Treating Ethnic Skin Conditions

Wednesday, March 1, 2006

Treating Ethnic Skin Conditions (NAPSA)—Just because a product saysit’s a facial cleanser or mois- turizer, doesn’t mean it’s the right product for you. Many people think that the same skin care regimen worksas well on African Americans and Hispanicsasit does on non-ethnic skin types. But according to experts like Dr. Angelo P. Thrower, a dermatologist specializing in ethnic skin condi- tions, such skin presents unique challenges that have only recently begun to be addressed. He offers these answers to some frequently asked ethnic skin care questions: Q: What are some problems specific to ethnic skin? A: Ethnic skin is prone to a unique set of problems, ranging from dark spots and skin discoloration, to acne, shaving bumps and bumps on the neck. Q: What’s the first step in deter- mining howto care for my skin? A: Start by finding out what type of skin you have. There are three general skin types: Oily skin, which is shiny and may feel bumpy; normal/combination skin, which has a few areas that are oily and others that are slightly dry; and dry skin, which tends to have matte finishes because of an accumulation of dead skin. Oily skin has manylarge pores, normal/com- bination skin has a moderate number of visible pores and dry skin has few,if any, visible pores. Q: Do skin conditions affect black and white skin differently? A: Sometimes. Black skin tends to exaggerate the skin’s response to disease by producing follicular excitements, or hair bumps, that are dry and rough to the touch. Q: How do I choose a treatment? A: Look for products made for your specific skin type. For instance, Dr. Thrower developed a Doctors suggest using treatments that are specially formulated for ethnic skin. line of products for ethnic skin called Heritage Skin Care. It’s specially formulated to treat com- mon problems in skin-of-color, such as melasma, or dark patches and dark spots. The line is also formulated to treat dry skin and acne—a disease common in both black and white skin, but that reacts differently to treatment, depending on a person’s skincolor. Q: What can happen to the skin if the wrong product is used? A: Most people’s skin isn’t oily around the eyes, on the corner of the nose, and around the mouth. If those areas are exposed to dry- ing products on ethnic skin, irrita- tion, skin discoloration and bump formationis likely. Q. If I have dark skin, do I still need to be careful of the sun? A: Even black skin tans and burns and must be protected. It’s a good idea to use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 every time you go outside, whether it seems sunny or not. For more information, visit www.heritageskincare.com.

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