Written by Black Press USA/NNPA
Published on 12th May 2021

 Dermatologist Jasmine Obioha reports that there is a lack of training on treating skin conditions on skin of colour. According to a review of general medicine textbooks in the journal of Social Science and Medicine, dermatology students are tested on diagnosing skin conditions based on photos of a patient’s skin but only 4.5% of these images are of dark skin, which leads to a lack of training on treating skin of colour. Common skin conditions can present differently in people of colour, which can lead to misdiagnosis. For instance, Psoriasis, a common skin condition, presents as purple patches on dark skin and salmon-coloured patches on light skin.

 Doctor Jasmine Obioha shared that she has spoken with patients who suffered botched treatments undergoing cosmetic procedures, such as laser hair removal and chemical peels, which can cause inflammation and darkening in skin of colour if they are not performed correctly. She recommends to all her patients of colour to enquire if the specialist has training on treating skin of colour before booking an appointment at a Dermatology practice.

Read the Full Story at https://afro.com/why-skin-issues-in-patients-of-color-are-neglected-mistreated/