UNIQUE BIOLOGIC FEATURES OF DARKER SKIN
PIGMENT
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There are NO racial differences in the number of pigment-producing cells (melanocytes).
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People with darker skin tones tend to show larger, denser, and more dispersed pigment storage unit (melanosome) within the top layer of the skin (epidermis).
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Patients with darker skin types tend to have less skin cancer, fewer signs of aging, increased conditions with dark marks.
SCARRING
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Patients of African descent have been shown to have larger scar producing cells (fibroblasts) which leads to greater scar and keloid formation compared to white patients.
Reference
- Taylor SC. Skin of color: biology, structure, function, and implications for dermatologic disease.J Am Acad Dermatol. 2002 Feb;46(2 Suppl Understanding):S41-62.