(SAM) Skin Analyzer Machine

Skin Analyzer Machine (SAM) – How it works: ​​The Skin Analyzer Machine utilizes UVA light (long-wave, 325 nm) emitted ​inside a dark box containing light bulbs and a mirror. Comparatively, the Wood’s lamp ​(in office lamp used by dermatologists to diagnose lesions) emits wavelengths ranging ​from 320 to 400 nm with a peak emission at 365 nm. ​​Ultraviolet light from the SAM penetrates predominantly in the stratum corneum of the epidermis where melanin is distributed. Ultraviolet light penetrates up to 2 millimeters beneath the visible dead layer of skin and reveals the living portion with sun damage. The imaging appears as dark freckling, with more spots the greater the damage. ​The SAM illuminates underlying damage in various fluorescent hues and accents the areas of melanin accumulation which appear as dark spots on a background of skin that appears blue-white for normal skin, yellow to pink for oily skin, and violet to purple for dry skin. Damaged skin appears as brown (pigmentation and dark spots), white spots (horny layer and dead cells), white fluorescent (thick corneum layer). The SAM gives patients and students a visual understanding of their skin that they cannot see with the naked eye. ​​The SAM has been safely used throughout the US for years by dermatologists, ​hospitals, cosmetologists, and the American Cancer Society as an educational tool for ​skin health and safety.