MUST APPLIED TIPS ON HOW TO END ACNE IN WHITE AND BLACK SKIN

White skin

• Acne very common in white skin
• More incidence of nodules and cysts
• Tendency toward dryer skin
• Less chance of hyperpigmentation

Overview

Acne is an extremely common skin disorder in Caucasian adolescents and adults. According to Cutis, a peer-reviewed clinical journal for dermatologists, "During visits by white patients, the...most common [diagnosis] recorded [was] acne."¹ Upwards of 95% of Caucasian people experience acne at some point in their lives.

What is different about white skin

People with lighter skin tend to have a higher incidence of nodules and cysts, the more severe types of acne lesions. Caucasian people also tend toward dryer skin, making drying and peeling medications more of a challenge. White people must also contend with more noticeable lesions when they do break out. The acute redness and inflammation that directly surround an acne lesion stand in stark contrast to light skin tones. However, when it comes to the red spots that acne leaves behind, white people tend to have less of a struggle. While white people do experience post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation—a fancy term for these marks—they experience them less often than their darker-skinned counterparts.^2-5 Also, these marks tend to fade more quickly on lighter skin. However, Caucasian skin, just like any other ethnicity, can scar.

How to treat acne in white skin

No matter the ethnicity, acne develops and is treated the same way, and with proper medication is easily treatable.⁶ Options include topical treatment as well as Accutane (isotretinoin).

Black skin and acne

Treating acne in black skin

Black skin

• Acne very common in both adolescents and adults of African decent
• Tendency for hyperpigmentation
• Very few studies

Overview

Acne is the most common skin disorder in black adolescents and black adults and is often the primary reason for a visit to a doctor or dermatologist.^1-3 According to the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, "Acne vulgaris is an extremely common dermatological problem in Africans and people of African descent worldwide."⁴ Despite this prevalence, relatively few studies have been conducted on people with black skin.

What is different about black skin

People with black skin tend to have inflammatory acne, the most common type of acne. This is actually good news because inflammatory acne is easier to treat than non-inflammatory acne. Black people also tend to have fewer nodules and cysts, the more severe types of acne lesions. Despite the fact that black people tend to have less severe lesions, there is a higher chance of keloid scarring, especially on the chest and back, making effective acne prevention paramount.
Next, all non-Caucasian skin types tend to have a higher incidence of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, a fancy term for marks left after acne goes away. This is such a big issue that dermatologists often remark on how their black patients consider these marks worse than the acne itself.^2,5-8 See the hyperpigmentation section below to learn more about how to contend with these dark spots that acne leaves behind.
People of African heritage do not tend to suffer with rosacea.⁹

Pomade acne - a special case

Sometimes the greasy emollients which make up black hair care products can come into contact with the skin and aggravate acne. If you use these products and tend to break out along your hairline or in places where your particular hair style comes into contact with your skin, this may be the culprit.²

How to treat acne in black skin

Luckily, inflammatory acne develops and is treated the same way regardless of skin color, and with the right regimen is easy to clear. There are several options including topical treatment as well as Accutane (isotretinoin). According to the International Journal of Dermatology, "benzoyl peroxide is particularly effective for the inflammatory component." Benzoyl peroxide is a mild drying and peeling agent, but people with black skin tend to have less flakiness and scaling of the skin and tolerate it well.^10-11 There is a highly effective topical regimen here on sghealth.com which works extremely well on darker skin types.