Dermatological, physiological features and dermatoses in black skin

Abstract

Objective: To discuss the study of black skin in dermatology, proposing a social analysis and highlighting the physiological particularities and the most prevalent dermatoses in this group. Bibliographic review: After a brief approach to the concept of race and to the skin typing system most discussed in dermatology, a structural, biological and functional analysis of black skin is carried out. In the epidermis, the main changes observed were in the stratum corneum, which has more layers and is more compact in black skin; and in melanosomes, which are distributed throughout the epidermis and have a greater amount of melanin compared to white skin. In the dermis, the main disparity is the number of collagen and fibroblasts, both of which are more numerous than in white skin. Furthermore, the most common physiological changes in this population and some of the most prevalent dermatological diagnoses stand out, with the five most frequent being acne, eczema, dyschromias, seborrheic dermatitis and alopecia. Final considerations: It is necessary to devote greater focus to the study of dermatological semiology in black skin, since important differences are observed in its structure and, consequently, in its responses to certain stimuli.