I bet in the last 24 hours, you’ve learned more about celebrity gossip and what’s trendy on Instagram Reels than what’s going on in your body. I don’t mean to shame you. I’ve been guilty of paying more attention to social media than my health. Luckily there is a way we can scroll through the latest videos while building better awareness of our health.
Here are 8 Black female doctors you should be following on Instagram for everything related to your physical and mental health.
Keep in mind action off-screen is still required for optimal health.
1. Dr. Janelle Howell DPT WCS – Pelvic Physical Therapist
Dr. Howell is passionate about creating what she calls Vagina CEOs. These are people who are in charge of their vaginal health. What I love about her page is that she not only talks about the importance of having a healthy pelvic floor and vagina, she gives us practical and useful information. I learn something new from almost every post. She also gives us exercises and nutritional recommendations to keep things below the waist strong and healthy.
2. Dr. Justine Willams Roper DPT-Pelvic floor doctor
@doctorjus and @inherphysiquept
Dr. Roper’s motto is “Bridging the gap between pelvic education and movement mindset.” That’s exactly what she does on her feed. Her content is great for fitness junkies or people who want to get a little more out of their workouts. Her videos demonstrate simple and accessible exercises for most bodies.
3. Dr. Kera-Nyemb-Diop-Nutritionist
As a person who loves to eat carbs such as cornbread and other hearty foods, I feel that Dr. Nyemb-Diop speaks directly to me with her content. In reality, she speaks to anyone who has ever felt shame about what they eat. She doesn’t just use her platform to get people to eat healthier, she explores and breaks down how racism can make us think negatively about the cultural foods we eat.
If you want to learn to eat healthy while honoring and enjoying foods from your culture, follow Nyemb-Diop to learn how.
4. Dr. Sarah G Jamison, MD-Board Certified ER Doctor
@dr.sarah_jam
Dr. Sarah Jamison makes me look forward to Mondays. Why? Because of her medical myth-busting Mondays. As a person who spent years getting medical advice from family members, friends, and cold medicine commercials, I need the truth from a professional. Dr. Jaminson provides factual information about weight loss fads, medications, manicures, and many more activities that affect your health.
5. Dr. Raquel-Martin- Psychologist-Assistant Professor at Tenn State
Dr. Martin is a multi-talented psychologist whose superpowers include being a writer, podcast host, researcher, professional speaker, and professor. She speaks directly to the Black community on the importance of mental health. Her direct, informative, and intellectual videos give listeners data-driven information about mental health issues.
Podcast: @mindyourmentalpodcast
6. Dr. Erica Marchand – Sex therapist and Psychologist
For the intimate side of health, Dr. Erica is a psychologist that helps people have better sexual relationships with themselves and their partners. Much of her content focuses on increasing women’s pleasure and how couples can explore this pleasure together.
Dr. Erica presents this somewhat taboo topic in a way that is accessible and comfortable for viewers to consume.
7. Dr. Adeline Kikam – DO, FAAD Dermatologist
Skincare can be complicated, especially for Black women since most of the products on the market aren’t for darker skin tones. Dr. Kikam has fun and informative content on which products are best to use for different skin and which products to avoid. She also talks about serious skin conditions and gives practical tips for treating certain irregularities.
My favorite videos include her testing out sunscreens to show which products lie about not leaving a white residue on the skin.
8. Dr. Aaleeyah Alim, DMD – Dentist
There aren’t many people that like to go to the dentist — I am one of those people. Although I brush my teeth twice a day, I’ve been guilty of not regularly flossing and not thinking about overall oral health. Yet, with Aaleeyah’s gentle and friendly content, she has helped me see that my oral health is just as important as my mental and physical health.
Check out her Tooth Tuesdays videos where she breaks down certain oral habits such as chewing sugar-free gum. She also tackles uncomfortable topics such as gingivitis, bleeding gums, and braces. Her funny and informative videos are honest and make oral care less scary and less of a burden.
After putting together this list, I felt extremely inspired to put down my phone and look at all sides of my health, including mental, physical, oral, and sexual health. I hope this list has inspired you to follow these women and apply some of the information they are sharing to improve your health.
Remember that no matter how good the advice is, it doesn’t substitute seeing your physician and getting care directly from your doctor.
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