An in-depth look at skin analysis
With the rise of so many beautiful looking and intelligent sounding (on the surface) online skin care brands popping up all over the Internet, it can be hard to know what's right and wrong regarding what to use on your skin – especially when you're bombarded with catchy advertising and packaging, five-star testimonials, organic-looking video reviews and an abundance of before and after photos. These are all good things to look for in your skin care products, but these are other people's results; your skin is yours alone.
In this blog post, we will be sharing a behind-the-scenes look at our skin assessment process, which we refer to as an ‘advanced skin analysis’. We’ll break down the process and why it’s the most important step in developing the best possible skincare routine for your skin.
Why investing in a skin analysis is important for your skin
Marketing is the art of persuasion, and all business owners must continually find ways to connect with their audience to get the word out about what they offer and sell their products. Nothing is different when it comes to skin care.
From the explosion of celebrities and models endorsing products in the 90’s, to the current explosion of ‘influencers’ posting their so-called ‘authentic review videos’ with affiliate links, means we are constantly bombarded with messages about new products, ingredients and treatments. It can be hard to know what the best products for your skin are, and which skin treatments will best help you achieve the results you’re after.
It's not that these products are no good or will be bad for your skin. But you don't know what you don't know, right? And neither do they. They don't know you or what your skin needs. It's your skin – with its perfections and imperfections. This is why no online skin analysis quiz, online skin analysis app, or ‘best skin care products for you’ list, will be able to tell you what your skin needs for it to be its best and brightest.
Only a professional skin analysis can tell you that.
Healthy skin begins with knowledge. When we understand the skin and what it needs to heal, we can make more intelligent and more effective decisions for its care, revitalisation and protection.
A skin analysis is the best money you can spend on your skin; more often than not, it will only cost you your time. But the consequences of not investing in a skin analysis will cost you far more money and time. Why? Because you could use the wrong products for your skin type or invest in inappropriate treatments for your skin conditions; wasting your money and costing you more to rectify the damage.
Many men and women buying and researching skin care are using the wrong products and consuming inaccurate information about their skin. Most have never had a proper skin analysis or consultation before and are usually guessing their skin type. Or they take someone else's advice on their skin type - either through a skin quiz or after a fluffy facial and assume that's all they need to know. They conclude their skin is either dry, oily, a combination of both or sensitive if a product reacted in a particular way (and not necessarily adversely).
Our process of analysing your skin is so much more than that; it’s a peek down deep into the layers of your skin. What you can learn from a skin analysis will only improve the outcomes you are looking for when it comes to skin treatments and products.
What is a skin analysis?
A skin analysis is a quick, non-invasive and pain-free skin consultation. It only takes about half an hour to completely map your face, through multiple layers of skin, using our professional OBSERV machine. Let’s take a peek at how it works.
Firstly, with a mirror, you will point out and explain to your skin therapist what you see happening with your skin and how you would like it to improve. Next, your skin therapist will ask you several questions regarding your lifestyle, health, medications, medical conditions, routines, diet and sleeping habits, and what you may have tried regarding your skin that has worked or not worked. As you point out your skin issues, your skin therapist will also note not these for further investigation.
The skin is the body's largest organ and is usually the first place that provides signs that something is going on internally. The answers to your skin concerns such as rosacea, dry, flakey, irritated skin, dark colouring under the eyes (and many more skin conditions) could lie beneath the surface of your skin, and revealed thanks to the power of a skin analysis.
In many cases, it’s likely not what you looked up on the Internet or what someone told you it could be. It could be any number of underlying skin issues, nutritional issues or even gut related. While it is not the role of a skin therapist to determine a diagnosis in these areas, it is their job to be aware of what could be happening and to refer you to a doctor, naturopath, or dermatologist for further diagnosis.
The skin analysis process
After your initial discussion with a mirror in hand, you will place your face behind our OBSERV Skin analysing machine. This state-of-the-art skin analysis system scans your face using six observation modes, which look at the epidermal and dermal layers of skin.
This process allows you and your skin therapist to garner an in-depth view of your skin's health at the start of your skin journey and identify any irregularities from the deepest layers of skin right through to the surface. From here, you and your skin therapist can develop a treatment plan with the best course of products and treatment sequencing that will fit your budget and time frames. Not only giving you skin that looks and feels great, but rebalancing your skin – all within your means.
The OBSERV examination process gives you a superior level of skin evaluation as it tracks your skin from the initial scan and visually displays your progress as your skin improves after treatment. You get to see the signs of your success starting to occur even before they become visible on the skin’s surface.
For example, you can see where new collagen has formed, pigmentation eradicated before it can surface, and congestion clearing. With all this knowledge in your hands, you’ll have a great sense of relief, knowing you are on the right track and all the things underneath the skin are working together even if your journey has only half begun.
What are the OBSERV observation modes, and what can they see?
There are six observation modes used within the Observ skin analysis system. These are:
Daylight - what your skin looks like in a controlled, natural daylight environment.
Parallel Polarised - this is an enhanced view of the skin's surface, taking a closer look at the fine lines, wrinkles, texture and pores of the skin.
Cross Polarised - an unobstructed view of your skin's dermal structures and vascular condition, along with any pigmentation and inflammation.
True UV - this observation mode exposes surface and deeper skin layer skin abnormalities, which their fluorescent patterns can distinguish.
Simulate Woods Light - by adjusting the light spectrum, diagnostic dimensions such as skin oiliness and dehydration become visible.
Complexion analysis - reveals pigmentation irregularities, irritations and nonuniform characteristics of skin tone.
What happens next?
Your skin therapist will then take the clinical OBSERV images and clarify what is visible and what is going on under the surface of your skin with you—demystifying the treatment processes required and explaining what needs to happen to improve the condition of your skin.
If there is something you need help understanding or are unsure about, Andrea takes the time to make sure you comprehend everything. No questions are silly here, because skin care is not a one-size-fits-all approach. A skin analysis shouldn’t be a one-way conversation, with the outcome of what skin care products and treatments an individual needs determined by an algorithm.
You are you and no one else. Every individual needs a personalised skin analysis consultation. You and your skin therapist need time to work through everything you have going on privately and personally. This will equip you with a prescription of what's appropriate for your skin and how the treatment process and products can fit into your lifestyle and budget, to help you achieve your skin goals.
Knowledge is power, but it can be tricky to understand it all at once or even know where to begin. So before you embark on a new skin treatment protocol or invest in all new skin care products, get the knowledge and power you need with a professional skin analysis. You will receive so much value during this time and consultation.
Suppose you're ready to invest in your skin and see what's possible and what is happening underneath its surface with our OBSERV skin analysis machine. Then, click the link below and schedule your first skin assessment.