
Hidradenitis Suppurativa: The Skincare Coverage Gap That Affects 1% of People
Hidradenitis suppurativa is the most under-covered dermatologic condition in skincare media. It affects ~1% of people, disproportionately women of color, and the…
We use cookies to count readers (Google Analytics) and to send you our newsletter (Klaviyo, if you sign up). Nothing is sold. Read our privacy notice.

Hidradenitis suppurativa is the most under-covered dermatologic condition in skincare media. It affects ~1% of people, disproportionately women of color, and the…

Hydroquinone has been the default first-line PIH treatment for thirty years. In 2026, three actives — dapsone, azelaic acid, tranexamic acid —…

Niacinamide blocks melanosome transfer from melanocytes to keratinocytes. It does not shut down melanogenesis itself. That mechanism puts a hard ceiling on…

Almost every published clinical trial on topical vitamin C used Fitzpatrick I-II patients. The extrapolation to oily, acne-prone, Fitzpatrick V skin doesn't…

Retinaldehyde is roughly 11× more potent than retinol with comparable irritation. The reason it's underused isn't clinical — it's supply chain economics.

Most published 'post-laser care' guides were written for Fitzpatrick I-III patients. SoC patients have a 90-day PIH risk window, not 14, and…

Benzoyl peroxide treats acne and causes hyperpigmentation in darker skin tones. The concentration that minimizes the trade-off has been known since 1986…

Skincare marketing lumps kojic, arbutin, and tranexamic together as 'natural hydroquinone alternatives.' Clinically they're not interchangeable — they target different points in…

OTC marketing lumps melasma, PIH, and Hori's nevus together as 'dark spots.' The treatments aren't interchangeable, and getting the differential wrong is…

Tretinoin is the gold-standard retinoid for hyperpigmentation, and one of the more common iatrogenic causes of hyperpigmentation in darker skin tones. Both…