| Black Skin |
Black skin
Black skin varies from light brown to medium brown to dark brown. The colour is determined by the amount of melanin in the skin which can vary dramatically and depends largely upon a person's heritage, this may include; African, Caribbean, Indian, Native Australian, African American, Native American, Asian, Latino, or Middle and Far Eastern. Asian skin is subdivided into; Chinese, Japanese and Koreans (East Asian), Indonesian, Maysian, Singaporean, Thai, Vietnamese and Cambodian (Southeast Asian) and Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis (South Asian) . The East Asian skin tends to be lighter in shade than South and South East Asian skin.
These combinations can produce an endless array of skin colour but there are several characteristics that are common to all black skin: Black skin contains large amounts of melanin and absorbs far more ultra violet light than does a white skin, this provides increased protection, reducing the risk of sunburn, skin cancer and other lesions that form in response to UV exposure. Ageing effects are delayed and collagen and elastin degeneration is very slow allowing the skin to look smooth and remain supple for much longer than other types. As black skin ages, it may become irregularly pigmented, this shows up as dark patches on the skin. Irregular pigmentation can also be caused by inflammation, if an area of the skin becomes inflamed or irritated from something such as an acne pustule, a brown area can be left behind as the redness or inflammation subsides. Sweat and sebaceous glands are larger and more numerous and they are situated closer to the surface of the skin, this accounts for the oily open pored appearance of many black skins. If this skin type becomes dry however it can have an ashen appearance from dead skin cells that are ready to be removed. Black skin has a greater risk of developing keloid scars - scars that form after injury or trauma to the skin, but become abnormally large. Trauma may include such things as; cuts, insect bites, surgery, ear piercing, a tattoo or even an ingrown hair. Black skin is more prone to a benign skin condition called Dermatosis papulosa nigra. It is a harmless condition commonly affecting the faces of black and sometimes Asian adults. The cause is unknown, although about half of people affected have a family history of the disorder. It appears on the skin as a number of smooth, raised, dark brown to black bumps occurring more often on the cheeks and forehead but sometimes they may also appear on the neck and trunk. The severity of the condition may be classified by the number of lesions on the skin:
Women are affected more than men and it usually begins in adolescence, the number and size of lesions increasing with age. No treatment is required as this condition is harmless. If, however, they are removed by a medical practitioner, great care must be taken to avoid scars and loss of pigment in the skin.
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