PATIENTS & PUBLIC
The 7th Annual SOCS Media Day led to the creation of a comprehensive video series designed to educate patients, physicians, and the general public about dermatologic conditions and diseases of importance to people of color.
Several SOCS leaders, who are nationally and globally recognized board-certified dermatologists, contributed their expertise to this informative video series, including: Victoria Barbosa, MD, MPH, MBA, current President; Andrew F. Alexis, MD, MPH, Immediate Past President; Shawn Kwatra, MD, Secretary/Treasurer; Janiene Luke, MD, Board Member and Media Day Co-chair; Nkem Ugonabo, MD, Media Day Co-chair; Prince Adotama, MD, Board Member, and Nada Elbuluk, MD, MSc, President-Elect.
Building on the existing SOCS collection of educational content, the latest series features several compelling videos, as follows:
Ask the Expert videos
Psoriasis in Skin of Color with Drs. Alexis and Kwatra
Seborrheic Dermatitis in Skin of Color (3-part series) with Drs. Adotama and Luke
A Fresh Look at Aging with Drs. Luke and Ugonabo
Skincare as a Ritual, Not a Chore with Drs. Luke and Ugonabo
Sunscreen and Skin of Color (3-part series) with Drs. Adotama and Ugonabo
New MelanatED videos (Augmenting the acclaimed 2023 series)
Hair Styles, Health, and Care with Drs. Barbosa and Luke
Acne in Skin of Color with Drs. Adotama and Kwatra
Social Media Misinformation with Drs. Adotama, Elbuluk, Luke, and Ugonabo
Additional educational video content will be released later in 2024.
This year’s Media Day was generously supported by the following sponsors: Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Clinique, EltaMD, Johnson & Johnson, and Procter & Gamble.
Browse through the SOCS Educational Showcase to view the videos below.
For our 6th Annual Skin of Color Society (SOCS) Media Day, we took a different approach from our traditional Media Day events, which in past years has included four in-person media events in NYC and a virtual event held in November 2021.
Under the leadership of Dr. Valerie Harvey and co-chaired by Drs. Candrice Heath, Janiene Luke and Nkem Ugonabo, the 2023 Media Day captured the expertise of dynamic SOCS leaders through a 3-day filming during the American Academy of Dermatology’s Annual Meeting in New Orleans, which resulted in a high-impact, high-interest series of educational videos that address important topics impacting patients of color, the physicians who care for them, and the field of skin of color dermatology overall.
The Skin of Color Society’s 5th Annual Media Day, “Shaping the Future: What’s New and Next in Skin of Color Dermatology” took place virtually on Tuesday, November 9, 2021.
Co-chaired by Valerie M. Harvey, MD, MPH, FAAD and Janiene Luke, MD, FAAD, the SOCS Media Day 2021 featured eleven nationally and globally recognized members, who addressed key issues and developments in medical and aesthetic dermatology, healthcare, and society, of interest to people of color.
JOIN US FOR THE SKIN OF COLOR SOCIETY’S 4th ANNUAL MEDIA DAY
Media guests from several dozen news outlets gathered with high interest and engagement for the 4th Annual Skin of Color Society Media Day, “Facing the Future.” This info-rich and people-packed event was graciously hosted by Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali, in his stylish offices of Hudson Dermatology and Laser Surgery. The program featured a rotating format so that smaller groups of editorial guests moved through each of the five presentation rooms featuring a pair of SOCS experts on their designated topic.
This year’s theme focused on what’s new and what’s next in skin of color dermatology treatments, trends and emerging tech.Many editors and reporters were working on current stories related to skin of color dermatology issues, and several were inspired to write new ones based upon the fascinating material presented by the SOCS expert team.
2017 SOCS Media Day Delivers High-Interest Expert Content!
Advancing patient and public understanding about skin of color issues…
from everyday concerns to life-altering conditions
The Skin of Color Society’s 3rd Annual Media Day took place at the Kitano Hotel Penthouse in New York City, on December 5, 2017, attracting strong interest among numerous media attendees. Entitled, “Know Your Skin,” this exciting expert-based event was designed to advance patient and public understanding about a wide range of skin of color dermatology issues—from everyday aesthetic/dermatologic concerns to life-altering conditions. Expanding on previous successful SOCS Media Days, this fascinating and fast-paced program featured several SOCS expert presenters, with the added new element of a moderator, handled skillfully by Lee Thomas, the Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist, author of “Turning White” and vitiligo patient leader, who also delivered an inspirational opening talk about his vitiligo journey.
Left: Seemal Desai, MD, FAAD; Nada Elbuluk, MD, MSc, FAAD; Valerie Callender, MD; Maritza Perez, MD; Susan Taylor, MD; Andrew Alexis, MD, MPH
Presenting experts included: Drs. Seemal Desai and Susan C. Taylor, on “Managing Skin of Color Issues from the Inside Out”; Drs. Valerie Callender and Andrew Alexis, on “The Bigger Picture—More than Skin Deep,” and Dr. Maritza Perez, on “Medical wake-up calls in people of color—Truths and myths in ethnic variations in aging and skin cancer in skin of color.” Each presentation was followed by a lively round of Q & A’s from an engaged audience.
SOCS Board of Directors member Dr. Babar Rao and active member Dr. Nada Elbuluk, both of whom have presented at previous SOCS Media Days and regularly handle media inquiries for the organization, also supported the program.
2016 SOCS Media Day Draws Tremendous Interest!
This year’s Media Day, “Delving into Diversity”, was a big hit among a crowd of diverse beauty/ health magazine editors, digital content creators and skin of color bloggers who attended this exciting program at the stylish London Hotel in NYC on December 13, 2016.
As the second Media Day for the Skin of Color Society (SOCS), this year’s event offered a series of interesting and informative presentations by four pairs of SOCS experts on a wide array of relevant topics, followed by a lively round of Q & A’s and then roundtable discussions led by each team with our highly engaged media guests. Several editors requested private interviews with the experts before and after the program as well, in addition to many interviews conducted by editors who were not able to make the event at this bustling time of year.
3/4 of the SOCS Media Day Expert Team—From left: Dr. Andrew Alexis, Dr. Susan Taylor, Dr. Amy McMichael, Dr. Maritza Perez, Dr. Marta Rendon and Dr. Seemal Desai. Other team members Dr. Babar Rao and Dr. Nada Elbuluk, are not pictured. |
Michelle Wrubel of Nutrafol (left) with Valerie Monroe, Beauty Director of O, The Oprah Magazine. |
As Dr. Amy McMichael commented in her welcome remarks, “The growing partnership between the media and the Skin of Color Society is very important to help raise awareness about many different dermatologic topics that affect the lives and health of individuals with skin of color. As an organization dedicated to promoting excellence in the specialty and raising greater awareness, we look forward to continuing the conversation with our editorial friends and colleagues in the future to help educate the public about various medical and aesthetic dermatology issues.”
The following SOCS leaders and experts participated: Dr. Amy McMichael, President; Dr. Seemal Desai, Secretary/Treasurer; Dr. Susan Taylor, Founder; Dr. Marta Rendon, Immediate Past President; Dr. Babar Rao, Board of Directors Member; Dr. Maritza Perez; Dr. Andrew Alexis, and Dr. Nada Elbuluk.
Incoming SOCS President Seemal Desai discussing pigmentary disorders with Milly Almodovar, a beauty editor and TV personality. |
 Dr. Babar Rao and Dr. Nada Elbuluk presented their talk on the latest health and beauty technologies, therapies and breakthroughs of special interest to individuals with skin of color.
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Media Day guests asked excellent questions about various skin of color issues and engaged in lively conversations with the experts after the presentations. |
 Dr. Babar Rao and Dr. Nada Elbuluk have a pre-event interview with an editor, discussing the latest in Health and Beauty Tech. |
Editors and writers representing the following media outlets joined us: Brown Girl Magazine, Parents, Bronze Magazine, Cutis, Practical Dermatology/Modern Aesthetics, O, The Oprah Magazine, Essence, Family Circle, Marie-Claire, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Refinery 29, SELF, Glamour, HAPPI, Beauty in the Bag, Brown Girl Gumbo, The Style and Beauty Doctor, The Fab Report, The Beauty Swirl, That Girl at the Party, Style Music TV, PEC Style, NicholNoire, Ageist Beauty, Women’s Health, as well as television/digital personalities who create beauty and health-related content for a variety of networks and platforms.
Tanthony Raeshawn, editor of Bronze Magazine with Dr. Seemal Desai |
Dr. Marta Rendon and Dr. Seemal with Brown Girl Magazine Editor Sapna Sakaria |
We thank all of our SOCS Media Day Sponsors! Shown here from left: Dr. Maritza Perez, Dr. Seemal Desai, John Bagdasarian (Aclaris Therapeutics), Dr. Babar Rao, Dr. Marta Rendon, Kevin Scott (Aclaris Therapeutics), Dr. Amy McMichael and Crystal Harrell (P & G). Representatives from other sponsors La Roche-Posay, Merz Dermatology and Nutrafol not shown.
The Skin of Color Society gratefully acknowledges the sponsors who made this dynamic program possible: Aclaris Therapeutics, La Roche-Posay, Merz Dermatology, Nutrafol and Procter & Gamble.
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In addition to several companies providing products for the editor gift bags, representatives from the following companies attended the program, including: John Bagdasarian and Kevin Scott (Aclaris); Tyler Steele (La Roche-Posay); Crystal Harrell (Procter & Gamble) and Michelle Wrubel (Nutrafol).
For more information or to request an expert source, please contact:
The 2nd Skin of Color Society Media Day took place on Tuesday, December 13, 2016.
SOCS experts were paired as follows on the following topics:
Latest Science, Highest Art in Treating Pigmentary Disorders, led by Dr. Marta Rendon and Dr. Seemal Desai: Insights into scientific breakthroughs, most effective treatments, therapies and considerations for the host of pigmentary disorders, including hyper-pigmentation, PIH, melasma, and vitiligo, with special emphasis on key considerations and risks in treating skin of color.
Marta I. Rendon, MD
Founder Skin Care Research, Medical Director, Rendon Center for Dermatology / Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, University of Miami School of Medicine
Seemal R. Desai, MD, FAAD
President & Medical Director, Innovative Dermatology / Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology, University of Texas Southwestern
Skin of Color Health+Beauty Tech Talk, led by Dr. Nada Elbuluk and Dr. Babar Rao: Covering the hottest derm-related technological breakthroughs, newer treatments, lasers, at-home gadgets, apps, trends, etc., with special emphasis on risks/concerns in skin of color.
Nada Elbuluk, MD, MSc, FAAD
Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, NYU Medical Center
Babar K. Rao, MD
Founder and Director of Rao Dermatology NY, NJ, CA / Clinical Professor of Dermatology, Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School / Clinical Associate Professor, Weill Cornell Medical School
Sun Safety and Skin Cancer in Skin of Color: Myths and Truths, led by Dr. Maritza Perez and Dr. Susan Taylor: Know the facts, myths, and truths about skin cancer and sun protection in darker skin types.
Maritza Perez, MD
Director of Cosmetic Dermatology, St. Luke’s Roosevelt Medical Center / Associate Director of Procedural Dermatology, Beth Israel Medical Center / Clinical Professor of Dermatology, Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine
Susan C. Taylor, MD
Founding Director, Skin of Color Center, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center; Faculty, Perelman School of Medicine
Hair Health, led by Dr. Amy McMichael and Dr. Andrew Alexis: Addressing breakthroughs, newer solutions and time-tested treatments for various hair health issues affecting individuals with skin of color.
Amy McMichael, MD
Professor & Chair, Department of Dermatology, Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical Center
Andrew F. Alexis, MD, MPH
Chair, Department of Dermatology, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s & Mount Sinai Roosevelt / Associate Professor of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai