Memory is a poor instrument for judging change. Three months after a course of skin treatment, most people genuinely cannot recall what their skin looked like before it — and neither can the doctor, with any precision.
So we don't rely on it. At every visit, before anything else happens, we take standardised clinical photographs: the same corner, the same lights, the same distance and angles, the same neutral expression.
Why the conditions matter
A photograph taken by a window in the morning and another under overhead light in the afternoon will show two different faces. Shadows deepen lines; warm light flatters texture. Comparing them tells you about the lighting, not the treatment.
- Fixed lighting, so texture and tone are comparable visit to visit.
- Fixed distance and angles, so proportions are comparable.
- Expression held neutral, then repeated in motion for muscle-based treatments.
Progress should be documented, not remembered.
For laser, skin and hair treatments, the photographs are how we decide whether to continue, adjust or stop. For injectables, they are how the two-week review compares like with like. And they are yours: you can see them at any appointment.
