Skincare is not one size fits all. Often, skin conditions specific to BIPOC patients are not primarily treated by dermatologists and sometimes skin specialists are culturally incompetent.
In fact, the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that less than six percent of image-based search results show conditions on skin of color.
To shift this disparity, HUED, a digital health company focused on improving quality of care for Black, Latinx and Indigenous populations through education, access and data, teamed up with Vaseline® to launch See My Skin.
“It’s not uncommon for people of color to be misdiagnosed or overlooked in dermatology, which is why African Americans suffer with the highest mortality rates in skin conditions, such as melanoma,” says Kimberly Wilson, Founder and CEO of HUED.
“See My Skin is a platform created to meet the skin health needs for people of color by providing trusted resources and education to ensure patients get the incredible care that they need and deserve,” she adds.
Founded by Wilson in 2018 after a personal medical crisis, HUED is on a mission to make culturally competent healthcare accessible for Black and Latinx communities. Last year, investors such as Serena Williams and Female Founders Fund even took notice, with $1.6 million in venture capital dollars invested into the company’s funding round.
Less than a year later, they are making good on their goal of scaling the technology platform to improve engagement, education and resources. See My Skin guides consumers by displaying results they seek when searching for skin conditions. Through the search experience, See My Skin helps provide people access to quality and impartial skin care with a robust database of board-certified dermatologists. The platform also offers educational resources that provide expert recommendations on how to treat and monitor skin at home, understanding when to seek a dermatologist for proper care and how to best prepare for an appointment with the right questions. The community is invited not just to search for resources, but also to submit their own images to help continually expand representation of skin of color.
“People of color are negatively impacted by healthcare inequities that can lead to worse health outcomes, including caring for their skin. Whether it’s looking for answers in search, on social media, or even in textbooks — the results that resemble their skin are scarce, which can leave us feeling unseen and underrepresented,” said Kevin Tolson, Brand Director of US Skincare at Unilever in a news release.
The content is analyzed by Vaseline’s Dermatology Review Board including Dr. Mona Gohara, MD, FAAD, Dr. Uchenna Okereke, MD, FAAD and Dr. Caroline Robinson, MD, FAAD.