Researchers have developed the first system to quantify the effects of aging on the skin, helping doctors and patients communicate more effectively about cosmetic surgery outcomes.
Earthquake intensity is measured on the Richter Scale. Gasoline quality is measured on the Octane Scale. Now, a team of researchers have developed the Merz Scales, the first standard scale to measure the skin’s aging process.
It’s called the Merz Scale, and it’s designed to create a standard means of quantifying the effects of aging on skin – a “universal language of aging”.
The Merz Scale was introduced this spring at the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery’s annual meeting in Las Vegas.
We asked Dr. Corey Maas, a Merz Scales investigator, what the new system means to the average patient.
“These scales will help all of us if we can talk in the same terms, using scales that are universally accepted, both amongst ourselves in terms of evaluating products that impact aging — or technologies or procedures,” he said. “I think we can be a lot more clear about what outcome measures we can expect.”
The Merz Scales’ creators hope that the rating system will serve as a stable platform for describing the condition of a patient’s skin, making diagnosis and treatment more effective.
