Whether you're suffering from bumps, breakouts or blackheads, pimple-prone skin needs help. Women with darkly pigmented skin face double trouble, because they first must cope with controlling their acne, and, second, dark skin is prone to scarring. Many women are, but women with darkly pigmented skin often find themselves frustrated at the makeup counter since some makeup colors just don t work for every skin tone. That s why cosmetic companies have recently developed colors that cater solely to the color palette of darkly pigmented skin. Dr. Downie and Mr. Criscuolo offer the following advice specifically for darkly pigmented complexions.
Black skin undergoes a two-step process during treatment.
First, a dermatologist will probably prescribe a treatment to reduce and prevent acne. After existing acne is under control, some African-Americans require additional treatment for hyperpigmentation. Dr. Downie advises her patients to start each morning by washing with a cleanser containing alpha hydroxy acids and apply a bleaching agent like hydroquinone to treat dark spots. African-Americans undergoing acne treatment often experience dry skin or ashiness. Sometimes women with dark skin-tones assume that they are safe from sun damage, but no one is safe from the harmful cancer causing rays of the sun, so remember to slather on the sunscreen.