The experiences that Black women have when seeking to enhance their beauty maintenance routines, is a complicated one.
When accessing certain aesthetic treatments like lasers and microneedling, it can often be difficult to find someone with specialized knowledge and experience to cater to the unique needs of melanin-rich skin, which may lead to providers who are either hesitant or reluctant to perform these treatments on darker skin tones (or those who just plain don’t know what they’re doing).
Unsurprising, yet disappointing that this is still the case in 2024.
As a result, the risk of adverse effects such as hyperpigmentation or scarring may be higher in individuals with higher levels of melanin, necessitating a more cautious approach and specialized techniques, not to mention, there is often limited availability of equipment specifically designed for darker skin tones.
Dr. Jacqueline Moore, founder of SkYn Med Spa in Aldie, Virginia, sought to address this problem directly. And with years of combat and trauma surgery under her belt, she certainly had the experience and knowledge that emphasizes how good she is when faced with any battle. According to Moore, today’s leading aesthetic procedures do not adhere to a “one size fits all” approach.
“You have to search for people who are comfortable with that [skin of color], who had that additional training,” says Dr. Moore. “So I wanted to make sure that we had a place where people who have melanated skin feel comfortable and feel safe, and feel confident that the people here or who are taking care of them have that training and that expertise, and then also even by seeing me knowing that I know firsthand.”
As a woman of color, Dr. Moore sought to create a practice that caters to diversity, specifically focusing on providing inclusive skincare solutions for individuals with higher melanin levels. Her vision encompasses welcoming and specialized care for Asian, Persian, Indian, Black, and Brown skin types.
This was quite the pivot from collaborating with Coalition Forces over 3 deployments as a combat and trauma surgeon, earning a Combat Device while serving with the U.S. Special Forces in Mosul, Iraq in 2017. But if there’s one thing Dr. Moore did — that.
“I decided to get out and open my own practice so I could run things the way I wanted,” says Dr. Moore. “But around that same time, I was also starting to look at treatments for myself. And looking around, I was really, really frustrated by the lack of education around skin of color. So I made it my mission to learn everything I could, did all the training, apprenticing, attending all the courses, doing research.”
Research and train, she did. And now the Board-Certified General Surgeon and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons brings a wealth of expertise and experience to her practice, as well as a passion for dermatology and aesthetics. She is dedicated to providing personalized skincare solutions that enhance the natural beauty and confidence of her clients. Her commitment to excellence, combined with her compassionate approach to patient care, has earned her a reputation as a trusted skincare specialist in the Aldie community and beyond.
She advises that there are some critical questions that Black women should be asking when seeking out aestetic treatments from providers. “Does that person have additional training and expertise in skin of color? Are their devices, products and treatments, able to be modified for skin of color? Do they know how to take care of the complications that happen with skin of color? Because no matter how good we are, sometimes complications still happen, and you want to make sure that any provider that takes care of you not only knows how to do the treatment, but knows how to take care of any potential complications,” she cautions.
Through her practice, she is transforming Black beauty. Her journey of opening SkYn Med Spa has been one of triumph, delivering exceptional care and results to her community.