<\/p>\n
When you Google common skin conditions such as keratosis pilaris (KP), rosacea, eczema and psoriasis, you\u2019re probably flooded with images of these conditions on white skin. \u201cPatients with pigmented skin may find it hard to find representative pictures of their condition\u201480 percent of Google pictures of skin conditions are of lighter-skinned people,\u201d says New York dermatologist Elaine Kung, MD.<\/p>\n
That gap often extends into the exam room, too. \u201cDepending on where the dermatologist has trained or is practicing, they may have limited exposure to patients with darker skin types,\u201d says Dr. Kung. \u201cA friend who moved to Virginia texted me that she called a few dermatology offices inquiring if they feel comfortable treating an Asian person\u2019s brown spots with a laser. She was disappointed to find out that most of them do not.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The result is frequent misdiagnosis, says Montclair, NJ dermatologist Jeanine B. Downie, MD. \u201cMany times, patients will come to see me, and they tell me they have shingles and it\u2019s actually psoriasis. They tell me they have acne and it\u2019s KP,\u201d she says. \u201cIf patients tried to treat something over the counter for more than a week, and it’s not treatable, they should go see a board-certified dermatologist.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why we asked seven board-certified dermatologists to break down exactly how common skin conditions present differently on skin of color, so you know what to look for and when to get help.<\/p>\n
While many common skin conditions have the same underlying biology, they don\u2019t necessarily have the same appearance, says Bellevue, WA dermatologist Jenny Liu, MD. \u201cI often tell patients that in skin of color, diseases that present as red or pink may instead present as brown hyperpigmentation,\u201d says West Islip, NY dermatologist Kavita Mariwalla, MD. \u201cMelanin is very sensitive and presents as reactionary patterns\u2014in other words, hypopigmentation and hyperpigmentation.\u201d Dr. Liu adds that common rashes may look more papular on skin of color.<\/p>\n
Other signs worth seeing a dermatologist for, says Dr. Liu, include changes in skin texture\u2014scaling, roughness, thickening, tiny bumps, swelling or warmth\u2014even when redness isn’t obvious. Areas that become darker, gray-purple or lighter than the surrounding skin, as well as symptoms like itching, burning, tenderness or pain, also warrant a visit.<\/p>\n
Because these symptoms can be less obvious, Dr. Mariwalla always advises patients with skin of color to advocate for themselves. She notes that \u201cculturally, many people do not seek dermatologic care because they did not grow up with family members who sought dermatologic care,\u201d and urges anyone with concerns to schedule an appointment with a board-certified dermatologist.<\/p>\n
\u201cDue to the redness\u2019 potential to be hidden on darker skin, it is frequently hard to figure out,\u201d says Miami dermatologist Anna Chacon, MD. \u201cEczema may instead appear as a dark brown, purple or ashen gray color. This can lead to delayed or incorrect diagnoses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hallandale Beach, FL dermatologist Bertha Baum, MD, says affected areas may also appear as thick, scaly patches that are darker than the surrounding skin. Dr. Downie notes that eczema can also be more papular than what we commonly see on light skin types. Other signs include itching, dry skin and a rash, says Dr. Chacon. Following a flare, patients of color often tend to develop significant post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.<\/p>\n
\u201cPsoriasis plaques may appear more violaceous or dark brown with a thicker scale, making them less obviously inflamed,\u201d says Dr. Liu. Dr. Downie notes the often silvery scales could even appear a deep eggplant color. These dark patches or thickened, scaly plaques may be mistaken for eczema or other skin conditions, warns Dr. Baum.<\/p>\n
\u201cAcne lesions can appear darker or redder on skin of color due to increased melanin production. Additionally, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation can be more common and more severe in people with darker skin tones, leading to long-lasting dark marks after acne clears,\u201d says Dr. Baum.<\/p>\n
\u201cAcne is frequently accompanied by post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which can persist for months after the pimples resolve,\u201d says Dr. Liu. Dr. Downie notes that often patients come in concerned about acne, but it turns out to be dark spots. Dr. Mariwalla says acne should be treated more aggressively in patients with skin of color because of the increased risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation: \u201cFor many people of color, those marks look just as bad as the original acne so they feel like their routine has not worked.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMelasma often affects patients with medium to deeper skin tones and can be particularly persistent because pigment-producing cells are highly reactive to hormones, UV light, visible light and inflammation,\u201d says Dr. Liu. Clinically, melasma may present differently in patients with melanin-rich skin, particularly because with melasma, as well as acne and rosacea, inflammation can stimulate more melanin production, resulting in hyperpigmentation, explains Monroe, LA dermatologist\u00a0Janine Hopkins, MD.<\/p>\n
\u201cSkin cancers do look different in skin of color versus lighter skin types,\u201d says Dr. Downie. \u201cIf you have a non-healing pimple or a non-healing wound, you should check it to make sure that it\u2019s not a skin cancer with a board-certified dermatologist,\u201d she urges.<\/p>\n
\u201cRosacea is a common skin disorder that makes your face look flushed and has visible blood vessels. Moreover, it could result in tiny, pus-filled pimples,\u201d says Dr. Chacon. Rosacea often presents as a flush of pink and red on those with lighter skin tones, but Dr. Downie says it can appear more violet and purple on darker skin tones. \u201cOn dark and black skin, it may be challenging to recognize the flushing or blushing associated with rosacea. Keep an eye out for additional symptoms of the illness,\u201d says Dr. Chacon. <\/p>\n
Anyone can get a keloid, but doctors say they are more common in skin of color. Dr. Mariwalla notes that keloids often appear on the ears, chest and upper back. They can present in a range of colors, including pink, purple, red and brown. Keloid scars result from trauma to the skin, creating an excessive scar formation, explains Dr. Hopkins. Dr. Liu notes that things like piercings, surgery, acne and even minor skin injuries can result in keloids.<\/p>\n
Dr. Downie says KP may look like a generalized rash on skin of color. While KP tends to appear as white or red bumps on lighter skin, they may be brown or flesh-colored on darker skin tones, says Dr. Chacon. It frequently appears as raised, darker bumps on the upper arms, butt and thighs.<\/p>\n
\u201cPseudofolliculitis barbae (aka razor bumps) is a frustrating skin condition often seen on the neck or on the back of the scalp in men of color due to shaving,\u201d says Dr. Hopkins. \u201cThis chronic acneiform breakout can lead to scarring around irritated hair follicles.\u201d On fair skin, it tends to present as red bumps, while on skin of color, it can be red but more often is a darker brown.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When you Google common skin conditions such as keratosi […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2692"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2692"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2692\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}