Educating consumers on the futility of before and after photos

Dr. Marta I. Rendon highlights the benefit of standardization to prevent misleading results



BOCA RATON, FL – Celebrities and supermodels grace the cover of magazines and the Internet with flawless skin and both encourage and perpetuate a false sense of perfection. It is this idealism of perfection, which is further enhanced in deceiving advertising, that leads the average consumer to harbor unrealistic expectations of results in their cosmetic care.



Dr. Marta I. Rendon, founder and medical director of the Rendon Center for Dermatology and Aesthetic Medicine in Boca Raton, Fla., experiences the impact of these expectations on a daily basis in her practice. "Every day I have patients that tell me, oh! I saw a before and after picture on the web and I thought my dark circles were going to be all gone in one treatment, or I thought you could get rid of all my wrinkles with an injectable filler," says Dr. Rendon. "The reality is that these tools are used to help aid in the solution and are not a one-time quick fix."



Dr. Rendon, an innovative trend setter on the forefront of cosmetic dermatology and research, has more than 25 years in the healthcare industry and currently serves as the Global Celebrity dermatologist for Procter and Gamble’s Head & Shoulder’s Hair care brand. As a leader in her field, Dr. Rendon understands the imperativeness to set realistic success expectations with her patients beginning at the very first appointment.



A strict protocol is followed at the Rendon Center to ensure that patients are able to make an educated analysis of the work that they are having done. Each patient is captured via photograph on their first appointment, at their two-week follow- up appointment and then monthly to showcase their results.



"We capture patients before and after photos in our on-site photography facility at the Rendon Center, says Dr. Rendon. "We use TruVu by Johnson & Johnson, an imaging system that was given to us to use as a trial to evaluate its effectiveness. The TruVu in our office is one of only ten machines placed in United States."





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Photos serve as a benchmark for both patient and physician as a medical record and visual reminder. Dr. Rendon offers several variables to help control the standardization of before and after photos for patients:



• Setting – The background of the photo should be consistent in every shot,utilizing a solid color fabric as the backdrop.

• Lighting – Avoid shadows with using the proper lighting. Shadows will hide results in after photos, as well as imperfections in before photos.

• Positioning – Head position and eye position should remain consistent

• Hair and Make up – a clean face and styled hair or hair pulled back is most effective

• Distance – The location and distance from the camera plays an important role and can magnify or reduce imperfections if altered

• Expression – Patients should maintain the same expression in each photo



Standardization is an essential component to help shape and guide the consumer’s expectations of cosmetic procedures through before and after photos. It can also serve as a resourceful marketing tool for both brands and physicians when used correctly. However, in-person consultations remain the primary form of determining results.



"Although effective in many ways, it remains a truly difficult endeavor to accurately reproduce real results with photography," said Dr. Rendon. "Visual,live clinical evaluation is the best way a researcher can see the results of a cream or a procedure."



For more information, or to schedule an appointment visit www.drrendon.com.