I n northern New Jersey, consumers can get a high-tech profile of their skin and one-on-one counseling with a licensed esthetician — for free. This opportunity is part of a one-of-a-kind experience at Metric, a skincare studio opened by Roche Consumer Healthcare in October of last year. The first of its kind in the nation, this laboratory-meets-upscale-department store -skincare-counter has the potential to heighten consumers’ awareness of their skincare needs. This concept deserves mention because it could mark the start of an interesting trend if it’s successful. First Impressions When clients first enter Metric, the first thing they see is a rounded wall and two receptionists. A receptionist comes over to greet them and brief them on the skincare studio’s offerings and then escort them to a client profile survey station. In this area, consumers answer a series of questions that will help provide information to the esthetician about their skincare habits and regimen. Questions include the following: “Do you sunbathe?”; “Are you under the care of a dermatologist?” and “How many times a day do you wash your face?” If a client is under the care of a dermatologist, how would it affect the path of care, I wondered? According to Kim Lewis, R.N., associate global operations director at Hoffmann-La Roche, gathering this information helps to better target the client’s skincare regimen. “Say a client has severe acne and is taking medication for this condition, then we know what products to steer clear of when creating a skincare regimen for that person,” she explains. I also wondered if Metric would compete with area dermatologists. “We don’t diagnose or treat clients, therefore allowing us to establish a great synergy between Metric and dermatologists,” explains Ms. Lewis. High-Tech Analysis After answering the questionnaire, clients next undergo a skincare analysis in a private room. The testing includes the following: Digital Photography. The first test they undergo is digital photography, explains Ms. Lewis. “We take a photo of the client’s right and left profiles and store these in the computer so that we can use them for a before-and-after comparison following treatment.” Ultrasound. This test is performed to view the surface of the skin and the skin’s structure to determine collagen loss, says Ms. Lewis. “We image the temple area, a high sun exposure area, and also the inner forearm, a low sun exposure area, and compare the two.” Video Microscope. Next, a video microscope is used to determine the moisture level in the skin. Magnification Lamp Analysis. A magnified lamp is employed to detect skin dryness, broken capillaries, sun damage and pore size. Ultraviolet Light Imaging. This is done so that the client can see his or her level of photodamage. PRIMOS Mapping. Lastly, the esthetician performs 3-D wrinkle mapping with PRIMOS to view the skin surrounding the outer corner of the eye. One-On-One Counseling After the images and other data are collected, the client moves to another private room where an esthetician discusses the results of the skincare analysis and develops a skincare regimen that’s customized to the client. “This might involve introducing new products or integrating a couple of new products to the client’s existing skincare regimen,” explains Ms. Lewis. Lastly, the client gets a beauty prescription, which includes specified products and further services that are offered through Metric. At that point, the esthetician samples different products with the client during a “mini-facial.” The skincare analysis and counseling are complimentary and take about an hour. With beauty prescription in hand, clients have a huge array of products to choose from, including products to cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize, offer sun protection and more, ranging from $11 to more than $82. In addition, Metric provides services such as microdermabrasion, glycolic exfoliation and facials. Follow-up “We recommend that the client come back in 10 to 12 weeks,” says Ms. Lewis. “At this point, we compare baseline images to new images taken upon their follow-up visit, and we use these to gauge the level of improvement in the patient’s skin.”
Skincare Analysis for Consumers
I n northern New Jersey, consumers can get a high-tech profile of their skin and one-on-one counseling with a licensed esthetician — for free. This opportunity is part of a one-of-a-kind experience at Metric, a skincare studio opened by Roche Consumer Healthcare in October of last year. The first of its kind in the nation, this laboratory-meets-upscale-department store -skincare-counter has the potential to heighten consumers’ awareness of their skincare needs. This concept deserves mention because it could mark the start of an interesting trend if it’s successful. First Impressions When clients first enter Metric, the first thing they see is a rounded wall and two receptionists. A receptionist comes over to greet them and brief them on the skincare studio’s offerings and then escort them to a client profile survey station. In this area, consumers answer a series of questions that will help provide information to the esthetician about their skincare habits and regimen. Questions include the following: “Do you sunbathe?”; “Are you under the care of a dermatologist?” and “How many times a day do you wash your face?” If a client is under the care of a dermatologist, how would it affect the path of care, I wondered? According to Kim Lewis, R.N., associate global operations director at Hoffmann-La Roche, gathering this information helps to better target the client’s skincare regimen. “Say a client has severe acne and is taking medication for this condition, then we know what products to steer clear of when creating a skincare regimen for that person,” she explains. I also wondered if Metric would compete with area dermatologists. “We don’t diagnose or treat clients, therefore allowing us to establish a great synergy between Metric and dermatologists,” explains Ms. Lewis. High-Tech Analysis After answering the questionnaire, clients next undergo a skincare analysis in a private room. The testing includes the following: Digital Photography. The first test they undergo is digital photography, explains Ms. Lewis. “We take a photo of the client’s right and left profiles and store these in the computer so that we can use them for a before-and-after comparison following treatment.” Ultrasound. This test is performed to view the surface of the skin and the skin’s structure to determine collagen loss, says Ms. Lewis. “We image the temple area, a high sun exposure area, and also the inner forearm, a low sun exposure area, and compare the two.” Video Microscope. Next, a video microscope is used to determine the moisture level in the skin. Magnification Lamp Analysis. A magnified lamp is employed to detect skin dryness, broken capillaries, sun damage and pore size. Ultraviolet Light Imaging. This is done so that the client can see his or her level of photodamage. PRIMOS Mapping. Lastly, the esthetician performs 3-D wrinkle mapping with PRIMOS to view the skin surrounding the outer corner of the eye. One-On-One Counseling After the images and other data are collected, the client moves to another private room where an esthetician discusses the results of the skincare analysis and develops a skincare regimen that’s customized to the client. “This might involve introducing new products or integrating a couple of new products to the client’s existing skincare regimen,” explains Ms. Lewis. Lastly, the client gets a beauty prescription, which includes specified products and further services that are offered through Metric. At that point, the esthetician samples different products with the client during a “mini-facial.” The skincare analysis and counseling are complimentary and take about an hour. With beauty prescription in hand, clients have a huge array of products to choose from, including products to cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize, offer sun protection and more, ranging from $11 to more than $82. In addition, Metric provides services such as microdermabrasion, glycolic exfoliation and facials. Follow-up “We recommend that the client come back in 10 to 12 weeks,” says Ms. Lewis. “At this point, we compare baseline images to new images taken upon their follow-up visit, and we use these to gauge the level of improvement in the patient’s skin.”
I n northern New Jersey, consumers can get a high-tech profile of their skin and one-on-one counseling with a licensed esthetician — for free. This opportunity is part of a one-of-a-kind experience at Metric, a skincare studio opened by Roche Consumer Healthcare in October of last year. The first of its kind in the nation, this laboratory-meets-upscale-department store -skincare-counter has the potential to heighten consumers’ awareness of their skincare needs. This concept deserves mention because it could mark the start of an interesting trend if it’s successful. First Impressions When clients first enter Metric, the first thing they see is a rounded wall and two receptionists. A receptionist comes over to greet them and brief them on the skincare studio’s offerings and then escort them to a client profile survey station. In this area, consumers answer a series of questions that will help provide information to the esthetician about their skincare habits and regimen. Questions include the following: “Do you sunbathe?”; “Are you under the care of a dermatologist?” and “How many times a day do you wash your face?” If a client is under the care of a dermatologist, how would it affect the path of care, I wondered? According to Kim Lewis, R.N., associate global operations director at Hoffmann-La Roche, gathering this information helps to better target the client’s skincare regimen. “Say a client has severe acne and is taking medication for this condition, then we know what products to steer clear of when creating a skincare regimen for that person,” she explains. I also wondered if Metric would compete with area dermatologists. “We don’t diagnose or treat clients, therefore allowing us to establish a great synergy between Metric and dermatologists,” explains Ms. Lewis. High-Tech Analysis After answering the questionnaire, clients next undergo a skincare analysis in a private room. The testing includes the following: Digital Photography. The first test they undergo is digital photography, explains Ms. Lewis. “We take a photo of the client’s right and left profiles and store these in the computer so that we can use them for a before-and-after comparison following treatment.” Ultrasound. This test is performed to view the surface of the skin and the skin’s structure to determine collagen loss, says Ms. Lewis. “We image the temple area, a high sun exposure area, and also the inner forearm, a low sun exposure area, and compare the two.” Video Microscope. Next, a video microscope is used to determine the moisture level in the skin. Magnification Lamp Analysis. A magnified lamp is employed to detect skin dryness, broken capillaries, sun damage and pore size. Ultraviolet Light Imaging. This is done so that the client can see his or her level of photodamage. PRIMOS Mapping. Lastly, the esthetician performs 3-D wrinkle mapping with PRIMOS to view the skin surrounding the outer corner of the eye. One-On-One Counseling After the images and other data are collected, the client moves to another private room where an esthetician discusses the results of the skincare analysis and develops a skincare regimen that’s customized to the client. “This might involve introducing new products or integrating a couple of new products to the client’s existing skincare regimen,” explains Ms. Lewis. Lastly, the client gets a beauty prescription, which includes specified products and further services that are offered through Metric. At that point, the esthetician samples different products with the client during a “mini-facial.” The skincare analysis and counseling are complimentary and take about an hour. With beauty prescription in hand, clients have a huge array of products to choose from, including products to cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize, offer sun protection and more, ranging from $11 to more than $82. In addition, Metric provides services such as microdermabrasion, glycolic exfoliation and facials. Follow-up “We recommend that the client come back in 10 to 12 weeks,” says Ms. Lewis. “At this point, we compare baseline images to new images taken upon their follow-up visit, and we use these to gauge the level of improvement in the patient’s skin.”
