Skin of color representation in cosmetic clinical trials: A literature review.

ABSTRACT

Despite cosmetic procedures being on the rise in the US in all demographics, cosmetic procedures remain heavily skewed towards non-skin of color patients. Cosmetic clinical trials in the United States must be representative of the ever-increasing diversity of the US population. We sought to analyze published cosmetic randomized controlled trials, both industry-sponsored and investigator-initiated, to characterize and assess representation of skin of color participants over the past three decades. Our study shows that industry sponsorship correlates with poor study participant ethnic/racial diversity in aesthetic randomized controlled trials, and should serve as a call to action for industries to increase the inclusion of skin of color participants in their studies.