HUED

Back to school means new routines, new schedules, and for a lot of teens and young adults, new stress on their skin. Acne doesn’t just show up because of hormones. Stress, sweat from sports or long days, and inconsistent routines all play a role too. For Black and Brown skin specifically, there’s an added concern that often gets left out of the conversation: even after a breakout clears, it can leave behind a mark that lingers for months.

By Dr. Uchenna R. Okereke, MD Summer brings longer days, more time outdoors, and more sun exposure. For many of my patients, it also brings a familiar frustration: dark marks that seem to linger longer, melasma that suddenly becomes more noticeable, and skin that looks less even despite a consistent skincare routine. When I talk to patients about sunscreen, most are surprised by what I focus on. Yes, sunscreen plays an important role in reducing skin cancer risk.

Every spring, I hear the same thing from patients who look like me: “Dr. Henry, my skin is doing the most right now.” The seasonal shift from winter to spring is one of the most disruptive times of year for skin, and for patients with melanated skin, that disruption comes with specific concerns that mainstream skincare still doesn’t address well enough. Fluctuating temperatures, humidity, allergens, and the urge to overhaul your routine can all damage your skin barrier.

As a board-certified dermatologist, one of the most common complaints I hear in my practice is about dry and brittle nails. It’s a frustrating issue, and patients often feel like they’ve tried everything. What they don’t always realize is that the solution isn’t just about what you put on your nails, but what you do for the skin around them.

Written by: Brooke Jackson, MD Published on: 11 August 2022 As a dermatologist, I preach the importance of sun protection to every patient and have done so for years. While it is true that skin cancer in darker skin tones is not as common as it is in those with fair skin, it is also true that when it does occur in darker skin tones, it’s often more deadly for individuals with darker skin tones – this was the case for Reggae legend Bob Marley, who died of a melanoma.

Let’s set the scene: it’s 6:00 pm and you just got home from your 9-5 job, your body is begging you to rest. You don’t listen because, “real bosses don’t take days off” instead you stay up until 1:00am working on both your side business and creative passions. You fall asleep in the living room, get up at 5:00 am to workout and start your day all over again.

Eczema is an itchy inflammation of the skin that can lead to a skin rash, itching or dry, scaly skin. To combat dry and eczema-prone skin, it is important to add as much moisture to our skin as possible. This means using a humidifier, limiting time in baths or showers, using gentle cleansers and moisturizing, moisturizing, moisturizing. Firstly, moisturizers ideally contain three components: humectants, emollients and occlusives. It’s best to look for products that contain all three.