Microskin plc (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) has launched both a clinical and consumer iPhone app to personalize “second skin” products to conceal vitiligo, birthmarks, burns, eczema, lupus, keloid scarring, tattoos and other skin-related conditions.
“The traditional method for a consumer to buy cosmetics over the Internet is by selecting from a palette of colors, which are not accurately represented on a computer screen,” company chairman Barry Amor tells Cosmetic Surgery Times. “A photograph is also not an accurate means of determining skin color.”
Amor says Microskin has specifically designed and powered the two apps, which use the iPhone's camera and computing capabilities “to very accurately match a person's skin color to 30 of our premixed second-skin colors.” However, the clinical app provides a more accurate analysis of a person's skin color, “from which we can create a personalized second-skin product for that specific individual.”
The consumer app is available through Apple’s App Store, whereas the clinician app can be accessed through Microskin's clinical partner program. This latter app employs a specialized iPhone clip-on device, which emits a signature light source to provide a comprehensive color match.
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“We know that dermatologists and skin clinics have been eagerly anticipating the release of Microskin's clinic app because it provides them the power to match our Microskin products in a simple, easy-to-use iPhone app,” says Amor, noting that determining skin color is a complex process.
Likewise, the consumer app is available on iTunes. “This is perfect for people who cannot get to a clinic or do not have a clinic near them,” Amor notes. “People can now quickly and accurately match their skin color and have confidence in purchasing the appropriate Microskin products directly through our website.”
Amor says his company believes the two apps “unlock the possibility to accurately match skin color, and we intend to continue to further develop the current app along with other product-specific apps.”
Microskin’s personalized, color-matched line of waterproof second-skin products differ from heavy foundations or makeup, in that they do not rub off, allow skin to breathe and last several days.
