Skin of Color Program

About

This program was established by Dr. Jenna Lester to address the dermatologic care needs of Black and Brown people in Northern California. The three main components of the Skin of Color Program are focused on:

Clinical Care

The Skin of Color Program was established in 2018 by Dr. Jenna Lester and aims to provide the best clinical care to diverse groups of dermatology patients. Our goal is to provide a dermatologic home for patients who have had difficulty finding dermatological care that meets their needs. We care for all skin conditions that may be causing concern. We are committed to health equity and work towards optimizing the care for all patients seeking dermatologic care.

Teaching

The Skin of Color Program is also a teaching program with the goal to educate all dermatologists on how to optimize care for patients of all races and ethnicities. In doing so, we hope to address disparities in outcomes that Black and Brown patients experience in dermatology. We work with UCSF learners, including residents and medical students, to teach them the principles of caring for patients who seek care in our program.

Research

The Skin of Color Program is committed to continuing to contribute to science and medical evidence in dermatology that drives innovation and new approaches that improve the care that we provide to our patients. We aim to identify patterns of disease and treatment that improves outcomes for Black and Brown patients.

Patients Seen in this Practice

Dr. Jenna Lester established The Skin of Color Clinic in 2018 at UCSF, which specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of skin conditions in Black and Brown people. Who does this include? The Skin of Color Society defines this group of people as those of African, Native American, Asian, and LatinX ancestry.  We take extra care to pay attention to specific diagnostic and treatment considerations when patients are seen in this clinic.

We treat all skin conditions in this clinic but often see patients who have pigmentary disorders like melasma and vitiligo, eczema, acne, skin cancer, hair loss, and psoriasis, just to name a few of the conditions our patients may seek care for.

How do I schedule an appointment?

• Call 415-353-7800 and ask to schedule in the "Skin of Color" clinic

In the News

Read more about the work our program is doing in the news:

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/30/health/skin-diseases-black-hispanic.html

https://www.npr.org/transcripts/983051020

https://www.sciencefriday.com/person/jenna-lester/

How do I support the Skin of Color program?

Email [email protected] if you would like to support the work that we do.