How to treat darker skin tones

I really love being an aesthetician who can help my clients look and feel their very best. But I also love being an educator, so that means teaching as much as I can about mind, body and skincare. But there is still so much we can learn about ourselves, our world and our history. That brings me on to Juneteeth which commemorates the freeing of 250,000 slaves in the state of Texas in the last days of the US Civil War. Marking days like this is crucial to increasing our education and understanding of the history of the American people. It also got me thinking about the lack of education that exists amongst aestheticians when it comes to different skin colors. Because of today’s significance I want to focus on skin of color and how it has to be treated differently to lighter or pale skin.

You’d be surprised how many clients ask if I can treat their skin after they’ve been harmed by less thorough practitioners. So what kind of thing are we talking about? As an example I use CO2 fractional lasers which are ablative lasers meaning they remove parts of the skin. They are not advised for use on skin of color because they can cause hyper (too much) or hypo (not enough) pigmentation. ND:YAG lasers are safe for darker skins because they penetrate deeper and bypass the pigment layer and are unable to disrupt it. So why does the pigment cause an issue? Darker skin types absorb more energy from the laser and are difficult to regulate and predict how they will behave, lighter skins don’t absorb the laser energy so the pigment isn’t disrupted. IPL is also a no-no, and that includes for hair removal as well as skin rejuvenation because it does not discriminate between the skin and hair pigments. As a rule energy-based treatments are best avoided when you have darker skin. So what do I recommend?

Morpheus8 RF Microneedling doesn’t employ light energy and is not attracted to pigment, the energy is delivered under the surface and will easily address pigmentation, acne scars and signs of aging in skin of color.  Red light therapy is another great choice because it does not generate heat in the skin, it’s gentle and effective at rejuvenating the skin and healing it at the same time. It stimulates the collagen really well and can even out scars and wrinkles. I also love chemical peels in Centennial, CO., for skin of color but again, I use a peel that won’t introduce a lot of inflammation into the skin. I also like to tailor topical skincare so retinoids and vitamin C serums are not off the table.

The moral of the story with darker skin tones is… less is more. That includes facials and exfoliation treatments. In general a gentler approach is needed. If you’re unsure about a treatment, just ask! I’d rather explain what will be safe and effective than to have anyone be misled and injured. Not on my watch!

Come in and see us at Invigorate Advanced Aesthetics in Centennial, Colorado for your Morpheus8 RF Microneedling or Red light therapy needs.