Here is the New Trendy Way to take Care of your Skin..

Would You Put Your Skin's Health In The Hands Of An App?

We live in a digital age; dependent on our iPhones for everything from telling the time to controlling our heating and even finding a life partner. So it was only a matter of time until technology took over looking after our skin. The more technology there is available to us, the more reliant upon it we become, and the more that is subsequently created. But is it really any good when it comes to our skin? Don’t we need to see a professional to truly discover the best treatments and products to get our skin in its best shape?

If two-year-old online dermatology and skin clinic, Dermatica, is anything to go by, the answer is no, we don’t need to see anyone at all. Rather, we just need to answer a few questions and upload three photos onto a website to receive prescription-based treatment and advice from a dermatologist on whatever skin issue we’ve got going. Dr Natalia Spierings is the medical director of Dermatica and, alongside the roster of dermatologists that she works with, helps users with their skin issues remotely while also holding a clinic on Harley Street herself. “It’s a subscription service; you pay £19.99 a

month including monthly delivery of a prescribed topical product and consultations with the dermatologists,” she explains, pointing out that it’s actually a much cheaper approach than going to the doctors.

While a Dermatica journey starts online, much of the correspondence is carried out over e-mail (and in some more pressing cases, over the phone), an attractive prospect for the verbal interaction-shy generation. They follow up monthly, with a proper consultation after three months to measure skin’s progress, and their inbox is always open for any queries or issues. Really, their world of expertise is your oyster.

There is a lot to be said for approaching skin in this technology-based way. One of the main barriers to decent skin treatment in the UK is the lack of consultant dermatologists available - a 2017 study showed that out of 800 UK dermatologist positions, 200 were unfilled, meaning that there simply isn’t the bandwidth to provide treatment to everyone that needs it. “Those who have mild to moderate acne, for example, won’t get treated on the NHS now anyway because it needs to be severe,” says Spierings, “Plus people - especially the young - want a quicker and cheaper service.” An app like this is a great way of democratising dermatology, allowing nearly anyone to access high quality care at a reasonable price; and that’s proper expertise from a qualified dermatologist, from even the deepest, darkest depths of Cornwall. And with 3,000 active users – a figure they expect to see quadruple in the next year – it could just well be the future.

Credit: Vogue