The appearance of your skin is an excellent indicator of your overall health. Nutritional deficiencies can cause pale, sallow skin, specific irritants or foods can cause an inflammatory response, and too much sun exposure leads to increased wrinkles and age spots. Other changes, like cellulite and stretch marks, are not physically harmful, but can have a psychological impact on some people. This test identifies genetic variants that influence your skin health and appearance, and although you cannot change your genes, there are various other approaches to help your skin appearance. The skin health industry is a rapidly growing industry and targeted treatments are continuously being developed. A knowledge of your unique genetic variation allows you to choose the currently available and future treatments best suited for your skin.

What is included in this test?
This test identifies changes across multiple genes that each influence an aspect of skin health:

• Cellulite – skin dimpling due to an alteration of the skin & fat tissue
• Stretch marks – pale lines due to tearing of the dermis layer of skin
• Varicose veins – enlarged & twisted veins due to faulty leaflet valves & the pooling of blood
• Eczema – common inflammatory skin disorder characterized by itchiness & a rash
• Ichthyosis vulgaris – dry skin condition characterized by thick dry scales
• Psoriasis – inflammatory skin condition characterized by itchy, scaly patches
• Rosacea – inflammatory skin condition characterized by dilated blood vessels on the face
• Glycation – chemical bonding of sugar leading to impaired protein function & skin aging
• Oxidation – process resulting in harmful free radicals that damage our skin
• Wrinkles – creases, folds & ridges that appear as people age
• Freckles – hyperpigmented spots that are clearly visible on fair skin
• Age spots – dark skin areas due to sun exposure & overproduction of melanin
• Tanning – darkening of skin in response to UV radiation