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SOFT PLUS
THE USE OF THE MICROCAMERA
WITH SOFT PLUS
Callegari SpA
April 2009, version 1.2
SOFT PLUS 2009
Introduction
The Soft Plus is a complete diagnostic instrument which exclusively combines measurement
through probes with visual analysis through the Micro-camera to provide the most complete
assessment of the skin, hair and cellulite.
The Micro-camera enables advanced live imaging of specific skin conditions to support
targeted treatment and product advice which effectively meets the client’s needs. Visualisation
of skin condition improves clients understanding of their skin health and offers a powerful
means to demonstrate the benefits of professional skin care over time.
The Micro-camera is fully portable and easy to use, offering a wide application across the
aesthetic, dermatology, and trichology fields. Simply place the camera onto the area
required and the magnified image appears on the screen. The system can then provide a
detailed analysis of the image which can be captured and stored in the inbuilt client database.
The Micro-camera uses two lenses to provide magnification in the range of 10 to 400x and
includes specific spacers for the analysis of different areas of the body.
The use of polarised lens allows the analysis under the external layer of the skin to visualise
the accumulation of melanin and the presence of capillaries, a clear sign of a sensitive
skin, otherwise invisible with the naked eye.
The Skin
The skin is the largest organ of the body, made up of several different components, including
water, protein, lipids, and different minerals and chemicals. Its job is crucial: to protect us
from infections and other environmental assaults. The skin also contains nerves that sense
cold, heat, pain, pressure, and touch.
Skin is constantly changing throughout your life. In fact, the skin renews itself approximately
once a month. For this reason the choice of the proper skin care is essential to maintain the
health and vitality of this protective organ.
The Soft Plus combined with the Micro-camera is the ideal instrument for this purpose:
enabling you and your clients to choose the best products.
Skin Composition
The skin is made up of layers. It consists of a thin outer layer (epidermis), a thicker middle
layer (dermis), and the inner layer (subcutaneous tissue or hypodermis)
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The epidermis: The Outer Layer of Skin
The outer layer of skin, the epidermis, is a translucent layer made up of cells that function to
protect us from the environment. The most superficial portion contains dead skin cells that
are continually shed. The deepest portion contains basal cells that are responsible for skin
renewal. Keratin, a protein made within the cells of the epidermis, protects the skin from
harmful substances, such as chemical products and bacteria. The epidermis also contains cells
that produce melanin, which gives skin its colour.
The epidermis is responsible for the look and health of the skin and it holds a large amount of
water. The younger the body, the more water there is in the skin. The capacity of the skin to
retain water decreases with age, making the skin more vulnerable to dehydration and wrinkles.
Dermis: The Middle Layer
The dermis contains two types of fibres that lessen in supply with age: elastin, which gives
skin its elasticity, and collagen, which provides strength. The dermis also contains blood and
lymph vessels, hair follicles, sweat glands, and the sebaceous glands, which produce oil.
Nerves in the dermis sense touch and pain.
Hypodermis: The Fatty Layer
The subcutaneous tissue, or hypodermis, is mostly made up of fat. It lies between the dermis
and muscles or bones and contains blood vessels that expand and contract to help keep your
body at a constant temperature. The hypodermis also protects your vital inner organs.
Reduction of tissue in this layer is what causes your skin to sag.
Sebaceous Glands and Sweat Glands
The sebaceous glands secrete sebum, an oily substance that helps keep skin from drying out.
Sebum reduces water loss from the skin surface, protects the skin from infection by bacteria
and fungi. Most of these glands are attached to hair follicles.
When your body gets hot or is under stress, sweat glands produce sweat, which evaporates to
cool you. Sweat glands are located all over the body but are especially abundant in your
palms, soles, forehead, and underarms.
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What can we see with the Micro-camera of the Soft Plus?
Skin surface (keratin)
Wrinkles, pores, black heads
Microcirculation/ non homogeneous pigmentation
Sebaceous alterations (oily skin, dry skin, impure skin)
Scalp and hair conditions
An operator who has a minimum knowledge of the skin and the hair and the problems
associated with them can use the micro-camera independently from the combined
programs, to support the consultation and offer personalized advice.
The components to be used with the Micro-camera
PART
Lens X100
Lens X400
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LENS
CAP
APPLICATION
X12
Vertical
Illumination
(partial.
contact)
Measurement of
wrinkles
X14
Vertical
Illumination
(contact type)
Pigmentation
measurement
X40
Side
illumination
(contact type)
X50
Polarizing
(contact type)
X100
Side
illumination
(contact type)
X400
Side
illumination
(contact type)
Keratin measurement,
dandruff and hair
density
Micro-circulation
Measurement of pore
diameter
Measurement diameter
of hair shaft
SOFT PLUS 2009
Some examples of images taken with the Micro-camera
Keratin
The corneocytes, deprived of water, refract the light. With the Microcamera and the Soft Plus
it is possible to determine the level of keratin on the skin by measuring the intensity of the
white colour of the captured image.
Normal Skin
Dehydrated Skin
Flakey Skin
The results obtained by the elaboration of the Soft Plus are expressed as a percentage of
keratin present on the skin.
As shown in the pictures above, the first image represents a normal skin, in fact no white area
are present; in the second and third imagines the white zones are even more present
underlying a situation of dehydration and drastic dehydration, respectively.
In the case of widespread presence of keratin, the advices generally given to the patients are
the following:
1. use of a scrub or a delicate peeling which helps to remove the death cells from the skin;
2. use of a rich moisturizing mask after the scrub;
3. use of a rich daily moisturizing cream.
Sebaceous Alterations: oily skin
An enlarged picture can say a lot about the conditions of our skin. For example, an image
taken with the CAP x12 and the standard lens (x100) can show in a very easy way if the skin is
normal (first picture) or oily (second picture).
In some cases the oily skin has a “gelatinous aspect”, like in the picture reported below:
Normal Skin
Oily Skin
(Figure 1)
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In other cases on an oily skin little drops of sebum are visible:
(Figure 2)
In the first case (Figure 1), it is generally advised the use of mat products which help to
remove the excess of oil from the skin also reducing the unpleasant shiny effect.
In the second case (Figure 2), specific products to clean the pores from oil, such as the use of
a scrub and of purifying product is advised.
Non homogeneous pigmentation
Irregular or patchy discoloration of the skin can be caused either by variations in pigment
density (melanin), changes in blood vessels (vascular changes), or growth of foreign
organisms on the skin. Mottling or mottled skin refers specifically to vascular changes in the
skin which cause a patchy appearance.
The discromia of the skin can be due to different factors:
Age
Discontinuous and intense exposition under the sun
Hormonal changes: pregnancy, hormonal therapy
Situation n° 1
Lines and shapes not well-defined: generally the main cause of this situation it’s a not
protected tanning.
What can we do to improve this condition?
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Use of the sun creams and of scrubs, in order to remove the death cells and increase the
cells turnover are strongly advised. Also, itmay be useful to use products with
whitening/brightening properties, which remove superficial and pigmented skin.
Situation n° 2
Lines and shapes well-defined: the so-called “map” situation.
The main cause of this situation is the hormonal changes.
What can we do to improve this condition?
Use of the right sun creams and use of substances that are inhibitors of tyrosinase (cogic acid,
arbutine, azelaic acid, vitamin C).
The understanding of the real situation for each patient is very easy thanks to the comparison
between the image taken on the patient’s skin and reference pictures present into the database
of the instrument. This comparison allows to clearly individuate the situation and the best
treatments for each patient.
Moreover, the Soft Plus performs an elaboration of the pictures taken, with the calculation of
the area (expressed in mm2) for each spot present in the analyzed skin.
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Micro-circulation
The microcirculation is the blood flow through blood vessels smaller than 100 µm (i.e.
arterioles, capillaries, and venules). The main functions of the microcirculation are
transporting blood cells and substances to/from the tissues, and as body coolant in
thermoregulation processes. It also contributes to tissues color and stiffness.
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What can we see with the Microcamera of the Soft Plus?
Situation n° 1
In the image reported above a single capillary is visible. This means that the microcirculation
of the in deep tissues is not compromised. The main reason of this situation is a reduced
resistance of the endothelium tissue.
What can we do to improve this skin conditions? Use of substances of plant origin such
as blueberry, horse chestnut, ivy…, in order to reinforce the endothelium tissue as well as
products for sensitive skin.
Situation n° 2
In the image reported above, a widespread network of dilated capillaries are visible, this type
of skin is, generally, irritated and sensitive.
Main
causes:
genetic
and
environmental
factors,
stress,
nutrition.
What can we do to improve this skin conditions? Use of delicate detergents, creams with
fats similar to those of our skin (shea butter, olive oil and soy), derivatives of plant origin
acting soothing (chamomile, calendula, etc).
Wrinkles
As a person ages the epidermal cells become thinner and less sticky. The thinner cells make
the skin look noticeably thinner. The decreased stickiness of the cells decreases the
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SOFT PLUS 2009
effectiveness of the barrier function allowing moisture to be released instead of being kept in
the skin. This causes dryness. The number of epidermal cells decreases by 10% per decade
and they divide more slowly as we age making the skin less able to repair itself quickly.
The effects of aging on the dermal layer are significant. Not only does the dermal layer thin,
but also less collagen is produced, and the elastin fibers that provide elasticity wear out. These
changes in the scaffolding of the skin cause the skin to wrinkle and sag. Also, sebaceous
glands get bigger but produce less sebum, and the number of sweat glands decreases. Both of
these changes lead to skin dryness.
The rete-ridges of the dermal-epidermal junction flatten out, making the skin more fragile and
making it easier for the skin to shear. This process also decreases the amount of nutrients
available to the epidermis by decreasing the surface area in contact with the dermis, also
interfering with the skin's normal repair process.
In the subcutaneous layer the fat cells get smaller with age. This leads to more noticeable
wrinkles and sagging, as the fat cells cannot "fill in" the damage from the other layers.
What can you see with the Micro-camera of the Soft Plus instrument?
The use of the micro-camera allows to obtain pictures of the skin. An example is reported
below:
The software allows to calculates the dimensions of the each wrinkles selected on patient’s
skin:
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Moreover, the comparison between the picture taken on the patient and reference pictures
present into the database of the Soft Plus allows to individuate the best treatment and advises
to improve the skin conditions for each patient. For example:
use formulations rich in antioxidants vitamins (C and E) that reduce the damage from
free radicals and promote the synthesis of new collagen;
drink a lot of water;
do not smoke;
adopt a diet rich in fruits and vegetables;
maintain a relaxed facial expression to reduce expression wrinkles.
Hair analysis
A hair is a specialised outgrowth of part of the skin called the epidermis. It has two distinct
parts, the hair follicle and the hair shaft.
The hair follicle
A hair follicle is a tiny cup-shaped pit buried deep in the fat of the scalp. The follicle is the
point from which the hair grows. It is well supplied with minute blood vessels, and the blood
passing through them nourishes the growing region. The temperature around the follicle is
normal body temperature, and is not affected by cold or hot weather.
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The hair shaft
This is the part of the hair that can be seen above the scalp. It consists mainly of dead cells
that have turned into keratins and binding material, together with small amounts of water.
Terminal hairs on the head are lubricated by a natural oil (sebum) produced by the sebaceous
glands of the follicles. How much natural oil your glands produce is mostly determined by
your genetic inheritance. But in addition boys' and girls' glands tend to produce more oil
when levels of their hormones (androgens) are high. In many teenagers, a massive surge in
hormone levels leads to raised grease production. This results in a tendency to greasy hair,
which many young people know all too well.
The good news is that most of them outgrow it!
Structure of the hair shaft
Your smooth, glossy hairs have a more complicated structure than you might think. Each one
can be compared to a tree: all its moisture lies in its centre, behind a tough outer layer of
protective bark. If the 'bark' of the hair is well looked after the whole hair remains in good
condition. If the 'bark' is stripped off to expose the centre the hair may break.
The centre part of the hair, called the cortex, makes up most of the hair shaft. It is the
cortex that gives hair its special qualities such as elasticity and curl. The cortex is packed with
strands of keratin, lying along the length of the hair. These keratin fibres are made of the lowsulphur keratins, and are compressed into bundles of larger fibres. These are held together by
a mass of sulphur-rich keratins, the matrix. The fibre-matrix combination is extremely strong
and resists stretching and other strains such as twisting, much as does the glass fibre-resin
mixture from which many boats are built.
The cortex also contains granules of the hair pigment melanin, produced when the hair was
growing in its follicle. The granules are of two types: smooth, dark granules which tend to be
regularly positioned within the cortex, and lighter granules that are more irregular in shape
and which are scattered randomly through the cortex. A hair may
contain just one type of granule or a mixture.
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SOFT PLUS 2009
In some of the terminal hairs, especially grey (unpigmented) ones, the cortex has a central
hollow core, the medulla. There are medullae in the hairs of many animals, and they play a
part in the regulation of body temperature. It may be that the presence of this air space in
some human hairs is an evolutionary 'throw-back' to a time when our ancestors needed extra
heat insulation.
The outer layer of the hair (the 'bark') is called the cuticle. It is made up of between six and
ten overlapping layers of long cells. Each of these cells or scales is about 0.3 micrometres
thick and around 100 micrometres long, and about 10 micrometres across.
Hair density
Hair density is the amount of hair strands on the head. Generally, it is measured by counting
the number of hair strands found in one square inch (2.5cm) of scalp. The average head has
approximately 2.200 strands of hair per square inch, and a total of approximately 100.000
hairs.
The numbers of hair in human beings does not increase after birth. It has been found that the
number of hairs on the heads of women depends on the colour as follows:
Blonde: 140.000
Brunette: 109.000
Black: 102.00
Red: 88.000
The amount of hair depends also on the race, as shown in the table below:
Follicular Unit Density (mm2)
1.0
(CAUCASIAN)
1.0
(ASIAN)
Average Hair Density
(hairs/mm2)
2.1
(CAUCASIAN)
1.7
(ASIAN)
The reference ranges used in the Soft Plus considering the picture taken by the Microcamera
and the area then analyzed by the dedicated software, are reported below:
Very low density: up to 5 hairs;
Low density: 6 to 9 hairs;
Normal density: 10 to 15 hairs;
High density: ≥ 16 hairs.
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The Microcamera of the Soft Plus is able to measure accurately the hair density simply by
taking a picture of the scalp: then the operator can easily select the bulb of each hair with the
supplied pen: automatically the software will calculate and evaluate the hair density.
The Microcamera can be used also to evaluate the seriousness of the hair lost in some
patients. The growth of new hair, that it is not visible with the naked eyes, is a clear sign that
the situation is not dangerous or unsolvable and that the treatments are giving the desired
positive effects.
Diameter of the hair
The diameter of a human hair does not have a standard value since different people have
different hair structures. Your genetic makeup can cause the width of your hair to differ from
that of other people. Hair colour is also a big factor.
Black hair is thicker than is red hair. The weather can also affect the diameter of a hair strand.
As the weather gets warmer, the diameter of body hair increases. Age is another factor. Babies
and young children have finer hair than adults. As a person grows up, their hair becomes
thicker and stronger. Another factor is that, the closer to the root of the hair, the thicker a
strand of hair would be.
The Micro-camera, thanks to the software developed for the Soft Plus, gives a precise value
of diameter of the hair, so allowing to choose the best product for different type of hair.
The diameter is automatically calculated by the software simply by taking a picture of the hair
shaft and selecting the ray of the shaft.
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T.: +49 (0) 61 74/29 96-0
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