Recently, I gave a guest lecture at the ROC. A classroom full of smart, curious students — all on their way to a future in the beauty industry. When I asked what they knew about melanin rich skin, the room went silent. Not because they didn’t want to learn, but because the curriculum simply doesn’t offer it.

And honestly? I recognize that. During my own training, I learned nothing about melanin rich skin. In fact, it was often described as complex or difficult. In conversations with teachers today, I hear the same: they want to teach their students the right knowledge, but the books and materials fall short. Some even admit they feel uncomfortable when a student asks a question they can’t answer.

What I do see: the willingness to learn is huge. Especially now that our society is becoming increasingly multicultural, and students themselves often have melanin rich skin, there is a real hunger for knowledge.

What’s missing from the curriculum

Most beauty programs cover the Fitzpatrick scale.
For those unfamiliar: it’s a classification of skin types (1 to 6) based mostly on how quickly someone burns or tans in the sun. Useful as a foundation, but very superficial.

The different skin types are briefly mentioned — and that’s where it usually ends.

What’s not explained?

• How these skin types differ anatomically

• How melanin actually works

• The different types of melanin

• Why melanin rich skin reacts differently to damage, products or inflammation

And that is the core.
Without understanding what melanin does — and how melanin rich skin is built — students cannot fully analyze this skin type. They learn that Fitzpatrick 5 or 6 “burns less easily,” but not what happens at cellular level or why certain treatments or products carry higher risks.

Why this is still happening

Why are students in 2025 still not being taught this? The core lies in how beauty education was built. Programs are based on Western skincare knowledge — which for decades focused primarily on lighter skin types.

On top of that, educational materials are often very superficial. The Fitzpatrick scale is easy to explain. The physiology of melanin? The anatomical differences? The interactions with inflammation and healing processes?
That requires depth — and depth takes effort, research, and updated teaching materials.

And let’s be honest: the beauty industry is not known for changing quickly.
While our society has grown more diverse, the textbooks haven’t kept up.

As a result, students don’t learn what they will soon need in real practice.

Why this is a problem

The consequence of missing knowledge?
Students become professionals who often feel insecure when treating melanin rich skin. They lack confidence in analyzing reactions or giving tailored advice.

The client feels that immediately.
Someone lying in the treatment chair can sense when a professional hesitates or is unsure. And this can have real consequences:

• Treatments that are too aggressive → leading to more pigmentation

• Wrong product advice

• A lack of trust in the practitioner

The result: many people don’t feel safe or understood in the treatment room.
Not because the professional doesn’t want to help, but because the foundational knowledge is missing.

And that gap keeps the distance between client and practitioner in place.

Personal reflection

In my role as educator, founder and formulator, I see this over and over again.
The more you learn about melanin rich skin, the clearer it becomes: there is no one-size-fits-all. What works beautifully for one skin type can be damaging for another.

That’s why I’ve immersed myself in the science of melanin, the anatomical differences, and the role of natural extracts. In trainings, I often see professionals relax and say:
“Ahhh, that’s why this behaves differently!”
Those aha moments show how great the hunger for knowledge is — among students, teachers, and experienced practitioners.

The growth of The Melanin Clinic® has confirmed this for me. The stories we hear in the treatment room, the results we see, and the questions people ask all show how needed this knowledge is. By specializing in melanin rich skin and working with it every day, we learn so much — constantly.

And now that I have more time to share this knowledge, it feels like a responsibility. Not only in the clinic, but also through blogs, trainings and conversations. I’ll dive deeper into this in another Melanin Moment.

In closing

What I want to emphasize for now is this:
the gap in education is not impossible to solve.

It starts with awareness — and the willingness to learn.
And that willingness is everywhere. I see it in classrooms, in treatment rooms, and online.

The next step is making this knowledge accessible, accurate and practical.

Next week, I’ll share how we — as brands, professionals and consumers — can actively contribute to change, and how we can build a future where melanin rich skin is no longer overlooked, but seen and understood. ✨

Keep learning, keep glowing – until the next Melanin Moment! 💛
With love,
Angela