Commentary & Perspectives
From the Journals

A Case for Reframing ‘Skin of Color’

The term that transformed dermatology is now blurring the very distinctions it was meant to sharpen.

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Rashmi Sarkar, MD, and Hitaishi Mehta, MD, discuss the limitations of the Fitzpatrick scale in addressing diverse skin types, particularly for darker skin tones. They argue that while the term 'skin of color' (SOC) has advanced equity in dermatology, its broad usage can lead to confusion about clinically significant differences among patients. The authors propose a detailed approach to SOC by breaking it into four distinct components: pigment phenotype, ancestry, sociocultural context, and clinical risk modifiers, urging for more precise application in clinical practice.

Original Source(s)

A Case for Reframing ‘Skin of Color’

  • by Kerri Miller

  • March 20, 2026

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