Objective Skin Pigmentation Assessment in Healthy Volunteers and Patients With Skin Disease Using Non-invasive Imaging

What this Trial Is About

Accurate assessment of skin pigmentation is important in dermatology to diagnose and manage various skin conditions. Traditional methods like visual inspection or Fitzpatrick skin type classification can be subjective, culturally biased, and often focus on lighter skin tones, which may lead to misdiagnosis or improper treatment for individuals with darker skin. This research aims to explore better, more objective ways to measure skin pigmentation using modern, non-invasive imaging technologies. The study includes two groups: healthy adults with diverse skin tones and adults with skin conditions who have active lesions being treated by a dermatologist. Researchers will use tools such as colorimetry and multispectral imaging to measure a value called the melanin index, which indicates the amount of pigment in the skin. They will compare this index across different body areas and among people with various skin tones and conditions. Participants will have a single baseline visit where several assessments will be performed, including Fitzpatrick skin type classification, Line-Field Confocal Optical Coherence Tomography, 3D multispectral imaging, colorimetry, skin barrier function testing, VISIA imaging, scar assessment scales, laser speckle contrast imaging, and Scarletred4 Vision measurements. Researchers will analyze these data to better understand skin pigmentation variation, aiming to improve diagnosis and management of skin diseases for all skin types.

An Observational Study to Assess Objective Skin Pigmentation Variation.