Light Treatment of Follicular Disorders in Dark Skin

On the one hand, the majority of the published data on the topic of cosmetic dermatology and laser surgery have been focused on the Caucasian population; on the other hand, statistics in the United States showed significantly shifting demographics in the past decade. Hispanics and Asians accounted for 40% of the total growth of the US population, African Americans for 12%, and non-Hispanic Caucasians for somewhat over 2%. According to the 2000 census, 29% of the United States population, representing approximately 85 millions, is not Caucasian but are individuals of color.1 By the year 2056 it is expected that more than 50% of the US population will be of non-European descent and will likely include a large number of ethnic patients with cosmetic needs.2 Most of the current literature remains devoted to examining laser procedures performed on individuals with fair skin tones (Fitzpatrick skin phototypes I–II) and protocols have largely been defined on the basis of the more extensive clinical experience that has accumulated surrounding these patients, even though Asians, Hispanics, and African Americans are showing increased demand for dermatologic laser surgery.3