Skin Tone Representation in Dermatology Textbooks: Approximating the Gap

Abstract

Dermatology heavily relies on photographs in its literature to depict diseases and demonstrate treatment modalities. Previous studies have established that general medical and dermatology textbooks have limited photographic representation of individuals with skin of color (SOC), even those diseases highly prevalent in these populations. As the US population continues to grow and diversify, there is an increase in individuals with SOC seeking cosmetic and procedural services. We set out to investigate the current trends of SOC representation in the surgical and cosmetic sections of current dermatology textbooks.