Treating acne in Latino skin

Overview: Latino people, just like every other ethnic group, suffer from acne at a high rate and are affected in the same way emotionally. However, the medical community has performed very little research on Latino people with acne. According to the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, "there is a need to understand the variety of dermatologic disorders that manifest in ethnic groups of non-Caucasian skin types." But all is not lost. Acne develops the same way regardless of the type of skin a person has, and it's also treated in the same fashion.

What is unique about Latino skin: People with Latino skin experience a higher occurrence of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This is a fancy way of saying dark spots which are left behind after acne lesions have healed. These dark spots can take a long time to fade and can be as troubling as the acne itself. Check out the Hyperpigmentation tab at the top of this page to learn more about post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation.

How to treat acne in Latino skin: Treatments for acne are consistent no matter the ethnicity of the skin. With the right regimen, acne in Latino people can be treated extremely well. I share a regimen based on benzoyl peroxide here on Acne.org which works remarkably well for Latino people. Another option is Accutane. In my personal experience, other acne treatments aside from these two do not tend to produce the clearing that I require.

The bottom line: The most important goal is prevention. Preventing acne will prevent post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and potential scarring. Once you get your acne completely cleared up and are actively preventing new lesions from forming, you may embark on one of the methods of treating hyperpigmentation.