Allergan Aesthetics and clinical skincare brand Skinbetter Science have partnered on an initiative

Allergan Aesthetics and clinical skincare brand Skinbetter Science have partnered on an initiative to make the aesthetics industry more racially diverse – the DREAM Initiative stands for Driving Racial Equity in Aesthetic Medicine.

The initiative (announced recently), is a commitment, the brands say, to furthering the principles of racial and ethnic diversity, inclusion, respect and understanding in the fields of dermatology and plastic surgery in the US.

"As leaders in aesthetics, Allergan Aesthetics and Skinbetter Science are likeminded in our pursuit of advancing equality and diversity in the aesthetics market and believe it is our responsibility to create meaningful, positive change within our own companies and with our customers," said Carrie Strom, senior vice president, AbbVie and president, global Allergan Aesthetics.

"We are inaugurating the DREAM Initiative with three important projects, which will immediately expand available resources to enhance the care of all patients, as well as to better diagnose and treat dermatologic conditions across the full spectrum of skin types and patients of colour."

Case studies and data relevant to darker skin tones are grossly underrepresented in current educational materials and textbooks, which can lead to under or misdiagnoses for patients. Allergan Aesthetics and Skinbetter Science aim to start to bridge this gap in dermatology and plastic surgery with The National Racial Equity Medical Residency Curriculum.

This programme is designed to assist students, faculty and staff in dermatology and plastic surgery residency programmes in the US in identifying and addressing the risk of implicit bias in academic and clinical settings.

This curriculum is being piloted at one university, with subsequent nationwide rollout planned thereafter. The DREAM Initiative is also sponsoring the development of The Spectrum of Dermatologic Disease, a comprehensive textbook photo atlas, which will present the characteristics of skin conditions across the full range of racial and ethnic skin types.

The Spectrum of Dermatologic Disease, upon publication, will be disseminated to medical residents, faculty and programme libraries, and thereafter be available as a resource for clinical practitioners worldwide.

Forces of Beauty Summits are also planned to help identify different perceptions of beauty among racial and ethnic groups, so that media, aesthetic providers and corporations can better understand and meet the aesthetic needs of all patients.

"Inspired by the nationwide peaceful protests that have galvanised our communities in calling for racial equity in all sectors of society,

Skinbetter Science and Allergan Aesthetics wanted to identify ways in which we could leverage our collective experience and knowledge to make a tangible contribution to improving health equity," said Jonah Shacknai, executive chairman of Skinbetter Science. "Helping to make aesthetics and dermatology more inclusive and fair, and enabling physicians and healthcare providers to bring that to life, is an important place to start."

Article first published in Aesthetic Medicine UK.