Conclusions
Skin color is an often understudied variable in appearance research, although it is often one of the most widely used markers in assigning group membership. Additionally, although skin color modification is widely prevalent and associated with a variety of devastating health effects, there has been a limited amount of research on skin color. This may be because within minority communities skin color is still a taboo subject. The future of skin color research lies in trying to understand the contextual meanings ascribed to skin color and to see how macroforces interact with interpersonal variables to explain the feelings associated with skin color. To do so, we need more sophisticated analytical models that can incorporate these factors.