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Does She or Doesn't She?

More African-American Women Opt for Cosmetic Procedures
by Zacch Estrada-Petersen

Once considered affordable only for the wealthy (and whites), cosmetic surgery has become a status symbol as commonplace as a biweekly haircut. Both minimally invasive and surgical cosmetic procedures such as chemical peels, collagen injections, tummy tucks and breast enlargements fit right in to many women's more commonplace beauty regimens.

Cosmetic procedures now attract a much broader clientele. Black women, in particular, are among the growing number of patients. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, in 2005 alone, more than 768,000 cosmetic patients were African-American. That's a 67 percent rise from just one year earlier.

Niche "Wasn't Being Served"

Though they might have been desired by a number of black women, cosmetic procedures weren't always readily available. "I was finding that most dermatologists or cosmetic surgeons were shying away from skin a color," says Dr. Tonya McLead, a cosmetic dermatologist with Piedmont Plastic Surgery & Dermatology. McLeod, who holds a master's of public health degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, was drawn to dermatology in service of people who, like herself, have skin of color. "I felt there was a niche that wasn't being served," she says. Historically, darker skin has always been more susceptible to scarring and other side effects of cosmetic surgery; therefore, performing surgery on darker skin required an extra level of skill that most doctors lacked.

"It's not more difficult to treat," says McLeod. "But you have to be aware of the side effects and complications that relate to the procedures." Dr. Charles Brown, one of the first dermatologists in the Charlotte region to use lasers would agree. "The thing about black skin is that it has to be treated very aggressively if they have acne," says Brown. "Because if not, it can leave marks that last for weeks, if not months." Brown, who runs the Dermatological Laser Center along with his medical partner, Dr. John Thompson, stresses the use of specialized treatment, particularly when dealing with black skin.

From Patient to Practitioner

In her youth, 25-year-old Rachel Roff suffered from acne and other sin problems. At age 14, she underwent a laser procedure to remove a pre cancerous scar from her face. Since then she's held a deep interest in the skin-related issues of herself and others. As founder and owner of Urban Skin Solutions in Charlotte, Roff, a licensed medical aesthetician, specializes in the treatment of skin of color. "There is a definite rise in the market for African-American women..." she notes. Among her diverse client base, a third of which is mail, Roff finds that the most popular procedure among her female black patients is laser hair removal performed on the face. As part of this process, a mild laser beam targets the desisted area and, over a series of treatments, essentially destroys the hair follicles and reduces future growth. Laser hair removal is a top request among Brown and McLeod's patients as well, along with injectable fillers and Botox, which according to the ASPS, is the most commonly requested minimally invasive procedure among African-Americans.

Botox, safely harnessed from a poisonous bacterial protein, temporarily paralyzes the muscles that cause wrinkles in the skin. McLeod suggests three main reasons for the spike in interest among black women for cosmetic procedures. The top factor, she says, is increased education and awareness of these procedures among blacks. "When people think of cosmetic surgery, they think of something drastic, like a facelift," says McLeod. Yet, she finds that blacks are more conscious of all the cosmetic surgery options available, not just the major ones. on top of that, Roff finds that people are now more open about the procedures they are trying, which helps in disseminating information to others. Another factor McLeod poses is increased disposable income among blacks. "There are higher populations of African-American professionals that are better able to" afford these elective cosmetic procedures, she says. McLeod also credits the media for making the idea of cosmetic surgery more acceptable. Whatever the cause, statistics have shown that an increasing number of black women are now enjoying what, even five year ago, wasn't extensively suited for them.

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