‍Skin of Color Dermatologists

The following physicians, Dr. Alexis Stephens and Dr. Vanita Rattan, specialize in treating skin of color. These moms share both their recommendations along with the rationale, their own skin concerns, and passion for science when it comes to formulating products and understanding the mechanisms of action. I especially like that they teach you how to read labels, engage with their audience, collaborate with their colleagues, and take us along their journey as they continue to build their brand and business.

Their authenticity is heartfelt. They are not afraid to talk about skin of color and in doing so, they have been exceptional role models for navigating social media as a healthcare provider with a sweet spot for communities of color and a heart for helping people globally. These two powerhouses are not afraid to collaborate or lend their expertise to help brands create more inclusive products.

Dr. V wrote a book called the Skin Revolution: The ultimate guide to beautiful and healthy skin of color (I purchased the digital copy). It’s not full of medical jargon, which makes it an excellent resource for parents and her audience. It houses all the recommendations from her videos into one convenient place. Be sure to follow both of them on Instagram and YouTube.

Dr. Alexis Stephens

Coral Springs, Florida

-Parkland Dermatology https://www.parklanddermatology.com/

-Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dralexisstephens/?hl=en

-YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@DrAlexisStephens

Dr. Vanita Rattan

England, United Kingdom

-Dr. V’s free e-guide to Skin of Color (enter your email to receive a free copy, you won’t be spammed after) https://bit.ly/3bWFUlF

-Skin Revolution: The ultimate guide to beautiful and healthy skin of color book https://amzn.to/3s1bOc3

-Skin Care by Dr. V https://www.skincarebydrv.com/

-Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drvanitarattan/?hl=en

-YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@vanitarattan

Dr. Laura Scott

Dr. Laura Scott is a Board-Certified Dermatologist and mother of 5 girls. She attended medical school at Harvard University and completed her residency at the University of Miami. She served as the Associate Director of the Skin of Color Division founded by Dr. Susan Taylor (the current President-elect of the American Academy of Dermatology), and just moved to San Diego where she is in the process of opening her practice. All these years she’s let us into her home and heart, and now she’s letting us into her clinic. You can visit her website and sign up for her waitlist for either a virtual or in person visit.

Dr. Scott has a warm, genuine and infectious personality. She has become a social media expert and allowed her audience to get know her personally. I separated her from the Dr. Stephens and Dr. V because the bulk of her content has been more on the personal side. In my opinion, it’s one of the traits that makes her standout. It’s not hard to find someone who will tell you to wear sunscreen or help you establish a skincare regimen, but then it stops there. She has taken her audience on the journey with her from her days at Harvard to now. When most people prefer to take a neutral stance or be politically correct, she boldly stands up for what she believes in. We love her for it.

In recent months, she’s received more requests for skincare content, and she’s been delivering on both Instagram and TikTok. Just when we think we’ve seen it all from Dr. Scott, she surprises us and says wait, there’s more.

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Connect with Dr. Laura Scott

San Diego, California

Laura Scott & Co. https://laurascottandco.com/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/laurascottandco/?hl=en

TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@laurascottandco

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Dr. Susan Taylor

Dr. Susan Taylor is a Board-Certified Dermatologist and she will become the President of the American Academy of Dermatology in March 2024. She has been a pioneer when it comes to Skin of Color education. She is also a mom, author, and a practicing physician at the University of Pennsylvania where she serves as the Vice Chair of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the Department of Dermatology.

Connect with Dr. Susan Taylor

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

-Taylor and Elbuluk's Color Atlas and Synopsis for Skin of Color

-Dr. Susan Taylor’s Rx for Brown Skin: Your prescription for flawless skin, hair, and nails

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HUED

I wrote a separate review of HUED for clinicians. Here, I want to highlight the key features for patients and clients. HUED is a digital health equity company aiming to create equitable and inclusive healthcare experiences for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous communities. It was founded by Kimberly Wilson after her own unfortunate healthcare experience. Now she offers a rich source of information through HUED to give people access to culturally competent care.

On the website you’ll find a directory of skin of color providers in the United States. To be listed on the directory, providers must complete a collection of health equity courses that address unconscious bias, anti-racism, social determinants of health, and perinatal health equity. I had the privilege to take the courses and will be writing a review in the near future. Join the Mahogany Dermatology community to be notified when that article is published.

Lastly, you’ll find, See My Skin, the result of a collaboration between HUED, Vaseline and VisualDx. See My Skin is a database of images on various skin tones and collection of resources based on the input you type in the search box. It’s a resource that is long overdue, and I’m glad it’s here. I had the pleasure of meeting with one of the Directors of HUED and I was very pleased with how welcoming I felt as a nurse practitioner and as someone who can offer valuable feedback. They are in the process of scaling their business. Not sure how that will look on the client side, but there are some exciting changes ahead for clinicians like myself.

-See My Skin https://www.seemyskin.com/

-Dermatology provider directory (NPs and PAs welcomed)  https://www.seemyskin.com/directory  

-Black Derm Directory https://www.blackdermdirectory.com/

-Search various specialty providers here https://app.huedco.com/

-Find a Black doctor https://blackdoctor.org/find-a-doctor/

-The National Association of Free & Charitable Clinics https://nafcclinics.org/find-clinic/

-HUED Health Equity courses https://huedco.com/courses/

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Derm Friends

Derm Friends is a website and app with skin, hair, and nail product recommendations created by Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd. On the website you’ll find everything from affordable acne skincare products to education about ingredients. Dr. Woolery-Lloyd is a double Board-certified Dermatologist and Lifestyle Medicine physician who practices in Miami. Additionally, she is the Director of the Skin of Color Division for the University of Miami's Department of Dermatology and a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine HEAL Group. I had the pleasure of learning from her as a participant of Diversity in Dermatology's Achieve Program in 2023.

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Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd

Miami, Florida

-Derm Friends website https://dermfriends.com/

-Derm Friends app https://drheathermd.com/dermatologist-recommends-app-download

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Kimberly Madison, DNP, AGPCNP-BC

Kimberly Madison is a nurse practitioner with a passion for writing, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and mentorship. I created this blog to share my journey as I become a dermatology nurse practitioner and entrepreneur. Most importantly, I’m looking forward to helping nurse practitioners and aspiring students to better understand the business of dermatology and their role in improving access to care, providing culturally competent care, and advancing education.

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