Our team utilizes the VISIA complexion analysis system to perform thorough skin consultations. This analysis is beneficial to all patients, to get a close-up view of what’s going on the surface of the skin as well as beneath.
VISIA imaging captures key visual information for eight areas affecting complexion health and appearance: spots, pores, wrinkles, texture, porphyrins (evidence of bacteria in pores), UV spots (characteristic of photo damage, typically from overexposure to sun), red areas and brown spots. The VISIA will assign a percentile ranking to each category based on results which will show us which areas the patient can improve.
A VISIA analysis can be repeated as often as desired, and results can be compared to previous sessions to analyze improvement.
Spots are typically brown or red skin lesions including freckles, acne scars, hyper-pigmentation and vascular lesions. Spots are distinguishable by their distinct color and contrast from the background skin tone. Spots vary in size and generally have a circular shape.
Pores are the circular surface openings of sweat gland ducts. Due to shadowing, pores appear darker than the surrounding skin tone and are identified by their darker color and circular shape. The VISIA system distinguishes pores from spots based on size; by definition, the area of a pore is much smaller than a spot.
Wrinkles are furrows, folds or creases in the skin, which increase in occurrence as a result of sun exposure, and are associated with decreasing skin elasticity. This skin feature has the greatest variability from image to image as it is highly dependent upon the facial expression of the client. Wrinkles are identified by their characteristic long, narrow shape.
Texture is primarily an analysis of skin smoothness. Texture measures skin color and smoothness by identifying gradations in color from the surrounding skin tone, as well as peaks (shown in yellow) and valleys (shown in blue) on the skin surface that indicate variations in the surface texture.
Porphyrins are bacterial excretions that can become lodged in pores and lead to acne. Porphyrins fluoresce in UV light and exhibit circular white spot characteristics.
UV spots occur when melanin coagulates below the skin surface as a result of sun damage. UV spots are generally invisible under normal lighting conditions. The selective absorption of the UV light by the epidermal melanin enhances its display and detection by VISIA.
Red areas represent a potential variety of conditions, such as acne, inflammation, rosacea or spider veins. Blood vessels and hemoglobin contained in the papillary dermis, a sub-layer of skin, give these structures their red color, which is detected by the RBX Technology in VISIA. Acne spots and inflammation vary in size but are generally round in shape. Rosacea is usually larger and diffuse compared to acne, and spider veins usually are short, thin and can be interconnected in a dense network.
Brown spots are lesions on the skin such as hyper-pigmentation, freckles, lentigines, and melasma. Brown spots occur from an excess of melanin. Melanin is produced by melanocytes in the bottom layer of the epidermis. Brown Spots produce an uneven appearance to the skin, and are detected in VISIA by RBX.
How Long Will Treatment Take?
A full consult can be performed in 20 minutes.
What If I Rank Low in Certain Categories?
If there are certain areas where the score is lower, this shows us where there is room for improvement! Our aesthetician can recommend specific skin care treatments and products to help improve your skin health, focusing on specific categories. For example, if you score lower in UV damage, an antioxidant serum and a proper SPF may be recommended, along with skin care treatments to increase cell turnover.
