Tips on Strategies for Psoriasis in Skin of Color, With Eingun James Song, MD

Eingun James Song, MD, the director of clinical research for Frontier Dermatology, spoke in a session at the 2026 American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting titled ‘Inflammatory Skin Diseases in Skin of Color.’1

Speaking in an interview with HCPLive at AAD in Denver, Song noted while psoriasis is fundamentally the same immunological disease across all skin tones and ethnic groups, outcomes following treatment differ meaningfully and for reasons worth examining carefully. One challenge Song identified was diagnostic uncertainty, noting psoriasis’s presentation appearing differently on darker skin types, with some providers still being undertrained in recognizing and managing inflammatory skin diseases across different varying tones.

“I think that diagnostic uncertainty leads to a delay in care,” Song expressed.

Another issue is inequitable access, including to advanced systemic therapies and even among those who do make it to a specialist. Additionally, Song noted treatment nuances specific to these patients, including a higher risk of post-inflammatory pigmentary alteration and the impact of hair type on which topical formulations are practical to implement.

An important gap mentioned by Song, increasingly highlighted in recent publications, was underrepresentation of skin of color patients in clinical research.2 As a result of this phenomenon, clinicians cannot always confidently generalize findings from large development programs to those whose skin tones were not meaningfully reflected in such trials.

Song was also asked about artificial intelligence (AI) use and its impact on this topic. On the question of AI diagnostic tools and their well-documented limitations in darker skin tones, Song described AI as here to stay. Learning to use AI technology well rather than resist it is key, Song said, though he acknowledged current tools may not yet be fully ready for reliable use across diverse skin tones. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence in iterative improvement.

For any additional information from Song, view his full interview on-site at AAD posted above.

Song has reported serving as an investigator, consultant, and/or speaker for AbbVie, Alphyn Biologics, Amgen, Apogee, Arcutis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Dermavant, DermBiont, Galderma, Incyte, Janssen, LEO Pharma, MoonLake, Novartis, Ortho, Pfizer, Regeneron, Sanofi, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Timber Pharmaceuticals, and UCB.

References

1. Song E, et al. F035 Inflammatory Skin Diseases in Skin of Color. Session presented at: 2026 American Academy of Dermatology Annual Meeting; March 27–31, 2026; Denver, CO.

2. Butera A. Dermatologic Studies Lacking in Diversity Despite Increased Efforts. HCPLive. January 26, 2022. Accessed April 1, 2026. https://www.hcplive.com/view/dermatologic-studies-lacking-in-diversity.