Aging and Black Skin

As we age, our bodies begin to change. We begin to notice more wrinkles and fine lines. In our skin, collagen and elastin fibers that provide us with the firm, youthful look begin to weaken with time. The skin begins to lose its natural fat and that causes the skin to appear looser, more laxed, and less plump. Gravity also tends to pull the skin down further, worsening the skin sag. Skin can age more rapidly due to repeated sun exposure as well as smoking.

Many African Americans appear about 10 years younger than their stated age. This is due in large part to the extra melanin in the skin that protects the skin from the harmful UV sun rays. The more melanin one has, the more skin protection they receive. Thus, the lighter the complexion is, the greater the propensity is to age. Furthermore, less African Americans sun bathe or use tanning booths in comparison to Caucasians.

African American skin needs UV protection just as much as white skin does. You need to protect yourself from both UVA and UVB rays. UVB protection comes from SPF and UVA comes from a physical barrier such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These now come micronized that they do not leave dark skin looking grey as in the past! What most people do not know is that UVA is very powerful and can penetrate through windows and is given off by fluorescent lighting, thus being indoors in your office, you are still exposed to UVA rays! Protect yourself daily and more frequently when you are out in the sun.

As African American skin ages, the biggest concerns are loss of volume (a more gaunt face), saggy skin, discoloration, and wrinkles. The loss of volume is seen because we lose our natural fat that is in our skin. Look at your pictures from your thirties and compare them to your pictures now in your fifties and sixties. The people who lose the most volume are the people who had thin faces to begin with. They treatment for this is fillers such as Juvaderm (the only filler approved for people of color) and sculptra to provide volume back to the face. It is very effective and can last 6-12 months.

The patient’s who have a more round face, may experience more sagging around the jaw line as gravity begins to pull the skin down. Using the laser tightening and resurfacing techniques can help if it is not bad, but if severe, surgery may be the only option.

Discoloration comes from sun damage that has occurred over the years. If you are lighter, you might have freckles which are a sign of sun damage, or if you are darker, you may just have patches or spots of unevenness. I tend to see more darker skin on the forehead and chin with lighter skin around the eyes and the cheek/nose area. This unevenness in skin color is also a sign of sun damage. Depending on how bad the discoloration is, treatments will vary. Topical treatments with hydroquinone 4%, a lightening gel and Retin-A, will work well for more superficial and milder forms of sun damage. For more severe sun damage, peels to lasers may be your answer. The best t thing is to see your expert and learn more about your skin and its specific needs.