Skin problems are the most frequent reason for primary care consultations in the UK, discussed in over 14% of all adult appointments. Skin conditions such as eczema, acne and psoriasis affect people of all skin tones, but they can appear and progress differently in people with skin of colour (including black and brown skin) compared to people with white skin. Despite this, people with skin of colour are often under‑represented in medical teaching materials, patient information and research.
The SOCX study, funded by the British Association of Dermatologists, is to our knowledge the first study in the UK to explore the lived experiences of people with skin of colour managing eczema, acne and psoriasis.
A total of 135 adults of all skin tones completed an online survey about their experiences (the results of which will be reported in a future paper). From this group, 20 people with skin of colour took part in one-to-one interviews to share their experiences in detail.
The research team identified eight common themes from these interviews:
- Delays in or missed diagnoses by healthcare professionals, with some waiting years for a correct diagnosis.
- Importance of ethnicity of healthcare professionals, with some preferring to be seen by a health professional of the same ethnicity and others less concerned about this.
- Lack of online information relevant to skin of colour, including from trusted sources such as the NHS website, leading many, especially young women, to rely on social media.
- Cultural misunderstandings surrounding skin conditions arising from misinformation and leading to stigma in some communities.
- Concerns about whether treatments are safe or effective for people with skin of colour, in part due to a fear of using medications that may not have been researched on people with skin of colour.
- Use of alternative or non‑prescribed treatments such as oils, herbal remedies and homeopathy which was often linked to people’s cultural heritage and passed down from older generations.
- Changes in skin tone (getting lighter or darker) was one of the most frequently discussed themes and had a big impact on people’s daily lives. Some also felt that their concerns about changes in skin tone were not discussed or treated sensitively by health professionals.
- Several individuals reported an added burden of racism, stigma and bias when living with a visible skin condition, such as feeling singled out, receiving unhelpful comments and feeling discriminated against by healthcare professionals.
Dr Eliza Hutchison, a Dermatology Registrar and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Academic Clinical Fellow at the Centre for Academic Primary Care, University of Bristol, and lead author of the study, said: “Our study highlights important issues that affect how people with skin of colour experience and manage eczema, acne and psoriasis. This research should help healthcare professionals and researchers to better understand and support the needs of this under‑served group of people to improve the care they receive.”
The researchers have provided a list of ‘practical points’ for GPs and other primary care practitioners to improve the experiences of patients, details of which are in the full paper.
Paper: Eczema, acne and psoriasis in skin of colour: a qualitative UK-based study by Eliza Hutchison, Roxanne Parslow, Hannah Wainman and Matthew Ridd. Published in British Journal of General Practice. 19 May 2026.
Download the lay summary (infographic): SOCX study lay summary (PDF, 500kB)