VISIA® SkinAnalysis
A 10–15 minute diagnostic scan that reveals what drives your skin aging — so every treatment decision is grounded in data, not guesswork.
VISIA® by Canfield is the gold-standard diagnostic skin imaging system used by dermatologists and medical aesthetic physicians worldwide. Its 8-modality multi-spectral imaging captures both surface and subsurface skin conditions, producing a TruScore percentile report benchmarked against an age- and ethnicity-matched cohort. At SkinArtMD Burnaby, Dr. Sharon Fong (CPSBC) interprets your results and builds a personalized treatment plan — available in English, Mandarin, or Cantonese.
Understand Your Skin Before You Treat It
VISIA® is a diagnostic instrument, not a procedure. It answers the question every patient should ask first: what is actually happening in my skin, and which treatments will address it most effectively?
VISIA® Skin Analysis is manufactured by Canfield Scientific — the same company whose imaging systems are used in major clinical trials and dermatology research globally. Using cross-polarized, UV, and parallel-polarized lighting, the system captures perfectly registered images that reveal conditions invisible to the naked eye. It evaluates 8 key modalities: spots, wrinkles, texture, pores, UV spots, brown spots, red areas, and porphyrins. Your TruScore places each metric in percentile rank against an age- and ethnicity-matched reference group, giving Dr. Sharon Fong an objective baseline to plan and later measure the results of treatments such as HydraFacial, peels, IPL, laser resurfacing, and Sculptra.
Objective Baseline Before Any Treatment
Establishes quantified scores across 8 modalities before you begin any procedure, so improvement can be measured — not estimated.
Age- and Ethnicity-Matched Percentile (TruScore)
Your scores are benchmarked against a cohort matched for your age and skin tone, providing clinically meaningful context rather than generic ranges.
Immediate Results, Same Appointment
Results are available immediately after the scan. Dr. Fong reviews your report in the same visit and recommends the treatments most likely to move your specific scores.
8-Modality Multi-Spectral Imaging
VISIA® uses three distinct lighting modes to capture skin data that standard photography cannot detect. The imaging dome positions the camera precisely for reproducible results at every re-scan.
IntelliFlash® Cross-Polarized Lighting
Eliminates surface glare to record texture, fine lines, wrinkles, and enlarged pores with high fidelity — the structures most sensitive to collagen loss and photoaging.
UV Lighting — Subsurface Damage
Reveals UV spots (sun damage not yet visible on the surface) and porphyrins (bacterial metabolites trapped in pores that indicate acne-prone microenvironments).
RBX® Technology — Vascular and Pigment Separation
Mathematically separates the color signatures of red (vascular: rosacea, telangiectasia, inflammation) and brown (melanin: PIH, melasma, solar lentigines) for precise, channel-specific analysis.
TruScore Percentile Benchmarking
Each of the 8 metrics is scored against an age- and ethnicity-matched reference database. This percentile ranking is how Dr. Fong determines which conditions are most clinically significant for you specifically.
Is a Diagnostic Skin Scan Right for You?
VISIA® is appropriate for virtually any adult seeking objective information about their skin. Dr. Sharon Fong uses it as the starting point for all new comprehensive consultations at SkinArtMD Burnaby.
Particularly Valuable If You
- +Are planning treatments for pigmentation, photoaging, or acne scarring and want objective before-and-after data
- +Have tried multiple skincare products without knowing which concerns to prioritize
- +Are beginning a course of IPL, laser resurfacing, peels, or Sculptra and want a documented baseline
- +Want to understand how your skin compares to age- and ethnicity-matched peers via TruScore percentile
- +Are a new patient at SkinArtMD and want a data-driven treatment plan rather than a generic consultation
Considerations and Contraindications
- –Active skin infection, open wounds, or severe inflammatory flare in the facial area — rebook once resolved
- –Unable to have all makeup, sunscreen, and skincare products removed before imaging — results will be inaccurate
- –Claustrophobia: the imaging dome encloses your face; patients with significant claustrophobia may find the position uncomfortable
- –Recent dermal filler injections (within 2 weeks): topographic readings may be transiently distorted — wait before scanning for volumetric tracking
- –Severe active skin conditions requiring urgent medical treatment should be addressed before an elective diagnostic scan
The SkinArtMD Difference
VISIA® is only as valuable as the physician interpreting it. At SkinArtMD Burnaby, every scan is reviewed by Dr. Sharon Fong (CPSBC) — not delegated to a technician — ensuring your report translates directly into a clinically sound treatment plan.
Physician-Interpreted, Not Technician-Read
Dr. Sharon Fong (CPSBC) personally reviews every VISIA® report. Her medical training determines which findings are clinically significant and which treatments — HydraFacial, IPL, peels, lasers, Sculptra — are the appropriate response to your specific scores.
Asian Skin Percentile Benchmarking
VISIA®'s TruScore database includes ethnicity-matched cohorts, which is particularly meaningful for patients of Asian descent tracking PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) response to treatment or assessing photoaging patterns common in Asian skin types.
Objective Progress Tracking Every 3–6 Months
We recommend re-scanning every 3–6 months during an active treatment course. Side-by-side TruScore comparisons give you quantified evidence of improvement in pigmentation, texture, and vascular metrics — not just a subjective impression.
Multilingual Analysis Review
Dr. Fong and the SkinArtMD team conduct full VISIA® report reviews in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Patients can ask detailed questions about their scores and treatment rationale in their preferred language.
What VISIA® Measures Across 8 Dimensions
Each modality is captured using a specific lighting condition and scored via TruScore against an age- and ethnicity-matched reference cohort.
Spots
Surface brown and red lesions: freckles, post-acne marks, and solar lentigines captured under cross-polarized light.
Wrinkles
Depth and distribution of fine lines and deeper creases — used to track collagen response to anti-aging treatments over time.
Texture
Surface irregularities affecting skin smoothness, including roughness from photodamage, scarring, or keratosis.
UV Spots
Subsurface sun damage not yet visible to the naked eye — one of the most clinically actionable findings for early photoaging intervention.
Pores
Pore size and distribution, closely correlated with sebum production and collagen density in the surrounding dermis.
Brown Spots
Deeper melanin deposits including melasma, age spots, and dermal pigmentation measured via RBX® brown channel analysis.
Red Areas
Vascular findings: rosacea, telangiectasia, post-procedure erythema, and diffuse inflammation mapped via RBX® red channel.
Porphyrins
Bacterial metabolic by-products fluorescing under UV light within pores — a direct indicator of acne-prone microenvironments and follicular congestion.
The VISIA® Experience at SkinArtMD
The full session — scan, results review, and treatment planning with Dr. Fong — takes approximately 30–45 minutes. The imaging itself is 10–15 minutes.
Preparation
Arrive with clean skin — no makeup, sunscreen, or topical products; we can assist with removal at the clinic
Avoid heavy exercise or heat exposure (sauna, steam room) for 2 hours before your appointment, as flushing can temporarily elevate red area scores
If you have had dermal filler injections in the past 2 weeks, inform the team — topographic accuracy for volumetric re-scans improves after swelling resolves
Bring a list of your current skincare products and any prescription topicals — Dr. Fong will review them in the context of your scan results
Allow 30–45 minutes for the full session including results review and treatment discussion
During Your Session
Medical History and Skin Concerns
Dr. Fong or a clinical team member reviews your skin history, current concerns, and any treatments you are considering — establishing the clinical questions the scan needs to answer.
Skin Preparation
All makeup, sunscreen, and skincare products are removed. The imaging dome positions your face reproducibly for accurate baseline capture.
VISIA® Multi-Spectral Imaging (10–15 minutes)
The Canfield VISIA® system captures images across all 8 modalities under cross-polarized, UV, and parallel-polarized lighting. Results are computed immediately.
Physician Results Review and Treatment Plan
Dr. Sharon Fong (CPSBC) walks through your TruScore percentile rankings for all 8 metrics, explains the clinical significance of each finding, and recommends specific treatments matched to your priorities.
After Your Analysis
Receive a detailed digital report with your scores, percentile rankings, and annotated images — available to reference before your next appointment
Treatment recommendations (HydraFacial, chemical peels, IPL, laser, Sculptra, or other modalities) are prioritized by clinical impact, not cost
Book any recommended treatments or a follow-up diagnostic scan — re-scanning every 3–6 months during an active course gives objective progress data
Your VISIA® baseline images are stored on file; all future re-scans are automatically compared against this baseline for side-by-side TruScore delta tracking
A summary of your personalized skincare adjustments is provided in writing, in your preferred language
**VISIA® images are diagnostic tools used to guide treatment planning and track progress. Individual TruScore percentile results vary based on age, skin type, and prior sun exposure. VISIA® is a diagnostic imaging system — not a treatment.
Common Questions
Is the VISIA® scan painful or uncomfortable?+
No. The VISIA® system is entirely non-contact and non-invasive — it takes digital photographs using different lighting modes. The imaging dome encloses your face, which most patients find entirely comfortable. If you have significant claustrophobia, let us know in advance and we will walk you through the positioning before we begin.
How long does the scan take?+
The imaging itself takes 10–15 minutes. The full session — including medical history review, imaging, and Dr. Sharon Fong's results interpretation and treatment planning — runs 30–45 minutes. We schedule adequate time so you are not rushed through your report.
Do I need to remove my makeup?+
Yes. Makeup, sunscreen, and any topical products will interfere with the optical measurements for pores, pigmentation, UV spots, and porphyrins. We can assist with thorough removal at the clinic before imaging begins.
How often should I get a VISIA® scan?+
For patients undergoing active treatment, we recommend re-scanning every 3–6 months. This interval allows meaningful changes in TruScore percentiles to accumulate, giving you and Dr. Fong objective data on treatment efficacy rather than relying on subjective impression. An initial scan before any treatment course is the most important one.
Is there a cost for the analysis?+
At SkinArtMD, the VISIA® scan is often included as part of a comprehensive new-patient consultation. Please contact us for current details on standalone scan pricing.
What makes VISIA® different from other skin analysis tools?+
VISIA® is manufactured by Canfield Scientific, whose imaging platforms underpin clinical research published in peer-reviewed dermatology journals worldwide. Its distinguishing features are: (1) reproducible image registration enabling true before/after comparison across visits, (2) TruScore percentile benchmarking against an age- and ethnicity-matched reference database, and (3) RBX® technology that mathematically separates vascular and pigment channels — something consumer-grade devices cannot do.
Know your skin before you treat it.
Book a VISIA® diagnostic scan with Dr. Sharon Fong at SkinArtMD Burnaby. Consultations available in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese.
Also offered at our Richmond location
Richmond Anti-Aging Clinic offers the same treatment. If Richmond is more convenient, our sister clinic can help.
110 – 5580 No. 3 Rd., Richmond, BC V6X 0R8 · +1 (604) 277-9006