Skin of Color Savvy: Highlights From the Most-Watched Episodes of 2025

Welcome to Skin of Color Savvy: The Art and Science of Treating Patients of Color!

In this ‘Savvy Stories’ episode of Skin of Color Savvy: The Art and Science of Treating Patients of Color, the podcast revisits highlights from the three most viewed episodes of 2025, bringing together expert insights on inflammatory skin disease, pigmentary disorders, and diversity in dermatologic research. Featuring conversations with Skin of Color Society (SOCS) leaders, Andrew Alexis, MD, MPH; Shawn Kwatra, MD; Crystal Aguh, MD; John Harris, MD, PhD; Nada Elbuluk, MD; and Michelle Rodrigues, MBBS, the episode underscores the breadth of clinical, scientific, and equity-focused discussions that resonated most with audiences throughout the year.

The episode opens with a return to one of the show’s most impactful early conversations, in which Alexis and Kwatra discuss diseases that disproportionately affect patients with skin of color, particularly chronic pruritus and inflammatory conditions such as atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis. Kwatra reflects on the disconnect between textbook imagery and real-world clinical presentations, noting that many diagnostic criteria and educational resources remain centered on lighter skin types.

Together, they explore emerging data demonstrating racial and ethnic differences in itch prevalence and presentation, while highlighting how environmental exposures, socioeconomic factors, and systemic inflammation intersect to influence disease burden. Alexis builds on this discussion by emphasizing the importance of recognizing how erythema and inflammation present differently in richly pigmented skin. Rather than classic redness, inflammation may appear violaceous, gray, or brown, a distinction that is critical to avoiding underdiagnosis and undertreatment.

The second segment revisits a widely viewed episode focused on pigmentary disorders, featuring Elbuluk and Rodrigues. The pair emphasize that “hyperpigmentation” is not a diagnosis, but a broad category encompassing more than 45 distinct conditions. They discuss common causes of hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, and depigmentation seen in patients of color, including post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, acquired dermal macular hyperpigmentation, melasma, vitiligo, and less common congenital or medication-induced disorders. Key diagnostic principles—such as evaluating lesion location, color, morphology, and patient history—are highlighted, along with the value of dermoscopy as a noninvasive bedside tool to guide management and avoid unnecessary biopsies.

The episode concludes with highlights from a conversation featuring Aguh and Harris, which centers on the importance of diversity in dermatology research and clinical trials. Using examples from alopecia and autoimmune disease research, the discussion expands the definition of diversity beyond race and ethnicity to include diversity of thought, training background, and scientific perspective. Both speakers emphasize that collaborative, multidisciplinary research leads to stronger study design, fewer blind spots, and more clinically meaningful outcomes for patients.

Together, this Savvy Stories episode captures why these three conversations stood out among viewers in 2025. By blending clinical insight, scientific rigor, and a commitment to equity, the episode reflects Skin of Color Savvy’s mission to elevate dermatologic care through education, representation, and inclusive dialogue.

To learn more about SOCS’s programs and initiatives, visit Skin of Color Society.

Editor’s note: This summary was edited with the help of AI tools.