Brown Skin: Dr. Susan Taylor's Prescription for Flawless Skin, Hair, and Nails [Hardcover]

Susan C. Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 27, 2003

At last -- a book devoted to the concerns of people of color that will help you enhance and protect the health and beauty of your skin, hair, and nails. Dr. Susan Taylor, a Harvard-trained dermatologist and a beautiful woman of color, bases her advice on more than fifteen years' experience treating patients in private practice and at the first-of-its-kind Skin of Color Center in New York City, which she directs.

Her quizzes, product recommendations, and patient-tested solutions provide information you can use today! She explains:

• What makes skin of color beautiful -- yet vulnerable: Melanin provides rich color and sun protection, but makes skin prone to scars and marks. Dr. Taylor shares cleansing, care, and cover-up techniques.
• Strategies for satin-smooth skin: Learn how to nip breakouts and rashes in the bud, avoiding discolorations.
• Scar Rx: From cuts to cosmetic surgery, Dr. Taylor explains how to prevent and camouflage disfiguring scars.
• Makeup made easy: Skin tones can vary on a woman's body. Dr. Taylor tells how to choose and use makeup for a perfect match year-round.
• Health help for hair: From short naturals to hot combs, chemical hair relaxers, braids, weaves, and locks, Dr. Taylor tells how to style hair safely to avoid damage, hair loss, and skin irritation -- whatever style readers choose.
• Skin cancer savvy: The danger signs are different in people of color. Dr. Taylor explains what to look for.

Brown Skin offers comprehensive, culturally specific answers to help you look and feel your best, to recognize and prevent problems, and to get the right treatment for you and your family when needed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Taylor empowers the Black woman to look and feel beautiful.” (--Ebony )

“This is a wonderfully informative book. It should be bought by every woman of color.” (--Harriette Cole, author of Jumping the Broom and Vows )

About the Author

Susan C. Taylor, M.D., is a Harvard-trained physician and an internationally recognized expert in dermatology and ethnic skin disease. She lectures worldwide, has appeared on the Today show and Weekend Today, and has been featured in Essence, Good Housekeeping, Heart and Soul, and other publications. Dr. Taylor helped establish and directs the Skin of Color Center at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City, the first of its type in the nation. She is an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, and an attending physician at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center and Pennsylvania Hospital. She maintains a private practice at Society Hill Dermatology in Philadelphia and lives with her family in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. 

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Amistad; 1 edition (May 27, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060088710
• ISBN-13: 978-0060088712
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #788,349 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for people of color, February 15, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Brown Skin: Dr. Susan Taylor's Prescription for Flawless Skin, Hair, and Nails (Hardcover)

I am a black women who decided to get my look together before I turned 30. I dont have tremendous skin problems but I just want my skin to look youthful and vivacious. I found out how to get that type of skin by reading Dr. Taylor's book. It was so helpful that I could have cried. The section on how to remove/prevent the dark marks that are sometimes left behind after having a blemish was exceptional. In only a month, my skin has never looked or felt better. I dont feel the need to wear makeup anymore. She also gives very good product recommendations based upon your skin type. You can tell that her advise comes from research and experience. I highly recommend this buy.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I am so impressed!, June 22, 2003

By 

Stephanie C. Mckissic "jmtm2" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brown Skin: Dr. Susan Taylor's Prescription for Flawless Skin, Hair, and Nails (Hardcover)

I found this book to be easy to read (not a lot of dermatologist language) and with helpful advice. I gave five stars because of the accessibility of the products Dr. Taylor prescribes, most generic brands or simple home-remedies, that are affordable and also because she didn't push me to make an appointment or to buy expensive, designer products. Most solutions are common sense, but with a little extra advice and steps to follow that makes purchasing the book worthwhile. Dr. Taylor gives examples of actual clients that makes me feel comfortable that I'm not the only one going through problems with my hair and skin. My husband was also able to get sound advice for his acne-prone, oily skin. There are also helpful hints for children...there's something in this book for everyone to maintain healthy skin, hair and nails!

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing! Entirely too general to be helpful., December 31, 2005

By 

Kharabella "Kharabella" (Somewhere in the midwest . . .) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brown Skin: Dr. Susan Taylor's Prescription for Flawless Skin, Hair, and Nails (Paperback)

The book would probably be informative to some people. Overall, I didn't learn a single thing. THE BOTTOM LINE: If you don't know anything about hair and skin care, if you are starting from scratch, then this book might be helpful. If you are like me, and you already read Essence or already have some knowledge of how and when to wash your hair and face, then the book will seem like a waste of money.

Another drawback --most of the advice is incredibly general. A woman of color with skin or hair problems would be better advised to make an appointment with Dr. Taylor or another black dermatologist to get specific advice to help your specific problems. If you have health insurance, one appointment with a dermatologist should not cost to much more than the book.