SKIN CARE in 2023 GETTING ACCESS

By Frank Turco

CANADIANS ARE PAYING closer attention to their skin than ever before and for very good reason. Stress, damaging UV rays, dry skin, and aging have really taken a toll on our skin. But more than that, Canadians are facing challenges in getting skin care treatments for more serious ailments that they desperately need, like skin cancers. A stressed healthcare system and excessive wait times have made it very difficult for Canadians to get access to the medical attention required to deal with their more serious skin conditions. Born during the pandemic, SKINOPATHY introduces the technology of Artificial Intelligence to Canadians in need of medical treatments and expedites their treatment process.

Co founder and CEO Keith Loo spent over 20 years working for some of the biggest tech companies in the world like IBM and Microsoft and together with his partner, Doctor Colin Hong, plastic and reconstructive surgeon, saw a need for significant improvements in the healthcare system which was severely impacted by the pandemic. Patients who needed treatments were experiencing extraordinarily long wait times to see a doctor and get the help and care they needed. Illnesses like late stage skin cancer were on the rise during COVID 19. Keith and Dr Hong realized they had the medical experience and tech know how to “build a platform to help patients”. So, in the middle of a global pandemic, Keith started SKINOPATHY, a start up tech company offering Artificial Intelligence to assess a patient’s skin, determine the illness and expedite treatment from the physician community.

“Wait times were ridiculous,” says Keith Loo and the process was complicated at best. “If you noticed a skin ailment, you had to see your GP first, get a referral for a specialist and hope the assessments and treatments were quick”. Some wait times were as high as 18 months and for certain skin illnesses, that wait time is too long. “Our service offers not only an expedited assessment, but also a quick connection to a medical doctor or surgeon for treatment. Over 300 family doctors in Ontario have already sent us referrals because they see how we can help their patients”. SKINOPATHY reaches out to the doctor and makes room to help patients in need. “Our fastest turnaround from assessment to surgery using our AI was 4 hours,” says Keith.” You can’t beat that!”

Keith wanted to create a “tech to check process” for skin cancer and other skin illnesses from your home – so he did and SKINOPATHY is offering a higher than industry average success rate. The technology used is commonly known as AI. AI is not a new phenomenon as many organizations and brands have begun to incorporate a form of AI for assessing skincare needs and making beauty product recommendations. SKINOPATHY’s AI allows the patient to use their cell phone to take images of their skin concerns and have them assessed. Results are available in minutes and doctors are contacted, when necessary, to provide the absolute quickest support.” With the technology and connection to the medical community, late stage skin cancers can be detected and treated with speed” says Keith. The start up has already evolved to include assessments of other skin ailments like wounds, burns and acne. SKINOPATHY also allows you to assess your treatments, so when using a commercial cosmetic product made for a skin condition, SKINOPATHY can track and assess whether that product is actually performing for you.

The future looks bright for SKINOPATHY as they explore unique ways to commercialize the AI technology and offer proprietary products to consumers.