Nancy Wallace, a 46-year-old entrepreneur from St. Louis, wasn’t quite convinced that James Thomas, who is a white man, could really understand the different conditions that affect African-American skin. “I was thinking, ‘This person, what does he know?'” Wallace said.
“But then I was very impressed by how much he knew and his knowledge of African-American skin types.”
Thomas, who works out of the Thomas Clinic at 6744 Clayton Rd., says his treatments and specially formulated enzyme wash can clear up skin conditions ranging from acne scars to stretch marks.
“Enzymes are from fruits and vegetables. What they do is dissolve dead layers of skin,” Thomas said.
“When you dissolve dead layers of skin, the body is set up in a way that it has to grow new skin. It takes about 5 to 7 days for that new skin to grow back.”
Although many African Americans do not believe they need to take extra precautions, like using sunblock lotion on a regular basis, Thomas warns that skin must be properly moisturized and protected from sun exposure in order to keep skin problems at bay.
The most common skin conditions Thomas sees among African-American clients include “uneven skin tones, acne scars, stretch marks,” he said.
Orlando Burton, a 36-year-old financial advisor, had suffered from burns from an over-the-counter shaving cream that had discolored his face as a teenager. The burn left him with pink blotches and severely dry skin along his cheeks and chin.
Burton says he tried numerous products over the years to correct the problem, to no avail. Following the advice of a friend, Burton decided to go to the Thomas Clinic.
“Before I came here, I tried everything,” he said. “Nothing would work. Finally, a friend of mine was like, ‘Why don’t you go to this clinic that can help you.’ And I’m glad I did.”
After receiving one treatment and using a special enzyme wash created by Thomas, both Burton and Thomas are pleased with the results.
“I came in for one treatment and he started me with the wash,” Burton said. “I’ve been using the wash, and he was surprised that, after one treatment, how much pigment came back.”
Eddie Lawshea is another Thomas Clinic client who struggled for years with severe acne scarring and an uneven skin tone.
“I had a lot of dark spots and acne bumps on my forehead and especially on my cheeks,” he said. “I tried a lot of over-the-counter products, and it just wasn’t working,” he said.
The 24-year-old estimates that he spent over $3,500 dollars on skin care products and dermatologist visits trying to clear his skin. It wasn’t until he met Thomas about a year ago that he started to get some relief.
On his first visit to the clinic, Thomas took a “before” picture of Lawshea. After four in-office treatments and 2 ½ months of using the enzyme wash daily, Lawshea took an “after” picture and was then able to see the improvement in his skin.
“All the bad things that I felt when I first came started fading away,” he said. “My self-esteem started to go up a little bit. I started feeling good about myself.”
Now Lawshea says his life has improved tremendously. He is even trying his hand at an acting career.
“I feel very, very good about myself,” he said. “I got a lot of confidence now that I didn’t have before. I go out more, I take pictures.”
“People need to come here if they suffer with dry skin like I have, they need to come and try this treatment,” Burton said.
The Thomas Clinic is located at 6744 Clayton Rd., Suite 221. For more information, call 645-7722 or visit HYPERLINK http://www.thethomasclinic.com www.thethomasclinic.com.
