Business & Finance Club Magazine - Beauty & Health -- As the spa's laser technician and trainer readies you for your appointment, she tells you that the digital skin analysis which you are about to be subjected to can reveal all.

Curious, you sit in front of a computerised machine called the PerrierSkin and Yahia cleanses your face after holding your hair back with a band. That done, she clicks a few buttons and the image of your face is captured by a digital camera. Within minutes, the report is out. Your skin has been assessed to the minutest detail, be it in terms of UV damage, complexion and pigmentation, wrinkles or overall pore health.

The analysis facilitates the right kind of treatment as it defines the exact problem at hand while indicating the correction that it requires. For instance, a reading of 14-27 on a scale of 0-50 would mean moderate UV damage which in turn determines how long one can expose oneself to the direct sun or how much sunscreen one must employ.

Similarly, the level of pigmentation and evenness in skin tone, redness and radiance are calculated on a scale, with each reading requiring a separate course of treatment. With wrinkles, each line is classified according to a severity level ranging from low to high, corresponding from uneven surface texture to deep-set wrinkles.

The health of the pores, Rehab explains, is equally important as the skin analysis clearly marks out the areas of excess sebum or oil flow, acne or inflammation.

"When clients see for themselves the results of the analysis, they are more motivated to do something about it," says Rehab, adding that an understanding of the history of the clients in terms of their lifestyle and medications is critical to determining the course of treatment.

Treatment cost

The digital skin analysis costs Dh250, while the treatments range from Dh280 to Dh800 for a session depending on the course that is to be taken. While the average requirement is around four to six sessions per client, some cases would require eight, says Rehab.

The spa, which operates under the Wafi Health and Leisure management, also offers laser hair removal, skin tightening, skin rejuvenation by intense pulse light, facials with gentle medical peels and a detoxification massage.