Daily Hot Takes from SOCU 2026: Day 1 Highlights
Day 1 of the 17th Annual Skin of Color Update (SOCU 2026) opened with a historic sense of community, reflection, and relentless dedication to advancing dermatologic care for patients with skin of color.
Co-Chairs Andrew F. Alexis, MD, MPH, FAAD, and Eliot F. Battle, MD, welcomed attendees from across the globe—spanning Europe, the Caribbean, the UK, and across the United States—marking 17 y …
Day 1 of the 17th Annual Skin of Color Update (SOCU 2026) opened with a historic sense of community, reflection, and relentless dedication to advancing dermatologic care for patients with skin of color.
Co-Chairs Andrew F. Alexis, MD, MPH, FAAD, and Eliot F. Battle, MD, welcomed attendees from across the globe—spanning Europe, the Caribbean, the UK, and across the United States—marking 17 y … Continue reading "Daily Hot Takes from SOCU 2026: Day 1 Highlights"
Periorbital hyperpigmentation is common in patients with skin of color, though understanding the condition – and selecting an effective treatment – can be a challenge. Darkening around the eyes can appear as brown, blue-grey, blue, violet, or purple -- all signs of the root causes -- which include extra deposits of melanin, inflammation, prominent veins, and structural changes. Periorbital hyp … 
Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a synthetic lysine derivative that reversibly blocks the lysine-binding site on plasminogen, preventing conversion to plasmin. While originally developed as an antifibrinolytic agent to reduce bleeding, TXA has several downstream effects that make it useful in dermatology, particularly for pigmentary disorders, with emerging evidence in inflammatory disorders as well. TX … 
The fourth Pigmentary Disorders Exchange (PDE) Symposium opened with a powerful call to action to advance the science of pigmentary disorders with purpose, hope, and humanity, challenging clinicians to move these conditions from "invisible" to the center stage of medical priority. Experts emphasized that pigmentary diseases are not merely cosmetic concerns but complex medical disorders that inters … 
The laser toolbox for use in patients with skin of color has grown dramatically in the last 20 years. Next Steps in Derm, in partnership with Skin of Color Update, interviewed Dr. Paul M. Friedman, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Texas Medical School. Dr. Friedman practices in Houston, the most ethnically diverse city in America, so he’s become well-versed in th …