Skin Quality

How it's assessed

Each item here is checked as a visible condition and answered none, mild, moderate or severe. If it can't be seen in your photo, the answer is none, and most healthy adults show none for most items. The full explanation is on the Features overview.

This is a photo-based estimate for general interest, not a diagnosis or medical advice. If something concerns you, ask a doctor or dermatologist.

Acne

Active breakouts: spots, inflamed bumps and clogged pores that are visible across the face. Mild means a few small spots seen on close inspection; moderate or severe means clearly visible or widespread breakouts.

Acne Scars

The marks acne leaves behind, such as small pits, uneven texture and raised scars, as opposed to current breakouts. Texture is hard to see in flat light and easier in side light, so the lighting changes how visible scars look in a photo.

Eczema

Dry, flaky, red or irritated patches of skin. Visible eczema is graded by how noticeable the patches are in the photo. It is a skin condition that a dermatologist can help manage.

Hyperpigmentation

Areas of skin darker than the surrounding skin: sun spots, freckle-like patches, melasma or dark marks left by old spots. Sun protection prevents it from deepening, and many treatments exist through a dermatologist.

Hypopigmentation

Areas of skin lighter than the surrounding skin, such as pale patches or marks left after healing. It can have several causes, so a doctor is the right person to ask about anything persistent.

Rosacea

Persistent redness, usually across the cheeks and nose, sometimes with visible small blood vessels or bumps. Flushing from heat, exercise or a warm room can look similar in a photo, so take the photo when your skin is at rest.

What the grades do and don't mean

A grade is about what is visible in this photo. A mild result can come from one small spot or from uneven light that exaggerates texture, and a result of none can mean clear skin or just a photo too dark or blurry to show it. Treat each grade as a read of the photo, then look at the real thing in good daylight to see whether it matches.

It isn't a diagnosis. Conditions like eczema and rosacea have medical causes and treatments that a photo can't assess, so the grade should only prompt a question, never an answer.

What generally helps

A few habits help across most of these items. Daily sun protection helps stop pigmentation from deepening and slows visible ageing. Gentle cleansing and not picking at spots reduce the marks acne leaves behind. A moisturiser suited to your skin helps with dryness and flaking. Sleep and hydration affect how rested and even the skin looks.

Persistent acne, eczema, rosacea or unexplained pigment changes are worth taking to a dermatologist rather than managing alone. Results from any routine usually take weeks to show, so judge it over several scans rather than a few days.

Photographing skin honestly

Skin is the area where the photo matters most. Use soft daylight from a window facing you, not flash or overhead light, which flattens or exaggerates texture. Take the photo bare-faced, with no beauty mode or filter, and at roughly the same time of day each time, since redness and puffiness change through the day.

Questions about skin