People of color have unique needs related to their skin and hair. To meet these needs, Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, has established an Ethnic Skin and Hair Clinic, bringing together a team of dermatology specialists with expertise in the evaluation and treatment of African Americans, Asians, Latinos and people of other ethnicities.

People with darker skin tones are prone to certain skin problems. One of the most common is hyperpigmentation, or dark spots. These spots are caused by an insult to deeply pigmented skin, such as acne, a cut, or a disorder such as psoriasis. Scars may also spread beyond the size of the original wound creating keloids, which are raised nodules of tissue.

Treatments include specially formulated creams or chemical peeling agents to remove superficial layers of the discolored skin. The creams are tailored specifically for each patient and include a combination of a bleaching agent, retinoid, and a steroid. The retinoid helps the skin to peel allowing the bleaching agent to penetrate. The steroid causes the skin to thin and look lighter.

Other conditions treated at the center include flesh moles, skin cancer, broken or damaged hair, acne keloidalis nuchae (painful bumps on the back of the scalp), and psedudofolliculities barbae (painful razor bumps that occur when curved hairs grow back into the skin).

• For more information about Dr. Toombs and the clinic, read “Help for Every Skin Type,” from a recent issue of Discover Rush.