Best Acne Treatment for African American?

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 with darker skin tones usually have more inflammation than those with lighter complexions. Even something that seems as minor as a clogged pore may have a lot of inflammation. And... more

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 to skin. Oral antibiotics are an effective option for many patients with acne, and do not cause the drying of skin that we see from gels, creams, and solutions. Patients need to be... more

Post inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH)' which is skin darkening, occurs much more commonly that skin lightening as a result of acne or as a consequence of acne treatment. Steroid injections, used to quickly resolve deep, tender acne nodules, are the one exception--these may cause skin lightening in spot (this generally resolves over time. Regardless of skin color, the best treatment for your acne will depend on the type of acne lesions and their location, That being said, acne... more

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. This ingredient will kill off bacteria that causes acne. A topical antibiotic cream with clindamycin can really help when things get really bad for you in terms of pustules and... more

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.

For the most part, the treatment is very similar, regardless of patients skin color. There is some data to suggest that patients with darker skin color require more aggressive treatment approach earlier, to prevent post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (dark spots). Treatment options include topical creams, oral antibiotics, and accutane. Acne surgery should also be done cautiously, not to cause dark spots in the areas treated.

Most of the time in dealing with Afro-American skin, it is hyper-pigmentation that is a problem. Sometimes, my patients come to see me complaining of "scars" when actually it is dark spots they are concerned about. I feel dermatologists must be aggressive in treating dark skin to avoid this. In other words, it is a lot easier to deal with the acne than to correct hyper-pigmentation. I am quicker to place darker-complected patients on oral treatments. I realize, I just... more