Treatment For Skin Of Color
Shine MD is dedicated to creating a space for skin of color in the world of aesthetics and ensuring that patients with pigment in their skin can receive high-quality treatment that is safe and effective for their skin. As a South Asian female with a history of acne and acne scarring, Dr. Mona Khurana has experienced her own challenges finding care that is sensitive to colored skin. She has made it a personal goal to seek out treatments that are able to deliver results, while minimizing the complications that can occur when performing treatments on skin of color.
Skin of color is classified as anyone who has a background of pigmented skin. This includes essentially every racial or ethnic background, including mixed racial ethnicity.
Book a consultation at our Vancouver clinic.
Shine MD is dedicated to creating a space for skin of color in the world of aesthetics and ensuring that patients with pigment in their skin can receive high-quality treatment that is safe and effective for their skin. As a South Asian female with a history of acne and acne scarring, Dr. Mona Khurana has experienced her own challenges finding care that is sensitive to colored skin. She has made it a personal goal to seek out treatments that are able to deliver results, while minimizing the complications that can occur when performing treatments on skin of color.
Skin of color is classified as anyone who has a background of pigmented skin. This includes essentially every racial or ethnic background, including mixed racial ethnicity.
Book a consultation at our Vancouver clinic.
Why Is This Important?
Skin treatments, scar treatments, and lasers can be performed at aggressive settings in lighter skin types with low or minimal risks of causing further scarring and hyperpigmentation. However, in darker skin types (including people of Middle Eastern, South Asian, Asian, African, South American, or Aboriginal heritage) laser treatment settings need to be carefully selected to maximize results and minimize complications, such as post inflammatory hyperpigmentation.
Pre and Post Care Treatment plans and quality skin care are essential to improving patient outcomes. When performing aggressive scar or resurfacing treatments on skin of color, there is a balance between reaching treatment goals and stimulating pigment formation with the lasers.
Shine MD was founded on the basis of inclusivity. Dr. Khurana has been committed to seeking out treatments and developing protocols that optimize treatment plans in patients with skin of color.
Laser Treatments for Skin of Color
Laser treatments are designed to create controlled and strategic injury to the skin. In doing so, light skin types often recover without consequence and follow a fairly routine post-treatment course.
In skin of color treatment settings and protocols are modified so the laser treatments can have positive outcomes while minimizing stimulation of pigment in the skin. At Shine MD, we offer laser treatments that our experienced providers can use to dramatically improve the vibrance, texture, and appearance of colored skin.
For our patients with acne scarring and skin of color, laser treatments that are intended to improve texture can cause pigment formation in the upper layer of the skin. This pigment formation is called Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH).
PIH can be minimized with the use of pre-treatment and post-treatment lightening creams and the judicious use of sunscreen and sun avoidance. After a series of texture improving treatments is complete, PIH can be successfully treated with the Moxi® laser. The Moxi® laser is research-proven to improve pigment, with results improving over multiple sessions.
Melasma is another condition that is common in skin of color patients. The Moxi laser is a promising treatment that can improve the appearance of melasma in some patients. It is important to note that melasma is a challenging condition to treat. Treatments are aimed at reducing pigmentation. While laser treatments such as the Moxi are often effective at reducing melasma, in some cases, they can lead to increased pigmentation. The use of lasers in the treatment of melasma is performed frequently, with thoughtful consideration of patient goals and expectations.
Our skilled treatment providers can also modify the protocols of our BroadBand Light treatments, including Forever Young BBL™ and Forever Clear BBL®, so they can be performed on all but the darkest skin types. Our clinicians are focused on advancing the safety of treatments for dark skin, and ensuring our patients achieve the results they desire.
Aesthetic Treatments for Skin of Color
We understand that aesthetics is a form of self-care, and we want to ensure that our patients with skin of color feel supported in their journey towards inner confidence. Through training and practice, the team at Shine MD has developed a strong understanding and knowledge about treating skin of color. This allows our treatment providers to modify pre and post care protocols to minimize pigmentation and improve suitability for pigmented skin.
We offer a variety of aesthetic treatment options that are beneficial for skin concerns that affect many people of color. Platelet-rich plasma can be used in addition to laser treatments, we offer a variety of skin treatments that are safe for skin of color. Platelet-rich plasma can be used in combination with microneedling treatments or injected gently into the under-eye area to improve the appearance of dark under-eye circles. Other skin treatments such as the Bela MD Medical Grade Facial, Red Carpet Facial and chemical peels are ideal even for the darkest of skin types.
Other aesthetic treatment options are considered extremely safe for skin of color patients.
They are as follows:
- Bela MD Medical Grade Facials and the Red Carpet Facial can improve luminosity and improve overall skin health, target acne and pigment.
- Microneedling with PRP or NCTF Boost is safe all year round.
- Platelet Rich Plasma is effective for improving the appearance of dark under circles and can also be used as an adjunct for subcision and microneedling.
- Chemical peels are carefully selected to be safe and effective for all skin types.
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Before & After Gallery
Want to see real patient results from our innovative skin treatments? View our impressive before and after images in our photo gallery.
*Individual results may vary.