Retin A is a very common acne treatment that many people use. This can lighten your skin. For your type of skin, I would consider a sensitive skin cleanser this will help decrease your inflammation that you might be getting with other products. Having a skin cleanser with salicylic acid 2% is vitally important... more
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?
4 answers to “What acne treatment works best for...”
A: Acne in darker complexions
The risk of lightening the skin with acne treatments is very small. The pigmentation that is much more common and problematic is darkening of the skin. Racial differences do not affect the causes of acne, which are: Excess oil production Blocked or clogged pores Bacteria Inflammation However, people... more
A: In my experience one of the main problems with acne in...
In my experience one of the main problems with acne in darkly pigmented skin is the discoloration that is left behind after the acne lesions resolve. The most effective way to combat this problem is, of course, to prevent new acne from forming, and to do so using the modalities that are the least irritating... more
A: African American skin acne
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... more
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