skin care wisdom
Skin analysis
For when you want to understand why your skin is behaving the way it is.
If your skin has been unsettled for a while – reactive, congested, sensitive, or just not itself, an Advanced Skin Analysis is where we slow down and look for root causes.
This isn’t about picking a facial off a menu. It’s a comprehensive review of your skin, your medical and cosmetic history, nutrition, lifestyle, stress and environment – so we can see how it all ties together.
I also offer shorter consultations if we simply need to check contraindications or fine-tune your products.
If you’re simply after a relaxing, one-off facial with no deeper skin concerns, we can talk about whether this step is necessary. But for most long-term or complex issues, this is where I recommend we start.
What is an Advanced Skin Analysis?
Think of this as a deep dive, not a quick check-in. It is designed to:
It’s different from a shorter consultation, which is more about:
You don’t always need an Advanced Skin Analysis before treatments, but if you want root-cause work and a comprehensive strategy, this is the option I recommend.
Think of this as a deep dive, not a quick check-in. It is designed to:
- Identify the underlying drivers of your skin concerns (not just calm them for a week),
- make sense of how your gut health, nervous system, hormones, medications and skincare history are showing up on your face,
- Give you a clear direction that goes beyond “try this serum and see.
- checking contraindications to products, ingredients and treatments,
- making sure what you’re using is safe and appropriate,
- answering focused questions when you already have a plan in place.
You don’t always need an Advanced Skin Analysis before treatments, but if you want root-cause work and a comprehensive strategy, this is the option I recommend.
Who is an Advanced Skin Analysis best suited for?
This is usually the right starting point if you:
If you’re mainly wanting a relaxing facial or a simple refresh, we can decide together whether a full analysis is necessary, or whether a shorter consultation and facial is enough.
This is usually the right starting point if you:
- have longstanding issues like rosacea, perioral dermatitis, acne, or highly reactive skin
- feel your skin has changed significantly in the last few months or years, and you’re not sure why
- are on medication or have a medical history that complicates product and treatment choices
- Suspect your skin is affected by stress, sleep, gut health or hormones, and want someone to look at the full picture
- are tired of piecing advice together from doctors, pharmacists, beauty counters and social media, and want one clear, considered direction
If you’re mainly wanting a relaxing facial or a simple refresh, we can decide together whether a full analysis is necessary, or whether a shorter consultation and facial is enough.
What actually happens (step-by-step)
A detailed conversation. We sit down and talk through:
- your skin’s history – flare-ups, medications, treatments, diagnoses
- Your cosmetic history – what you’ve tried, what helped, what made things worse
- lifestyle factors – stress, sleep, work demands, environment
- nutrition and gut health considerations, where relevant
Nothing is “too much information”, it all helps build a proper picture.
- Sometimes I’ll take photos (often just on my phone) to document your starting point, especially when we’re expecting visible change.
- Where appropriate, I’ll use advanced imaging/diagnostic tools to look beneath the surface and understand what’s happening in the deeper layers of your skin.
- I keep this for cases where that extra information will genuinely change our decisions, not as a gimmick.
Before you leave, we talk through:
- what I’m seeing and how it connects to the rest of your life,
- which products or ingredients are likely helping, irritating, or simply unnecessary,
- whether we need to simplify before we add anything new,
- How in-clinic treatments might fit in – if your skin is ready.
You’ll leave with a clear sense of direction, not a mental shopping list.
But your Skin Analysis doesn’t end when you walk out the door. You’ll receive:
- A written summary in plain language, the key findings and what they mean
- Home-care recommendations on how to use what you already own (where possible), what to pause, and what to introduce
- A phased plan where I prioritise what to do now, next, and later, so you’re not overhauling everything at once
Jumping straight into facials, peels, or needling can feel tempting, especially when you just want something to “work.
The problem is, if we don’t really understand your skin first, we’re guessing.
A Skin Analysis respects the fact that your skin is connected to everything else,
your health, stress levels, work, family, history, and acknowledges that real change is rarely just topical.
The problem is, if we don’t really understand your skin first, we’re guessing.
A Skin Analysis respects the fact that your skin is connected to everything else,
your health, stress levels, work, family, history, and acknowledges that real change is rarely just topical.
A clear, grounded starting point for long-term skin results.
F.A.Q.
How long does an Advanced Skin Analysis take?
Allow around 60–75 minutes. This gives us time to talk, assess, and discuss first steps without rushing.
Is this required before I can have facials or other treatments?
Not always. If you have complex or longstanding concerns, I strongly recommend starting here so we can choose the safest and most effective path. For simpler concerns or maintenance, we may decide a standard consultation plus facial is enough.
What’s the difference between a consultation and an Advanced Skin Analysis?
A shorter consultation is focused on safety and suitability, checking contraindications to products, ingredients and treatments, and answering specific questions. An Advanced Skin Analysis goes deeper: we look at medical, cosmetic and lifestyle history, skin behaviour over time, internal factors, and use more in-depth diagnostic tools where needed to get to the root of what’s going on.
Will I get a treatment during this session?
This session is primarily diagnostic and planning-focused. If your skin is in a place where it’s appropriate, I may include a short, targeted treatment, but that’s not the main goal of this time together.
Is this suitable if I’m on medication or under a dermatologist? Yes. It’s important I know what’s been prescribed and why. I’ll look at where topical and lifestyle changes can support, rather than conflict with, your existing medical care.
Do I have to have this before booking a facial?
If you have ongoing or complex concerns, I strongly recommend starting here so we can make the best choices for your skin. For simple maintenance or relaxation facials, we can decide together whether a full analysis is necessary.
If you’re ready for something more comprehensive than “try this and see, an Advanced Skin Analysis is the best way for us to begin.
If you’re unsure whether this is the right fit, you’re welcome to contact me first.
"... I’ve always had problems with dry, sensitive skin,
which has been exacerbated over the last 20 years owing to long-term medication. My skin aged prematurely and despite trying many products, nothing worked and indeed were intolerable owing to reactivity.
...I think one of the differences was the thorough Initial Consultation followed by the Skin Analysis. This was particularly beneficial as it highlighted both treatments and ingredients which you felt would best be avoided."
...I was rather pessimistic about trying Dermaviduals but, 'Boy, I am glad I did!' The improvement has been remarkable and I have received many compliments..
GILL L.
I was desperate to get my chronic skin problem sorted and get to the bottom of the cause of my highly inflammatory skin. However, at the same time, I felt hopeless. I had put in lots of time, effort, and money to trial various products and treatments for acne. However, nothing has ever worked well enough to solve my skin completely. My self-esteem and self-confidence had been affected greatly by my skin.
A fear that held me back from purchasing was the uncertainty of the effectiveness of the products and treatments. For years my family and I have invested so much money to trial various products and treatments through my battle against chronic acne. However, nothing has resulted in promising results.
Therefore I was doubtful that any products or treatments would make a great change to my skin.
But Karen provided clear guidance as to how the products would benefit my skin. She explained the pathology and physiology of my inflammatory skin in a clear and structured manner, which helped me understand my own skin better. She is very knowledgeable and passionate about what she does. She considers her client's problem in a holistic manner by considering not only the surface problem of the skin but also the internal system too.
She also introduced me to a naturopath (Freya Lawler) which has helped me target the core cause of my ongoing skin issues. I love the way Karen approaches my skincare treatments
My treatments would always result in improvement in my skin afterward.
Karen has a way to explain the sciences simply enough behind the treatments so that I can have a clear understanding of the reasoning behind my treatments and products.
I didn't expect was that simple things could make such a big difference to how healthy your skin looks! When you're able to understand just why these changes are important for your well-being, then it becomes much easier to keep up on them yourself!
I'm looking forward to the future because of how much my skin has improved since I started working with Karen. My chronic inflammatory acne was caused by mainly internal factors, but now that Karen's helped me identify those and work on them internally as well as externally, it's really made a difference in my life!
- Akane Matsumoto
client story
Having organized multiple educational evenings on a variety of current topics with experts in their field from around the world to provide knowledge from the best in the industry.
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I am well trained and trusted within the
skincare industry. i am fully focused on skin, practice inside my scope and work with medical professionals for referrals to fully give you a safe skin transformation.
