common problem on white skin that on darker skin. Darker skin people do need to protect themselves from the sun but they also have a stronger natural resistance to the sun.

It is important to always use sun block no matter what color skin you have. Also, certain medications will cause your skin to be more sensitive in the sun and so you should always use at least spf 15, minimally.

There is one type of acne that will affect only those of African heritage, which is known as pomade acne. It is caused by the heavy oil on hair products that are used to straighten their hair. If you can’t avoid using these oily products, keep them away from your face as much as possible.

Dark skin people also may suffer from a temporary skin condition called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This is the darkening of the skin caused by a break out of acne. Time will heal this and skin will revert back to its normal color.

Whether you are pale or dark skinned, your first port of call for treating acne should be to your dermatologist. He/she will guide you in the correct direction with regards diet and medication.

About the Author:

Mary B Murphy works as a pharmacist in Dublin Ireland. Mary has been involved in irish skin care for over 15 years. Mary is also runs regular meetings in for the dublin skin care and skin condition society. Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory