Hispanic/Latino Facts

Hispanic/Latino Facts and Skin

People of Hispanic or Latino heritage have lived in the Unites States since 1565.
Almost 17% of the U.S. population is of Hispanic origin with 60% having roots in Mexico. This translates to a little over 55 million people forming the largest ethnic minority group in the United States.

The highest concentration of Hispanics is found in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and California with the largest population in the New York area. There buying power has reached 1.5 to 1.7 trillion and is expected to account for over 19% of all U.S. buying power.

Unlike the buying behavior of the older immigrant Hispanics, the second and third generation have become more image-conscious. These younger and hipper individuals have buying habits similar to mainstream American culture. Their dollars are spent more on beauty products such as cosmetics and hair care.

Hispanics face many of the same skin related issues as other ethnicities; the difference in their case is how their skin reacts. And like Asians, Hispanics can have different reactions depending on their particular country of origin. Mexicans and Puerto Ricans can have an entirely different type of skin than Hispanics whose ancestry traces to Central America or Spain. It is difficult to gather all Hispanics under one umbrella in many facets of their lives, and skin care is one of these.

While Hispanics are no more predisposed to acne than any other ethnicity, they can still suffer outbreaks and those outbreaks can be much more difficult to treat because Hispanic skin tends to be extremely sensitive to benzoyl peroxide, the primary ingredient in most common acne treatments. This means that Hispanic individuals will require more specialized types of treatment and should be encouraged to see and aesthetician or dermatologist at the earliest sign of outbreak.

The other common skin related issue among Hispanics is hyper-pigmentation, or dark patches of skin. Hyper-pigmentation can be caused in Hispanics by exposure to sunlight as well as irritation associated with acne, insect bites, psoriasis, eczema and burns. Melasma, a condition caused by birth control pills, pregnancy, and hormone therapy can all trigger dark patches. Stress and thyroid disease have also been postulated to be causes of melasma. The resulting patches can be unsightly and embarrassing and may require extensive treatment depending on their size and severity.

Resource: Skin Site http://www.skinsite.com/