Glam – Skin Health Assistant
Creator:
Asım Buğra Uyar
Curator's Note
Updated: Febuary 2025
This project is a design vision for the future of accessible dermatological care, addressing global healthcare inequalities through advanced imaging technology and AI-driven insights. In a world where skin conditions are on the rise, this project reimagines how individuals engage with their health.
The ability to visualize invisible skin conditions before they surface empowers users with knowledge and actionable insights, bridging the gap between professional expertise and personal autonomy.
Ultimately, the project embodies human-centered innovation by combining advanced technology with an intuitive, everyday user experience — illustrating how design can reshape the way we engage with healthcare, shifting from reactive treatment to informed prevention.
Abstract
Every year, nearly ten billion searches are conducted globally on dermatological concerns, highlighting a significant demand for expert guidance on skin health, yet many face accessibility challenges such as a shortage of specialists or long waiting times for appointments. This often leads them to seek answers online, resulting in potentially misleading self-diagnoses. The project aims to address these challenges in accessing dermatological care by helping users better understand what might be going on with their skin.
Glam is a skin health assistant device that uses an innovative image processing technique to image the inner layers of the skin and capture signs of various skin conditions.
This image processing concept, called Rayshift, leverages a simple principle of physics to deliver essential data for accurate tracking. Rayshift technology uses a micro actuator to switch filters in front of a full-spectrum sensor, capturing images of lesions in both UV and visible spectrum wavelengths. Since UV rays can reach deeper into the skin, this allows the device to monitor the dermis layer, which is not visible to the naked eye.
How it works
The accompanying mobile app analyzes these images and provides a list of matching conditions, along with detailed documentation for further research or consultation.
Glam can detect early signs of skin cancer in moles or other lesions by tracking gradual changes in size, color, border, and asymmetry. It provides personalized skincare recommendations and actionable insights for healthier skin by identifying photodamage, including future dark spots, sunspots, age spots, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and melasma in the dermis, allowing users to take preventive steps before these issues arise.
In UV display mode, it ensures proper sunscreen application by checking if coverage is full and even and alerting users when it’s time to reapply.
