One common concern for African Americans is acneic (acne) problems as well as pigmentation problems, or dark spots, which occur at the site of inflammation. These dark spots are sometimes more stressful than the original pimple.

Pellé Medical Skincare has skincare programs implemented to help with acne and hyper-pigmentation for African American skin, including the following skincare regimen, which is a great starting point for anyone with dark skin.

1) Use cleansers at least once a day on your face. Cleansers are useful in removing excess oil and are essential for black skin care as it can be excessively oily in certain areas.

2) Exfoliate regularly in order to remove dead skin cells and debris that line the surface of the skin and clean the pores.

3) Treat dark skin spots, or hyper-pigmentation with a prescription hydroquinone such as Skin Lightener from Dermesse, or White Lightening from IS Clinical. Your skin care specialist will recommend what will be most effective.

4) Protect and moisturize with a complete sun block. Not only are Pellé’s sun blocks moisturizing, but they protect against UVA radiation which causes skin cancer and hyper-pigmentation. See our blog on General Skin Care.

Quick Quiz: Dark-skinned people don’t need sun block.

False! It is a common misconception that people with dark skin are not at risk for sunburn or skin cancer. Although dark skin does offer more natural protection from the sun’s harmful rays than light skin, no one is immune to the damage caused by the sun. And while darker skinned people won’t get sunburned as quickly, they will still burn and are still susceptible to sun-induced damage, such as sunspots (hyper-pigmentation), wrinkles and cancer. In fact, darker skinned people are more likely to die from skin cancer than light-skinned people due to this false sense of security.

Pellé offers a wide range of sun blocks for all skin types and color. No one should consider themselves immune to sunburns and skin cancer.

To get started on your healthier skin, schedule your appointment today!