UV Photographic Imaging System
Profect® System images in UV or the ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum to provide a unique contrast between pigment and/or sun spots, of the dyschromia, cutaneous dehydration, wrinkles/fine lines and the rest of the patients skin tone and texture. The varying conditions in the skin illustrated by the Profect® System at the time of imaging can provide a distinction that would otherwise be very difficult to see or highlight with the naked-eye alone.
Since the invention of the Wood’s lamp in 1903, UV imaging has been used in dermatology to help identify and better visualize epidermal dermatologic conditions. Current technology, offered in systems such as the Profect® Facial Studio, works by emitting a flash of UV light (at approximately 365nm) and taking a picture simultaneously. The ultraviolet light is absorbed into the skin and reflected back to the camera lens. UV light has been shown to penetrate the stratum corneum and epidermis, thus it reflects dermatological conditions in these layers. Likewise, epidermal melanin absorbs the UV light and therefore reflects the absence of color, black. Comparing before and after UV images is one way medical offices can visualize treatment results.
Use of a medical photography system with ultraviolet technology, like the Profect® Facial Studio, helps the medical practitioner identify dermatological conditions such as:
Color Observed in a UV Image
- Coral-red
- Orange-pink
- Yellow-green
- Blue-green
- Bluish white
- Bright white/violet
- Dark Brown/Black
- White
Clinical Application
- Porphyrin
- Porphyria cutanea tarda
- Pseudomonas infection
- Scalp Ringworm (Tinea Capitis)
- Normal skin
- Dehydration
- Hyperpigmentation / Melasma / Sun Damage
- Loss of pigment (i.e. Vitiligo)
This provides the client with a better overall understanding of what is going on in his/her skin and what treatments are best suited for treating these conditions.
