After a decade of being the dermatology expert to many of Hollywood’s elite including Academy Award-nominated actress Angela Bassett, Emmy Award-winning actress Niecy Nash, and boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, Doctor of Medical Science and Health Science, Landon McCarroll who is also a Physician Associate (PA), is turning his attention towards helping the youth and underserved populations in the inner city by providing free medical care through his DermKing Humanity Foundation. The non-profit organization recently held its inaugural fundraising event in Beverly Hills with a gala to follow in May of 2024.
Dr.Landon spoke with the Sentinel in regards to what inspired him to start his nonprofit. He shared the story of a patient that asked if he could see her niece who was dealing with a skin condition. “When the teen first came in, she was wearing a turtleneck, didn’t make eye contact, and had poor self-esteem because she was being bullied. In Los Angeles, it takes between nine to twelve months to see a Dermatologist or a Specialist if you’re on a Medi-Cal. She had previously seen a provider but was misdiagnosed.” He adds, “She had psoriasis which is a condition that looks totally different on African American skin than European skin. Imagine waiting another year to see a provider again after they misdiagnose you. I was able to get her the proper treatment. Within one month, when she came back for her follow-up, she was making eye contact and asked if she could give me a hug. It was such a moving moment because it only took a few minutes of my time and the psoriasis cream only cost $7. Helping this young lady changed her life so imagine who all we could impact? The idea for the foundation took off with this in mind.”
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Oftentimes annual visits to the dentist, optometrist, and the pediatrician are the only doctor’s appointments that many people grow up prioritizing. Through his foundation, Dr. Landon is hoping to teach a younger generation about the importance of dermatological appointments and the correlation between what we eat, how it affects our immune system and subsequently our skin. “As an adolescent, your immune system and your allergic response are a lot stronger. So there are things that all along your body may have been having a reaction to but at a younger age, your immune system was keeping it at bay. As you get older, there’s an internal struggle that continues to happen, and that manifests itself in the skin. Rosacea and psoriasis flare-ups are sometimes food-related and can be treated by understanding the internal mechanisms and the inflammation going on inside. Without proper internal health, you’re likely to have issues with your skin.”
Dr. Landon also helps to dispel the myth that African Americans don’t need sunscreen. “The skin is your body’s largest organ and it will only take care of you as much as you take care of it. While African American skin does have some “natural sun protection”, we still have to wear sunscreen because there are significant incidences of superficial skin cancers and melanomas; and when it impacts us, it can be more aggressive. It’s important to have these conversations early. Because you want to take care of your skin in the formative years and ensure that you’re not destroying or disrupting that skin barrier by being exposed to the sun without proper protection.” He adds, “I know there are questions about what age to start a skin care regimen and what are the right products? These are questions that I’ll be answering in a series of information sessions that the foundation will host at high schools. And we’ll be inviting the parents to come out as well because education is power.” He continued, “When you talk about the years of mistrust around medical professionals that have gone on in the Black community, it does take more Black doctors to speak back to our community to help us understand that times are shifting and there are important conversations that need to be had about our skin.”
An innovative aspect of the DermKing Humanity Foundation is the DermKing Mobile Clinic which will allow Dr. Landon and his team to treat students in need of assistance with their skin while at school. “I’ve partnered with some of the local pharmacies that will provide medication at no cost to the students,” he shared. “We’ll be doing this once a month once we hit our mark with the fundraising aspect that goes alongside the mobile clinic.” In efforts to ensure that these much-needed resources can be made available to the youth, Dr. Landon recently hosted a star-studded fundraiser event at his Beverly Hills office where he honored Emmy Award-winning actress, Niecy Nash-Betts. “My daughters and I have been clients of Dr. Landon for years. I love his commitment to his patients and I love the fact that he wants to help the underprivileged with dermatological care. He’s such a beautiful soul and I couldn’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be” said Nash-Betts.
Also in attendance to honor Nash-Betts as well as Dr. Landon for their philanthropic work was veteran actress Wendy Raquel Robinson who has been a client of Dr. Landon for nearly a decade. When asked how she chose Dr. Landon as a provider, “The Game” actress said, “Beauty starts from the inside and it’s his spirit and his energy that drew me to him. His energy is wonderful. He’s great and he’s accessible; that’s very important to have someone that you can call on and he’s there.”
To learn more about the DermKing Humanity Foundation, visit dermking.com.
