Skin care is not one-size-fits-all and, as such, a variety of services will need to be offered and performed by skin care professionals. Being prepared to work with the ever diversifying population goes beyond creating a treatment plan based on the skin's pigmentation; it requires taking into account the client's ancestry and understanding the role that it plays in how the skin will respond to…

There are several aspects to addressing health risks and concerns associated with ethnic skin. To really scratch the surface of this topic, it is important to first look at how ethnic skin is classified. In general, the skin is defined by the Fitzpatrick scale. With this scale, skin type is classified by its reaction to ultraviolet light and ranges from Type I, ivory-colored skin, to…

Going beyond the basic skin analysis should be a regular practice for the proper examination of ethnic skin. In fact, there is a visual difference between ethnic skins in relation to sun exposure. The skin's physiology is identical in structure, but, due to the main determinant of melanin that is produced, darker skin tones offer a greater defense against sun damage.

The skin is an excellent record keeper; every moment spent in the sun adds up. Even if a client has only ever had one deep sunburn, that may be all that is needed to produce wrinkles. The accumulation of this damage may lie beneath the surface of the skin, manifesting in signs of irreversible damage 15 to 20 years later. Some of these changes, however,…