Our commitment to ongoing education saw our Skin Team attend the annual OBSERV Conference recently. This is a space for leaders in their field to present on relevant skin topics and use OBSERV to diagnose skin conditions. The OBSERV is a skin diagnostic device that our Medical Skin Therapists use in-clinic as part of your initial skin consultation to assess your skin’s condition and to track/monitor your treatment results. 

Lauren and Bryony share their musings from the conference and how this translates to you and your skin…

LAUREN’S TAKEAWAYS…

One aspect I find particularly fascinating is the skin’s own microbiome. The OBSERV gives us an opportunity to confirm what the presenting skin conditions are suggesting: that the microbiome is out of balance and this can be seen using specialised lighting effects.

My favourite part of the conference was a presentation by a nutritionist and skin therapist about specific microbes that are associated with certain skin conditions such as perioral dermatitis. It is a great reminder to link together both topical treatment with a good diet and supplementation. A common area of nutritional deficiency affecting the skin microbiome is Omega 3 and 6, also remembering that it isn’t just taking one or the other, but establishing a balance of both pro and anti-inflammatory omegas. There are also certain minerals we tend to lack in our soil in New Zealand and are therefore lacking in the vegetables we eat; zinc and selenium being two important ones affecting the skin.  

The skin’s microbiome is also strongly affected by the external environment, particularly over-exfoliation and regular make-up. The skin is secreting a lovely balanced mix of lipids, fats, and ceramides which create a protective barrier. This barrier is easily disrupted by many ingredients found in makeup: that’s why we always recommend mineral makeup to our clients. Not only do they maintain harmony but are healing and protective.  

Our first priority as skin therapists is to re-establish the barrier function. 

BRYONY’S TAKEAWAYS…

For me, hearing the inventor of the OBSERV, Walter Arkesteijn speak about the science behind the device was particularly interesting.  It always amazes me how basic tools that have been utilised by our industry for years continue to evolve at such a fast pace. 

For most clients the OBSERV appears to be a relatively straightforward machine, taking photographs of the skin so specific components are more easily recognisable.   

The interaction of light with the human skin is incredibly important as our own perception and visual awareness can easily skew what we are seeing. The OBSERV removes these external influences enabling clients to interpret their own images and easily see accurate changes in tone and texture over the course of time.   

Understanding skin optics, facial appearance in different lighting, and how our brains are pre-programmed to perceive someone’s appearance was a real ‘ah ha’ moment for me. There are a lot of challenges in capturing clinical before and after photos. Anyone with a cell phone is able to snap away and post images misrepresenting specific product or treatment effects.  It engrains why the Observ is such an important tool giving clients confidence that what they are seeing is the most accurate comparison tool on the market.