One scan on pHformula’s Skin Scanner reveals every concern you have ever had, currently have and will potentially have – even those the naked eye can’t see. Has this skincare pioneering company revolutionised how to treat skincare concerns?
WHATS THE PROCESS?
Firstly, you place your face into a machine, placing your chin on the chin rest and close your eyes. A cover is pulled over the back of your head to reduce the natural lighting and three flashes of light go off. Mere seconds later, we can see your dermis scans in multiple variations.
Most of us want to get up close and personal with our face’s every pore, bump and wrinkle, and it’s worth it. The SKIN SCAN is skin analysis technology that identifies and quantifies various skin conditions through exposing your skin to different spectrums of light.
pHformula’s skin scanner is part of a bigger movement of technology making it’s way into the skincare industry. I’m seeing more devices than ever before, each with a claim they can fix or cover whatever you don’t like about your skin – but I chose pHformula’s scanner for the same reason I’m picky about the products I use, because of it’s RESULTS and state of the art technology.
Skincare experts are past the point of asking if technology belongs in the skincare industry – it does, so let’s celebrate it and explore how it can broaden our knowledge and help us treat our skin more effectively.
Here’s what you can learn from having your face scanned:
RGB pores, RGB spots, RGB wrinkles, PL texture, UV Porphyrin, UV damage, UV pigmentation, UV moisture, Sensitive area and Brown Area.
Looking at all of these factors, I can prescribe the correct targeted treatments and products that can improve the look of your face and protect against future sun damage.
How Does It Work?
The pHformula scanner takes three photos of your face — one with daylight lighting conditions, one with cross polarisation (which reduces glare) and one with UV light — to evaluate and quantify various conditions both on the surface of your skin and hidden in your dermis’ layers.
These patient skin scans are stored and available only at The Skintologist. The scans are included in consultations and as part of treatment plans so we can map and track your progress throughout your time here.
From these scans, we can also estimate your “TruSkin age,” which basically tells you if the amount of wrinkles, UV damage and discolouration is typical for your age. It does so by comparing your skin conditions to a large database of other patients!
The other new feature is the age simulation. Based on the condition of your skin when you get the scan, and assuming you don’t make any changes to your current skincare regime, it shows you what you’ll look like by the time you’re 80 (and all of the years in between).
What Can pHformula Teach You?
Most patients go into the scan hoping to figure out what to do about scars, uneven skin texture, pigmentation, acne and visible pores, but most commonly, it shows the sobering truth of our skin’s UV damage.
Just by looking at your face, you might not see much – especially anything you would consider to be signs of sun exposure, such as freckles or dark spots. But with the UV photo, I can help you assess any widespread damage and formulate a treatment plan.
You may see hundreds of black spots and blotches in the UV photo – these are UV spots, or areas beneath the skin’s surface where melanin coagulates after being exposed to UV rays. Your body produces melanin when exposed to the sun in an effort to protect it. It’s also responsible for giving you a tan, but it’s not always visible to the naked eye.
UV rays do more than stimulate melanin production – they also damage collagen in your skin, which ultimately causes premature ageing. While we can’t actually see the collagen damage, those black spots in the UV photo are proof that you’ve accrued enough UV rays to cause it.
At the end of the scan and analysis, I offer advice on what you should be doing to protect against any further damage and reverse some of the damage that’s already been done.
Above all else, I always recommend wearing sunscreen every day, without exception. No matter where you go and who you talk to, skincare specialists all over the world will give you the same advice because it’s the best line of defence against UV rays.
In order to help reverse some of the existing UV damage, plus help improve skin texture, I recommended products with antioxidants, specifically vitamin A and vitamin C.
Various formulations of vitamin A improve cell turnover and are available in many skin products, from over-the-counter retinol creams and serums, to prescription-strength retinoid ointments and oral medication. Vitamin C has become a popular skincare ingredient in the last several years because studies suggest that it can also reverse sun damage!
As it happens, pHformula have formulated revolutionary VITA A and C products which can increase cell turnover, help reduce signs of sun damage and increase overall health.
Do we really need a machine to scan our faces?
Any skincare specialist can look at your skin and tell you what kind of issues you’re dealing with — whether that’s acne, scarring, rosacea or wrinkles. But pHformula’s Skin Scanner allows us to uncover what the naked eye can’t see and the FACTS!
We’re past the point of asking if technology belongs in skincare (it does) and on to exploring every way it can help us improve how effectively we look after our skin. Technology like this is becoming more and more crucial in skincare because it can give us accurate and comprehensive information about our skin than we’ve had before, and provide better tools to identify and treat dangerous conditions and minor flaws.
I Look forward to seeing you for your scan.
Love Jayde