Same But Different: An 18-Month Cross-Sectional Study of Cosmetic Procedures in Patients With Skin Phototype I–III Versus IV–VI in Toronto, Canada

Abstract

BACKGROUND Patients with darker skin phototypes self-report less facial aging than their lighter-skinned counterparts. However, the association of skin phototype with the type of cosmetic procedures received, is yet to be established in a Canadian context. OBJECTIVE To compare the pattern of nonsurgical cosmetic procedures performed on people with different Fitzpatrick SPTs. MATERIALS AND METHODS Cross-sectional study of patient encounters from October 2020–April 2022. Charts and photographs were reviewed and analyzed for age, sex, SPT, and procedure type. Participants were stratified by SPT into 2 cohorts: SPT I–III and SPT IV–VI. SPTs were collapsed into groups based on definitions of “skin of color” (SPT IV–VI) in previous literature. RESULTS We analyzed 350 patients with mean age 43.4, of whom 320 (91%) were female and 30 (9%) were male. The SPT I–III cohort was older (mean age 45 vs 38.5 years, p < .0001) and more frequently underwent neuromodulator injection. The SPT IV–VI cohort more frequently underwent microneedling, platelet-rich plasma, or electrodessication. CONCLUSION There are distinct patterns of cosmetic procedures performed. The SPT I–III cohort more commonly received procedures to manage facial aging. The SPT IV–VI cohort was younger and more commonly underwent procedures to manage hyperpigmentation.