African American skin acne

Joel Schlessinger, M.D. answers: What acne treatment works best for African American?

I am worried that some acne treatments/medications might cause my skin to lighten.  Is it possible for acne treatments to cause hypopigmentation in African Americans?  Are there any acne treatments that are safe for all skin types or work particularly well on dark skin?  Are there any acne treatments that people with darker skin tones should avoid?


Joel Schlessinger, MD
22 months ago
By Joel Schlessinger, MD - Omaha Dermatologist

In general, African American skin is best treated with topical medications that are gentle if possible. On the other hand, if oily skin is present, it may need to be ratcheted up a little bit.

As far as avoiding certain treatments, if you are dry you may want to avoid Retin A or other harsh topical medications. One that is particularly gentle on the skin is Clindagel.

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