When it comes to taking care of our skin, we have to watch what foods and drinks we’re consuming throughout the day. Even drinking water often can lead to clearer and healthier skin. On the other hand, neglecting our bodies can often lead to skin disorders, such as eczema. While the disease affects most races of people, it’s especially more prominent in Black Americans.
Making matters worse, systematic racism makes Black Americans more prone to an increased risk of health complications. For instance, harmful environments can lead us to develop skin disorders that are unfavorable. Not to mention, high levels of stress can cause our skin to break out and develop an inflammatory response, such as eczema.
While statistics claim that we are at a higher risk of developing the skin condition, many health practitioners fail to identify its appearance on Black skin. Not everyone has the same skin type, nor does every race.
Former actress of the ever-popular Disney’s Sister, Sister series, Tia Mowry, revealed during a 2021 interview that she went decades before discovering she suffered from eczema. Now the actress has called for more Black representation in skin health.
RELATED: Tia Mowry on Living with Eczema: Misdiagnosed, But You’re Not Alone
The health system hasn’t been the greatest in providing effective treatments to the Black community. Most times, healthcare providers don’t provide us with the right diagnosis. By then, we’ve wasted hundreds of dollars on doctors who do not know how to treat Black health issues.
Tia Mowry even shared during an interview with InStyle that she went years without knowing she suffered from eczema, due to lack of representation. “I didn’t know because of the lack of information, educational tools, resources, and visibility on what it looks like on Black skin.” The Sister, Sister actress went on to say that she didn’t receive a proper diagnosis until her 20s.
Interestingly enough, her Gynecologist was the one who provided her with the right diagnosis. At the time, Mowry experienced flare-ups from migraines and her endometriosis, which are also inflammatory-based conditions. Mowry shared with InStyle that her skin often peeled, which her gynecologist immediately identified as eczema.
Typically, the condition presents itself as darker brown, purple, or gray patches on Black skin. Additionally, the affected areas would appear swollen, warm, itchy, dry, or scaly. “After a flare-up, the affected skin may look darker or lighter than the surrounding area.” From there on, her doctor referred her to the right dermatologist. Fortunately, Mowry received the help she needed.
As the old saying goes, knowledge is power. Tia Mowry has done her homework on learning more about the inflammatory disease and what triggers her flare-ups.
After visiting an Allergist, the actress discovered that stress and cheese act as major triggers for her. The star primarily had flare-ups during quarantine, which was a stressful time for a lot of people.
Since Black women are more susceptible to chronic stress, it’s especially important for us to find ways to keep our emotions in check. Ways to deal with higher levels of stress include exercising and meditation. Tia Mowry especially made sure to manage her stress.
In addition, she’s watching what she eats. In fact, it’s helped Tia Mowry shared some new and non-inflammatory recipes on her QuickFix YouTube series. More importantly, though, the Sister, Sister actress hopes that her story with eczema will resonate with other Black women.
In the end, the health system needs to better identify the skin condition on Black patients. Hopefully, personal stories like Tia Mowry’s are heard loud and clear, leading to effective methods, better treatments and a deeper understanding of Black skin.
By subscribing, you consent to receive emails from BlackDoctor.com. You may unsubscribe at any time. Privacy Policy & Terms of Service.
