Skincare Consultation & Skin Diagnostics (Observ)

FaceExpert's Skincare Consultation uses the Observ diagnostic system — a professional multi-spectral illumination device that reveals skin characteristics invisible under standard lighting — to give patients and the physician a complete, evidence-based picture of their skin health before selecting any treatment. The Observ uses six different light modes (including UV fluorescence and cross-polarisation) to assess surface texture, pore size, pigmentation depth, sebum distribution, and the condition of deeper skin layers. The session at FaceExpert includes a physician-led consultation, the Observ diagnostic imaging assessment, personalised treatment recommendations matched to the patient's actual skin biology rather than visible surface appearance alone, and skincare product recommendations from the clinic's SkinCeuticals range. At 1,500 Kč, this consultation is an accessible entry point for new patients and is recommended before committing to more intensive treatments such as chemical peels, laser, or RF microneedling. The consultation price is credited against the first treatment booked at the same visit.

Professional skin diagnostics at FaceExpert are conducted using the Observ (Optimal Body Visualisation and Rejuvenation) system — a patented multi-spectral imaging device manufactured in the Netherlands that was developed specifically for medical aesthetic use. Unlike consumer skin analysers, the Observ uses six independent illumination modes each designed to reveal a different layer or characteristic of the skin, providing a comprehensive diagnostic picture that standard clinical examination and patient history alone cannot produce. **Observ imaging modes:** 1. Daylight mode: Standard reference imaging — captures skin colour, texture, and visible lesions under neutral white light. 2. Simulated daylight mode: Removes environmental colour casts and provides a standardised baseline image for before/after comparison. 3. Cross-polarisation mode: A pair of polarising filters eliminates surface glare and specular reflection, allowing the camera to see through the superficial epidermis and reveal vascular structures (redness, broken capillaries, subepidermal inflammation) and pigmentation distribution in the deeper epidermis and superficial dermis. 4. Parallel polarisation mode: The opposite effect — emphasises surface texture, sebaceous activity, and fine surface lines that are normally obscured by skin moisture. 5. True UV fluorescence mode: UV light activates the natural porphyrins produced by Propionibacterium acnes bacteria — they fluoresce orange-red, making even subclinical comedones and early acne activity visible before breakouts are palpable. Also reveals pore blockage patterns and sebaceous activity zones. 6. Woods UV mode: UV light reveals pigmentation patterns — solar lentigines, melasma, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation — that are not clinically visible under standard light but represent established melanin deposits in the epidermis or upper dermis. **What the consultation includes at FaceExpert:** *Pre-imaging assessment:* The physician reviews patient history, current skincare routine, concerns, and treatment goals. Any medications (isotretinoin, antibiotics, photosensitisers) are noted. *Observ imaging:* The patient sits in front of the Observ system in a light-sealed housing for 5–10 minutes of multi-mode imaging. Images are captured in all relevant modes and reviewed on-screen with the physician. *Interpretation and treatment plan:* The physician explains what each mode reveals about the patient's skin — for example, a patient presenting with 'dull skin' may have cross-polarisation images revealing significant subepidermal vascular congestion, suggesting LED photobiomodulation would address the root cause; or UV fluorescence may reveal extensive subclinical acne activity that changes the appropriate treatment selection. *Skincare prescription:* FaceExpert is a SkinCeuticals authorised clinic and carries the full SkinCeuticals medical cosmeceutical range. The consultation concludes with a personalised home skincare protocol matched to the Observ diagnostic findings. **Why this matters:** Many patients present with a stated concern ('I look tired' or 'my skin is dull') that masks a more specific underlying skin biology issue. Without diagnostic imaging, treatments are selected based on symptom description rather than confirmed pathology. The Observ shifts the consultation from opinion-based to evidence-based — and allows the physician to demonstrate to the patient what is happening in their skin, building treatment understanding and trust. **Post-consultation:** The consultation generates a written treatment plan that the patient takes away. There is no recovery or downtime. If the patient proceeds to a treatment in the same appointment, the consultation fee is applied toward the treatment cost.