The unique properties of skin with darker pigmentation give it special requirements and risk factors when using dermal fillers, which are best handled by someone with experience in this area.
The growth in this demographic has led to increased dermal filler and Botox injections for these men and women as well, according to a recent story in Skin & Allergy News.
More Men and Women With Darker Skin Choosing Cosmetic Procedures
According to Dr. Valerie Callender, a dermatologist at Howard University, “Your typical skin of color patient is 45 years old, has some volume loss, some infraorbital hollowing, and is definitely concerned about laugh lines.”
Patients with darker skin pigmentation are at an increased risk of forming keloids, a type of scarring that may be caused by injections but is rare in those with lighter skin. Dr. Callender says that, “The No. 1 tip is to minimize the number of injections to minimize the risk of postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. If there is erythema, apply a topical corticosteroid.”
One advantage for those with darker pigmentation is that an increased amount of skin pigmentation tends to have a protective benefit against UV aging, helping darker skin to look 10 or even 20 years younger than comparable lighter skin.
The unique characteristics of the various types of skin have not been studied conclusively with regards to specific cosmetic treatments such as Botox, dermal fillers and other skin treatments. Dr. Callender noted that more trials are needed in the future to determine short and long-term effects of the many available treatments on patients with darker skin.
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