Believed dark skin would guard against ageing. If you look at the older African-American women, it seems to hold true.But while her melanin surplus might help stave off the wrinkles, it doesn’t guard against skin cancer or hyperpigmentation. And people with darker skin tones have specific issues to look out for.
At Foster with Bucks, we know that skin care is really important for the children in care and adults with dark skin alike, so we did our research into some of these issues and devised this list of six things to remember when caring for darker skin.
1. Use sunscreen every day
Sunscreen has always been a beach essential, but did you know that it can also help slow skin ageing? There is some evidence to suggest that applying it every day to darker skin tones could be a really good thing to consider.
Those with darker skin tend to show photodamage with hyperpigmentation that worsens over time on the cheeks and lower face. An uneven complexion is the outcome of sun exposure in darker patients.The extra melanin does still have its advantages. Darker skin individuals have more melanin content and are less prone to sunburn and UV damage over time,However it’s still important to wear sunscreen because skin cancer can still happen.
Knowing you should wear sunscreen and actually doing it are two different things, however. It’s hard to find a moisturiser with SPF 30+ that blends with darker skin. Anything that’s chalky or pasty can make sunscreen a pain to wear.
2. Start an antiaging regimen early and use it often
Because of melanin’s ability to defend against UV damage and sunburn, it also protects darker skin tones against the signs of ageing like wrinkles, brown spots, and visible blood vessels. So in most cases, dark skin shows wrinkles and age spots a lot later in life. African-American skin also tends to have more oil, which protects against dryness and wrinkling.
3.Treat skin irritation ASAP
Darker skin is much more prone to scarring and hyperpigmentation than white skin. Many dermatologists recommend swift and stringent treatment courses for acne, rashes, and eczema on brown skin tones. Treating things like acne and other common skin conditions in darker skin type individuals, Pls treat a little more aggressively because if you don’t you’re likely to end up leaving behind post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. Once you have the underlying inflammation under control you can start to address any darkness or scarring that’s left behind.
4.Pick products that help with hyperpigmentation
Hyperpigmentation, or the darkening of the skin in a certain area, can be left over as a result of inflammation after a bout of acne or an eczema flare-up. Melasma, a skin condition marked by areas of hyperpigmentation, is more common in darker-skinned people, and often occurs post-pregnancy, following sun exposure, or after taking oral contraceptives. While sunscreen - and not picking! - can help prevent hyperpigmentation, if it does appear, there are topical products you can use to lighten darkened areas.
One of the gold standards in lightening agents is hydroquinone. Hydroquinone is a prescription lightening ingredient that helps to block the enzyme that makes melanin.
5. Laser treatments aren't always OK for dark skin
While fair skinned patients can handle laser treatments to get rid of brown spots or wrinkles, darker skin must be cautious using these types of machines. When you do things like laser, you’re applying heat that damages the melanin layer and can inflame the skin, further exacerbating a pigmentation issue and leaving behind that post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This is also something to keep in mind when you consider laser hair removal treatments. These lasers target the melanin in the hair. When you have dark hair and a dark complexion, it's harder for the lasers to distinguish between them, which can lead to burns or scars.
6.find a dermatologist who understands dark skin
When seeking advice, remember that not all dermatologists are equally familiar with the particularities and intricacies of darker skin. It’s important that darker skin type patients seek out a dermatologist who is an expert in skin of colour or who has worked in treating pigmentary disorders.