Findings from new research by the Black Aesthetics Advisory Board shows that Black skin must be more centred in the mainstream aesthetics industry, and more effort placed on listening to the voices of Black practitioners and consumers.
Spurred on by the Black Lives Matter movement, earlier this year the founders of the Black Aesthetics Advisory Board (BAAB), came together with the aim of improving diversity in the aesthetics and beauty industry.
One of the BAAB’s first undertakings was to carry out research to lay the foundation and assess the work at hand through a number of surveys. The BAAB sought responses from Black consumers and Black patients to learn about their experiences in medical aesthetics, while also surveying practitioners from all ethnicities to understand their views on the representation and treatment of skin of colour in general.
The results of the surveys reveal alarming, but very real, statistics – recently reported in the Aesthetics Journal. The overwhelming message is that more education is needed on Black skin and that Black practitioners need to be more visible in conferences and as key opinion leaders, whilst Black patients and consumers want to be listened to and understood.
“…everyone in the industry should be proficient at treating Black skin.”
Through their feature in the Aesthetics Journal, the BAAB highlighted a series of actions that mainstream medical practitioners can take to improve diversity in the industry, including improvements through education and training, concerted effort to reflect diversity when it comes to marketing and branding and ensuring there is adequate representation at events and conferences.
The BAAB is now in the process of producing a report that will provide guidance to brands and professionals, inform training and improve access to aesthetics to Black patients.
Dr Ejikeme, Medical Director of Adonia Medical Clinic and one of the founding members of BAAB, commented on the findings. She said: “I have felt very uncomfortable with the imagery used and the way Black skin is described or totally omitted from the conversation… everyone in the industry should be proficient at treating Black skin.”
Read the BAAB survey in Aesthetics Journal here.
