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8 The News Argus Spring/Summer 2006 Read on Dr. Ayuninjam wants to see more students take advantage of exchange program. Everything old is new again in fashion. FEATURES Dark complexions are more sensitive, require lighter touch in skin-enhancement procedures By Jessica Yadegaran KRT WIRE SERVICE WALNUT CREEK, Calif. Michele Byers wanted to do something nice for her self as she approached her 50th birthday. Byers went to an at-home esthetician for microder mabrasion, a nonsurgical procedure that polishes away dead skin. After a ses sion, bumps started to appear on Byers' face. Her cheeks were covered in pock marks. "Here I was trying to do something nice for myself and I ended up looking worse than I ever had in my life," says Byers, of Castro Valley, Calif. The side effects are com mon for people with ethnic, or darker, skin. Contrary to popular belief, darker skin is not tougher; in fact, while extra melanin does have its benefits — sun protection and slowed signs of aging — it makes the skin more sensitive and vulnerable to injury. "If the skin is darker it is prone to scarring and hyper-pigmentation, so we have to be more careful with skin of color," says Terri Dunn, a Berkeley, Calif., dermatologist. One- third of Dunn's patients are of Latin, Asian, Indian, Mediterranean or African- American descent, and thus require special skin care. And as cosmetic proce dures — and medi-spas — grow in popularity, Dunn and other specialists advise their dark-skinned patients to proceed cautiously and realize their skin is at risk. Many common cosmetic procedures are geared toward lighter skin, and it's only recently, as the coun try's ethnic population has grown to 40 percent, that science is playing catch-up, so to speak. "In the past couple of years, devices, cosmetics and topical medications are being tested on people of different colors because we realize that the skin reacts differently," says Philadel phia dermatologist Susan Taylor, founder of New York's Skin of Color Center and author of Brown Skin: Dr. Susan Taylor's Prescrip tion/or Flawless Skin, Hair and Nails. Among the most common side effects are hyper- or hypo-pigmentation, dark or light skin spots that result from any type of trauma, be it a cut, bum, acne or eczema. Bleaching creams and retinoids can be used to treat hyper-pigmentation, Durm says. It's also a side effect of many cosmetic procedures. To avoid it, specialists prime the skin and use a lower- strength solution when doing chemical peels on darker patients. They leave it on for a shorter time, Dunn explains, and recom mend longer intervals for optimum results. With microdermabrasion, they use linear strokes at a lower setting. "Physicians should test spots to check for side effects over a period of 24 to 72 hours. Also, either the dermatologist should do the procedure or someone who is trained by him. You don't want to go to a medi-spa where there isn't a physi cian," Taylor says. In dark skin, popular fillers such as Restylane and collagen and even piercings and tattoos can cause keloids, or raised scar tis sue, that must be surgically removed and tend to grow back. Laser hair removal, another simple procedure, can bum, blister and scab the skin if the laser is too strong. When researching derma tologists, Taylor advises, ask if the physician has the FDA-approved lasers for ethnic skin, and what per centage of his clientele has dark skin. The best place to start, she says, is with rec ommendations from family and friends who've had good experiences. That's how Byers found Dunn. "One thing I've leamed is it's not about black people knowing black skin. One black woman put salicylic acid on me," Byers says. "You need someone who knows different types of skin and has the latest prod ucts and equipment." Two years after her initial ordeal, Byers is working toward the glow she always wanted. But not after diffus ing another huge myth about her dark skin: the need for sunscreen. "They [dcurk-skinned peo ple] must wear it," Dunn says. "Skin cancer is rare, but it does happen." She recommends an SPF of at least 15 on the face, and 30 on the body. William Ting of the Hercules-based Derma tology Associates in California's San Francisco Bay area, says dark-skinned patients who wear sun screen also are less likely to experience scarring or hyper-pigmentation when acne or a rash fades. Another Ting tip: Take short, lukewarm showers and moisturize immediately to avoid one of the most common and treatable prob lems of dark-skinned folks — dry skin. "On one hand, they [peo ple with dark skin] age a lot slower because they have more melanin in their skin," he says. "But they can age even more gracefully with sun protection." Want more information on ethnic skin? Consult these sources: On the Web □ Brownskin.net: A Web site by one of the nation's foremost brown skin derma tologists. □ Aad.org: Use the Find a Dermatologist link on the American Academy of Dermatology's Web site. Books □ "Brown Skin: Dr. Susan Taylor's Prescription for Flawless Skin, Hair and Nails." □ "The Skin Type Solution" by Leslie Baumann, M.D. Contains quiz and a guide to the best products. Looking for a dermo? Do your research. Ask these questions to ensure you get the proper skin care: 1. Ask at the doctor's office what percentage of their clientele has brown skin. 2. Look around the wait ing room. Are there people who look like you? 3. Find out if the lasers, products and other equip ment in the office are FDA- approved for brown skin. 4. Ensure the dermatolo gist does cosmetic proce dures, is present or has trained his staff properly. 5. Tell your dermatologist you want to do a test spot on the skin to gauge your reaction over 24 to 72 hours. Sources include Susan Taylor, M.D., Skin of Color Center, New York Common skin problems □ Hyper-pigmentadon. Often occurs after a cut, scrape or bum, or as a result of acne or eczema. Chemical peels, microdermabrasion or bleaching medication may help. ' □ Vitiligo. A disorder in which pigment cells are destroyed and replaced with white patches. Treated with cortisone creams, intense pulsed laser treat ments or skin grafting. □ Pityriasis alba. Causes roimd, light patches of scaly skin, most often in children, on the face and upper arms. Topical medications may help. □ Flesh moles. Brown or black raised dark spots seen almost exclusively in African-Americans, mostly on women's cheeks. They can be surgically removed. □ Keloids. Overgrown scar tissue areas commonly formed after piercing or sur gery. Cortisone injections, laser treatments and other methods remove them, but they tend to grow back. □ Hair loss and breakage. Most common among African-Americans. Change tight hairstyles frequently and use caution with hair- straightening products. □ Ingrown hairs/razor bumps. Common after shaving. Dermatologists can suggest shaving methods to avoid them, but permanent laser hair removal is also popular. Susan Taylor, M.D., American Academy of Dermatology (www.aad.org) Skin Care Tips for Darker Skin 1. Cleanse skin daily to remove dirt, oil and make up but avoid abrasive cleansers or products (puffs, luffas), which can irritate skin of color. Irritation may lead to disfiguring hyper pigmentation. 2. Use products designed for your skin type but avoid those that contain potential irritants such as fragrance, alcohol, propylene glycol, dye and lanolin. 3. Don't overdo it. Cleansing too often or too roughly will harm brown skin. 4. Avoid using home microdermabrasion and chemical peel kits too roughly. They should be used according to the direc tions and discontinued if any irritation occurs. 5. Exfoliate to remove dull, dead skin cells by using exfoliating hydroxy acids found in skin products but test the product on a small patch of skin first. 6. Apply an oil-free mois turizer with antioxidants (for an anti-aging regimen). 7. Apply a sunscreen daily, at least SPF 30 on the face. In addition to sunburn, skin cancer and skin discol oration may be caused by the sun. If you have oily skin, the sunscreen may suf fice Sources include Terry Dunn, M.D., of Berkeley and Susan Taylor, M.D., OIP director wants to see program grow By Asheleigh Neal ARGUS REPORTER Amber Neal, a junior elemen tary education major, spent a week in Trinidad and Tobago as an exchange student in Febmary 2005 and ever since then she has dreamed of returning. "I loved every minute when I was in Trinidad and Tobago," Neal said. "The culture was just magnificent, and once I get my career and my life in order. I'm going back to visit for vaca tion." WSSU's International Program is steadily growing in interest. In 1999, only one stu dent took advantage of the pro gram, compared to 25 in the 2005-2006 academic school year, according to figures in a recent Ram Pages article. Dr. Funwi Ayuninjam is the new director of the Office of Intemational Programs. A native of the central African country of Cameroon, he replaced Dr. Olasope Oyelaran, who resigned to take a position at Western Michigan University in December. "The world is becoming ever smaller, and we are all united in a cultural continuum," Ayuninjam said, adding that "study abroad is essential to a [well]-rounded educadon." Ayuninjam earned his bache lor of arts degree in English and French from the University of Yaounde in Cameroon and an M.S. and Ph.D in theoretical linguistics from Georgetown University. He has served in Cameroon as a translator at the Ministry of Finance and at the National Assembly (Came roon's House of Parliament). And, before coming to WSSU, he lectured at Kentucky State University as an associate pro fessor in the Division of Literature, Languages and Philosophy; where he also served as director of Global Educadon and Programs. In his role as director of Intemational Programs, he said his plans include globalizing the curricu lum, futhering exchange agree ments with foreign universities, bringing more intemational students to WSSU and to get more WSSU students to partici pate in the study abroad pro gram. "WSSU students should pick up the pace and get in that [cultural] continuum," Ayuninjam said, "because a student's success in life today could be determined to a sig nificant extent by his or her ability to relate to the rest of the world. That's why WSSU's Intemational Program is here to help, in anyway it can.". ‘Cousin Jeff speaks at UNC-Charlotte Ivan Jones ARGUS REPORTER Jeff Johnson, aka "Cousin Jeff" of BET's Rap City, told students gath ered on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte that February is a fmstrat- ing month for him. "We as black people have come to a time where we only study our infinite history throughout the month of Febmary." Johnson added that African Americans should connect with "their brothers and sisters in Australia, Africa and the Caribbean." In doing so, he said blacks here will feel less like mem bers of the minority and more like members of a majority. Johnson, who describes himself as the "voice for a new generation of leadership," can be seen every Wednesday on Rap City engaging viewers on a diversity of issues, everything from violence to voting. His visit to UNC-Charlotte was sponsored by the multicultural resource center and the National Pan Helleruc coimcil. During his talk, he touched on a variety of topics, including his fms- tration with Black History month and even the purpose of BET, which he said was never intended to edu cate but to entertain. Johnson also questioned black students' commitment to accepting roles as community leaders and activists without a complete under standing of black history. Towards the end of the program, he expressed his belief that leaders have the vision to look beyond the current and see what others cannot see or envision. Vintage ’50s and ’60s look in fashion hot this spring By Tiffany Cash ARGUS REPORTER Spring is here, and it is time to go shopping for that new wardrobe. Fashion trends follow cycles, but your style should stay tme to your own tastes. This season the fashion industry is taking it back to the '60s and '50s, when women wore round-toe shoes, rope-wrapped espadrilles and gauchos, and carried big purses with big belts to match. Everything is vintage. What's old is new again. Example: wedges, platforms and big stack heels. Vogue magazine calls for mffles, lace trim, big sleeves and more subtle colors. Designers are all about femininity in women's fash ions. Local fashion gums say leggings and Bermuda shorts are in, and plaid is a new must-have. And, don t forget to accessorize. Big, gaudy jewelry is hot. And, wear lots of bangles on your arms and jazzy earrings. Necklaces of all types are in, too. Having just the right type of jewelry on can complete your outfit, as you step up your game for spring and summer. Abstinence, from page 7 students, especially women, who are actively and regu larly engaging in premarital sex. Consider this: C)ne in every 500 American college stu dent is infected with HIV, the vims that causes AIDS, according to a joint study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College Health Association. Disease, religion, waiting for the right person are all powerful deterrents to sexual temptation. According to www.college.com, for those who said they are not sexually active, 72 percent say the reason is that toey're waiting for the right person, 20 percent cited Other' reasons, and 8 percent say they practice sexual abstinence for religious reasons. Although I am a strong advocate for abstinence, I recognize that many students do engage in sex. No matter what your choice — abstinence or sexual activity — I believe that everybody can benefit from steppmg back, thinking it through and taking some time before engaging in casual sex. It's an approach that could pay oft a long-term benefit of the healthy mature relationship in the future.
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