I grew up with brown skin, that tans easily, grows hair easily, dries out easily, breaks out easily and was anything but easy to treat. Not because my skin conditions were difficult to treat, but because my skin color was. I was told that over-the-counter products were not suitable for my skin — either not effective enough or too harsh. I was told prescription-strength products also were not suitable for my skin. I had difficulty finding a physician who was comfortable treating my skin tone and skin type even twenty years later in the year 2020! There have been so many advances in skincare products, skincare procedures and devices, but the progress in provider education has yet to catch up. I decided that I needed to help others who are not in a position to seek out the clinical studies, the medical grade products and devices, and the resources needed to treat their own skin. I at least have a medical degree and twenty years of my own research into skincare as I struggled with treating my own acne, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and acne scarring, and finding those who could provide safe and effective laser hair removal and skin resurfacing procedures. I wish I knew then – in my teens – what I know now: prevention is key, medical grade and prescription strength formulations are more effective, invest in health (skincare) over aesthetics (makeup) first, and maintenance is essential. I wish I had the resources I have now because I could have avoided having to “fix” damage to my skin and instead learned how to care for it and prevent damage to it.
First, let’s discuss skin types. You will be asked to classify your skin based on its ability to tan. After your physician consultation, which will include further questioning and a skin exam, your skin type will be determined. Here is a rough guide of the Fitzpatrick skin types:
- I – Ivory white skin. Burns easily. Never Tans. Usually, very light skin tone and light eyes.
- II – White skin. Burns easily . Tans minimally, with difficulty.
- III – White skin. Burns moderately. Tans moderately and uniformly.
- IV – Beige-olive skin. Lightly tanned. Burns minimally. Tans moderately and easily.
- V – Moderate brown or tanned skin. Rarely burns. Tans profusely.
- VI – Dark brown or black skin. Never burns. Tans profusely. Usually, very dark skin tone and dark eyes.
* Ethnicity and heritage is also considered in skin typing, and often affects the safety profile of certain products, devices, and procedures
Our mission is to serve all Fitzpatrick skin types, particularly, the “difficult to treat” ones which are types IV-VI for which there are added safety considerations needed as well as experienced clinicians. I have treated Type IV-V skin my entire life and hope I can help others who are in the position I was. I felt alone, helpless, and despondent. I had accepted that I would just have “bad skin”, which included a decade of daily breakouts, resultant scarring, coarse unwanted hair, and a constant and inconclusive search for effective products and makeup to cover all my imperfections. I otherwise felt great – I was healthy, active, and mostly happy but that was not reflected in my skin. I have worked to provide solutions that will make your skin healthier on a cellular level, which will in turn make it appear healthier on the surface level.
Our treatments include the following:
- Laser hair removal — using a device safe for all skin types and ability to remove hair in darker skin tones (Fitzpatrick Types IV-VI which is the spectrum of olive to dark brown/black colored skin)
- Collagen induction therapy — using the SkinPen microneedling device which is also safe for all skin types
- Oxygen facials — uses a 3-step approach to superficial skin resurfacing: exfolation, infusion, and ultrasound using the Oxygeneo 3-in-1 superfacial device. This treatment can be performed on all skin types and the oxypods and serums come in various formulations to treat different skin concerns.
- LED light therapy — uses blue light, red light, and infrared light to treat acne, wrinkles, and pain. We focus primarily on blue light for acne treatment and red light for wrinkles. The LED therapy can be added to any other treatment to boost the collagen/elastin-forming effects.
- Glowbiotics skin treatments – chemical “peels” safe for all skin types. Effective skin treatments, without the peeling and downtime.