How to Get an Even Skin Tone for People of Color
- Posted on: Dec 27 2022
asarch blog how to get an even skintone for people of color
Everyone wants an even skin tone, free of light or dark spots. However, achieving one can be more difficult for people of color. Here’s the biggest reason: brown and Black skin contains more melanin than lighter skin.
Melanin is the substance in your body that produces pigmentation (or color) in your skin, eyes, and hair. The more melanin you produce, the darker your skin will be. Melanin-producing cells are also more susceptible to inflammation or injury, making skin conditions like vitiligo more noticeable for people with dark skin.
The experts at Asarch Dermatology are here to explain how to get an even skin tone for people of color, including how to properly care for brown or Black skin, what products help even your skin tone, and more.
Are you a person of color? Follow these five tips to care for your skin
Whether you already have flawless skin or want to improve your skin tone, it’s important to establish a healthy skin care routine and stick to it. Here are five top tips for caring for brown or Black skin:
1) Clean and moisturize your skin every day, ideally right after showering
Use a gentle cleanser that won’t clog your pores, massaging it into your skin with clean fingertips. Rinse with warm water and pat your skin dry with a clean towel.
Research shows that Black skin loses moisture faster than lighter skin tones. To prevent your skin from looking “ashy,” use a daily moisturizer that contains humectants (such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid). Humectants help retain moisture in the skin.
Petroleum jelly (Vaseline) is another highly effective moisturizer, but use caution when applying it to your face. Be sure to avoid moisturizers with fragrances, abrasive scrubs, and loofahs, which can all irritate your skin.
2) Always wear sunscreen
One of the biggest myths about brown and Black skin is that it doesn’t burn – it does. Sun exposure can also cause dark spots or make existing dark spots even darker.
Surprisingly enough, Colorado has 300 days of annual sunshine. Asarch Dermatology recommends using sunscreen with 30 SPF or higher that protects against both types of ultraviolet rays (UVA and UVB) every day, even when it’s cloudy or snowing.
3) Use products that reduce the appearance of existing dark spots
While sunscreen can prevent new dark spots from developing, your Asarch dermatologist might recommend using a product that contains one or more of the following ingredients to treat existing dark spots:
• Retinoids – Retinoids are available over-the-counter (differin) or by prescription (tretinoin)
• Hydroquinone – Helps stop the production of excess melanin
• Kojic acid – A skin lightener that can reduce dark spots
• Vitamin C – Studies show that vitamin C may reduce dark spots, protect against sun damage, and increase collagen levels
4) Treat acne promptly
Treating acne at the first sign can help prevent the formation of dark spots, which is part of a condition called post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
5) Eat a balanced diet
Healthy skin starts on the inside! To give your skin the nutrients it needs to repair itself, eat a diet rich in:
• Fruits and vegetables
• Lean proteins (such as chicken or fish)
• Whole grains
• Healthy fats (such as nuts or avocados)
Eating processed foods and drinking alcohol can make certain skin conditions worse. Ask your Asarch dermatologist if there are any foods you should avoid.
What is vitiligo and how does it affect skin tone for people of color?
A major cause of uneven skin tone in people of color is a skin pigmentation disorder called vitiligo. Vitiligo occurs when your melanocytes (the cells responsible for skin pigmentation) die off, leaving milky-white patches on your skin.
Vitiligo usually starts in areas that are more exposed to the sun – such as your face, arms, hands, or legs – but can affect any part of the body. People of color do not get vitiligo more than other races, but it does tend to be more noticeable on dark skin.
Currently, there is no cure for vitiligo. Therefore, most treatments aim to slow its progression or improve the appearance of the patches. Treatment options include:
• Makeup, skin dyes, and other cosmetics to cover the patches
• Medicated creams (such as ruxolitinib)
• Oral medications (such as oral steroids, methotrexate, or ciclosporin)
• Phototherapy
• Depigmentation
• Micropigmentation
• Surgery
If you have vitiligo, your Asarch dermatologist can explain the best options for improving your skin tone.
Is skin cancer more or less prevalent in people of color?
People with brown or Black skin are less likely to get skin cancer from sun exposure. However, research confirms that people of color are more likely to die from skin cancer if it develops – likely because the signs of skin cancer are less obvious on dark skin.
Asarch Dermatology recommends an annual skin cancer exam for all patients, but especially for people of color for this very reason.
Want to know how to get an even skin tone for people of color? Just ask
If there’s something you don’t like about your skin, the team at Asarch Dermatology is here for you. We diagnose and treat hundreds of different skin diseases, including vitiligo, psoriasis, and many others that can affect your skin tone.
Working together, we can help you achieve the healthy, even skin tone you’ve always wanted. Book an appointment with the skin experts at Asarch Dermatology today!
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