Dermatologist: Dr. DiAnne S. Davis
subscribe
DiAnne S. Davis, MD is a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist out of Dallas, Texas, specializing in noninvasive facial rejuvenation, skin of color, hair loss, and cosmetic dermatologic surgery.
Dr. Davis is a member of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), American Society for Dermatologic Surgeons (ASDS), the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS), the Women’s Dermatologic Society (WDS), Skin of Color Society, and the Texas Medical Association.
In her early years, Dr. Davis grew up as the youngest of five children in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Her dad was an anesthesiologist and, as most children, she wanted to do everything just like him.
“At a young age, I knew I wanted to go into medicine,” Dr. Davis shared.
After graduating from high school, Dr Davis moved to Tuskegee, Alabama, where she majored in Biology at Tuskegee University. She then moved to New Orleans, LA, to attend graduate school at Tulane University majoring in Cell & Molecular Biology.
Dr. Davis believes in a collaborative approach when it comes to helping her patients look and feel their best. During her twenties, Dr. Davis shared that she started to develop adult acne which really had an effect on not only her skin but her overall self-esteem and quality of life.
“Suffering with acne as a young adult woman definitely opened up my eyes to exploring a career in dermatology. While living in New Orleans, I saw a couple of dermatologists who I felt like really didn’t understand my concerns as a young African-American woman with acne. It wasn’t until I started seeing a Hispanic dermatologist that I felt like she really understood my skin care needs as a woman of color and really took an interest in not only my acne, but my overall well-being. As an African-American woman I soon realized that there were not a lot of dermatologists who looked like me, and given skin of color patients usually have very sensitive skin issues, I decided to pursue dermatology as a career so that patients could have someone that they felt comfortable with and one who they felt understood their skin issues,”
Dr. Davis said of her experience.
In addition to being an amazing dermatologist, which took years of commitment and dedication, Dr. Davis has an exciting background not too many other dermatologists can share. During her time in New Orleans, Dr. Davis followed another passion: cheer and dancing.
While attending graduate school, she found herself wanting to get back out on the field as a cheerleader, which had been a big part of her life through middle school, high school, and college. She researched ways to continue her love of dance beyond the collegiate level, and in the spring of 2005, she decided to audition for the New Orleans Saints NFL cheerleading team.
Dr. Davis shared,
“This became part of my life for the next four years, and I can honestly say it is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I traveled to places I never thought I would go, and I developed lifelong friendships that I still hold on to today. It was an interesting time because my first year on the team the city of New Orleans and the entire golf region was greatly impacted by hurricane Katrina. I’ve never been able to give up on something I have set out to do, so I decided to remain in New Orleans and be a part of the rebuilding process as an ambassador for the team, and I was able to witness the city coming back bigger and better than it ever was. My first year of medical school was the same year that the team won the Super Bowl, so that was exciting to witness, but I was sad that I didn’t get to be on the sidelines with my former teammates.”
Dr. Davis shared with us the importance of skincare and starting a skin care regimen in your early teenage years. She stated once you start to enter puberty, you have so many different changes with your hormones that can definitely start to affect your skin and start the early stages of acne.
“I am of the belief that as a dermatologist I want to get acne under control and treated as soon as possible because I know how the development of acne scars can really affect one’s self-esteem. I’m not saying that you have to start a skincare routine at the age of five, but I would definitely say somewhere between the age of 12 to 14, every teenager should be on a comprehensive skin care regimen that at least includes a cleanser, moisturizer, sunscreen, and acne fighting ingredient if applicable,”
Dr. Davis said of the importance of early skincare.
Dr. Davis Answered some questions that came in from our Ask Us Beauty Community.
How do I know if my skin looks good for my age?
I think that’s a question that the reader will have to answer for him or herself. If you are happy with the way that your skin looks then go with it.
However, if you have concerns about certain blemishes, acne, discoloration, etc., then that is where seeking out the help and assistance from a board certified dermatologist can guide you in the right direction to achieve your personal skin care goals.
Are tanning beds really bad for you?
Yes. Tanning beds are a big no-no. The years of tanning can expose your skin to unregulated harmful ultraviolet lights (UVA & UVB) that can lead to early signs of aging and development of skin cancers.
Using tanning beds before the age of 35 can increase your chances of developing a melanoma by 59%, and that risk increases with each use. Women younger than 30 are six times more likely to develop a melanoma if they engage in indoor tanning bed practices.
Indoor tanning can increase the risk of developing a squamous cell carcinoma by 67% and basal cell carcinoma by 29%.
What about spray tans?
Spray tans are a great option to achieve a nice glow to your skin without the risk associated with indoor tanning devices.
What procedures are good for sun-damaged skin?
The number one procedure is to start wearing sunscreen as soon as possible if you are not already doing so, so that you can minimize further damage to the skin.
Adding a Vitamin C or other antioxidant into your skin care regimen will also help to protect your skin from further sun damage and help with superficial fine lines and wrinkles, brown spots, and discoloration on the skin.
Topical retinols/retinoids are another great ingredient to consider adding into your skin care regimen because it helps to minimize fine lines and wrinkles, improves the skin tone and texture, and can help with any acne breakouts or blemishes.
In terms of procedures that can really help to clear up lentigines or the brown sunspots/liver spots, those include chemical peels and intense pulse light (IPL) therapy treatments.
If you are looking to improve the overall texture of your skin, discoloration, and get some skin tightening, then you can look into either microneedling or radio frequency microneedling.
If you have moderate-to-severe sun-damaged skin, then you may want to look into more aggressive laser procedures provided by your board-certified dermatologist.
If you live in the Dallas, Texas area, you can book an appointment with Dr. Davis at www.northdallasderm.com.
You can find Dr. Davis at:
GET THE FEARLESS ISSUE TODAY!
FEATURING TAMRON HALL.
This jam-packed issue is available in digital and print! Immediate access to digital, get your copy today!