HOUSTON – There are certain skin conditions that seem to affect darker skin more frequently and with more severity, often times impacting people’s self-esteem.
Courtney Zavala had a chance to visit Tru Essence Spa, a cosmetic and medical luxury spa in Downtown Houston, that promises to help individuals with all skin types, especially African Americans.
“Skin conditions can occur in any race, but there are some skin conditions that are more prone to occur in African American skin or people with darker skin,” said Dr. Lashondria Simpson-Camp, Tru Essence Spa owner & medical director.
“I had a laser treatment in California on some scarring and they burned my skin. They used the wrong lasers and my understanding is that they needed to have a tip on the razor because I’m African American, very fair-skinned, but still African American and they didn’t use the right laser. So, my skin was very burned and scarred. So, I came here for help,” said Jonnie Russo, who is one of patients treated at Tru Essence Spa with microneedling, a procedure recommended for scars, discoloration, or to smooth out the skin’s appearance.
“There are some lasers on the market that are not safe for darker skin people, that’s because it can cause scarring. The goal is to find a location like here that has lasers for all skin types, and we have that a Tru Essence,” said Simpson-Camp, who explained some of the issues seen in darker skin types, like keloids, ingrown hairs, and especially hyperpigmentation.
“If you’ve had surgery you can be left with a hypertrophic scar even a keloid. Hyperpigmentation it’s where you may have had an insult to the skin, say an acne or pimple, and after that acne or pimple resolves you’re left with a dark spot. These dark spots can take years to fade. So, we have ways to treat you for that,” said Simpson-Camp, who also wants to stress the importance of protecting your skin from sun damage.
“Darker skin individuals can suffer from cancer, and the number one way to prevent that and the cheapest easiest way is by putting on sunscreen daily. Even in your car, you’re getting exposed to UV rays, so it’s important to wear sunscreen every day,” said Simpson-Camp.
Facials are another to protect and treat your skin.
“We do facials once a month, we offer a facial membership so that patients are compliant with getting their facials one a month and it’s pretty affordable so that we can really treat your skin and get your skin healthy again.,” she said.
Call to book a free consultation, and Dr. Simpson-Camp can assess what may be the best treatment for you.
To schedule a free consultation with Tru Essence Spa, call 713-485-5200 or visit the website TruEssenceSpa.com.
And to watch Dr. Simpson-Camp’s complete interview, watch the video above.