Dermatology for Skin of Color in New York

Who this is for

Patients with medium to deep skin tones seeking a dermatologist whose treatment selection accounts for how richly pigmented skin responds, where the wrong modality can deepen pigment rather than clear it.

Patients who have seen a prior treatment leave a dark mark where the original concern was, or been told to wait it out. Dr. Tzu addresses the concerns most common in skin of color – melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, dermatosis papulosa nigra, and keloid-prone scarring – with modality chosen for skin type and paced to avoid rebound pigmentation.

Melasma

Melasma presents as brown or gray-brown patches, typically across the cheeks, forehead, and upper lip. It is especially common in skin of color and often begins during or after pregnancy or with hormonal shifts. Driven by hormones and sun rather than a single cause, it tends to fade and flare rather than resolve outright.

Dr. Tzu manages melasma steadily rather than aggressively, pairing daily pigment-calming care and sun protection with in-office treatment selected for the patient's skin type. The aggressive lasers effective on lighter skin can worsen melasma in deeper tones – which is precisely why modality selection, not intensity, governs the plan.

Dark spots after acne or irritation

In richly pigmented skin, almost any inflammation – a breakout, an ingrown hair, an insect bite, a harsh product – can leave a dark mark long after it heals. These marks, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, are among the most common reasons patients with skin of color present.

Treatment proceeds in two parts: settle the underlying inflammation, then lighten the marks on a schedule paced to avoid provoking new ones. That pacing is the discipline that separates durable clearance from rebound.

Dermatosis papulosa nigra (DPN)

The small, dark, slightly raised papules that appear on the cheeks and around the eyes – often familial – are dermatosis papulosa nigra, or DPN. They are benign, though frequently removed for cosmetic reasons, and are very common in Black, Asian, and Latino skin.

DPN demands a meticulous hand: the wrong technique can leave a light or dark mark where the papule was. Dr. Tzu removes DPN with methods selected to protect the surrounding pigment, favoring clear skin over the trade of one mark for another.

Keloids and raised scars

Skin of color is more prone to keloids and raised (hypertrophic) scars – firm, sometimes pruritic overgrowths of scar tissue that can form after a piercing, surgery, acne, or minor injury, and that rarely resolve on their own.

Dr. Tzu treats existing keloids to flatten and soften the scar and ease associated itch or tenderness, and plans any procedure on pigmented skin with keloid risk accounted for from the outset – scar-minimizing by design.

Dr. Tzu's approach to skin of color

The common thread is matching modality to skin type rather than reaching for the strongest available option. Deeper skin tones carry more pigment and respond differently; the same device or peel that helps one patient can set another back.

Triple board-certified and trained at Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Penn, and NYU, Dr. Tzu personally performs treatment and adjusts it as the skin responds – the aim is even tone achieved through precision and restraint, with results that read as natural.

What you can expect

• Treatment selected for pigmented skin. The wrong modality can deepen pigment rather than clear it; Dr. Tzu selects and paces treatment for how richly pigmented skin responds.
• Focused on pigmentation. Melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and uneven tone are core to the practice, not an afterthought.
• A meticulous hand with DPN. DPN and similar papules are common in skin of color and easily mishandled; removal is performed to protect the surrounding pigment.
• Scar-minimizing by design. Skin of color is more prone to keloids and raised scars, so procedures are planned to keep that risk low from the outset.
• Triple board-certified. Dr. Tzu is a triple board-certified dermatologist trained at Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Penn, and NYU, and personally performs treatment.

Common concerns we address

• Melasma
• Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (dark spots after acne or irritation)
• Dermatosis papulosa nigra (DPN)
• Keloids and raised scars
• Uneven skin tone and discoloration

How we approach care

• Pigmentation care, topical and in-office
• Skin-type-appropriate laser and energy treatment
• DPN removal
• Keloid and scar treatment

Related Treatments

Related Conditions

Frequently Asked Questions