Choose from Three Options

• $94 for a microneedling with collagen, hyaluronic or PlasmaVit induction ($299 value)
• $265 for three microneedlings with collagen, hyaluronic or PlasmaVit induction ($897 value)
• $408 for five microneedlings with collagen, hyaluronic or PlasmaVit induction ($1,495 value)

Skin Mapping: Finding the Sun’s Footprints

Skin mapping can’t set the clock back on skin damage, but it may help slow it down. Below, Groupon checks out the process and offers a compass to the procedure.

You can quickly tell by looking into a mirror whether you have sun spots, redness, or wrinkles. But underneath the surface lies another picture of the skin’s health, which is visible only using special technology. Found in doctor’s offices, beauty departments, and medical spas, machines that perform skin mapping and skin analysis photograph skin using a UV-light camera. The process exposes skin damage acquired over time and shows clients how severe their current level of damage is. The information gathered from an analysis can then be used to prescribe lotions, medications, or corrective procedures, such as laser treatments or chemical peels.

There are many brands of skin-analysis technology, but most systems work by taking images of the skin and then using software to count the skin’s imperfections and damage severity by category. Those categories may include wrinkles, UV spots, enlarged pores, and redness—all factors that can highlight dehydration, overexposure to sunlight, or other concerns. The skincare professional can then help the client choose a care regimen that works for their problem areas and, in many cases, see how their skin damage compares to that of other people of a similar age and skin type, getting a sense of whether it’s worth entering the Miss Nice Skin USA pageant this year.