Patent ID: 7558416

Claim:
A method for detecting photodamage to skin, comprising the steps of: (A) providing an imaging apparatus having a digital camera, a source of light of 380 nm to 430 nm; (B) exposing skin to light in the approximate wavelength range of 380 nm to 430 nm; (C) capturing the green response of the skin to the light of step (B) in a digital image with the camera; (D) isolating the green response attributable to elastotic material beneath the outer surface of the skin recorded in the digital image by the steps of identifying a region of interest in the digital image corresponding to an area of skin having low horn and low porphyrin and isolating the green response of elastotic material from the green response of skin pigment and; (E) measuring the green response attributable to elastotic material beneath the outer surface of the skin recorded in the digital image.