Guide: What is Miiskin and how does it work?

One in every three cancers diagnosed is a type of skin cancer according to Skin Cancer Foundation Statistics. As melanoma diagnoses increase, it’s more important than ever to explore tools for early detection.

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Miiskin is a digital health platform to help track the appearance of skin and moles.

Early detection of changes to existing moles and the appearance of new marks or moles can be an early warning sign of skin cancer and should be discussed with a doctor without delay. This is especially important as most skin cancers can be successfully treated if caught early.

Using Miiskin can enable you to be proactive in seeking a medical professional’s advice. Those with a vulnerable skin type or a personal/family predisposition to skin complications can use the app to easily document changes to their skin.

“Because of the app, I’ve had another mole taken off the back of my leg as I could show the doctors the change I had seen on the mole,”

– says Michaela Moore, (28)
who had two uncles diagnosed with skin cancer, so she was especially cautious about sun exposure. Despite her precautions, she had a cancerous mole removed when she was 28 and learned about Miiskin from her hospital.

How it works

While it’s not a diagnostic program, the app is recommended by dermatologists and healthcare providers to help simplify skin self-examination through the taking of high-quality photos to monitor changes over time.

As a  platform compliant with health data requirements (HIPAA in the U.S. and GDPR in the E.U.), Miiskin offers a direct way to provide your photographic information to your medical professional when at an in-person or online consultation or between consultations if you spot a concerning change.

So how does Miiskin work? It is the first AI-powered app to offer skin tracking using images of both individual moles and wider-body skin areas. Side-by-side photo comparisons, reminders for routine checks, and a wealth of information empower users to identify concerns to discuss with their doctors.

The basic app

• Free to download through the Apple Store and Google Play
• Track individual moles
• Side-by-side comparisons
• Reminders for consistent follow up

The basic Miiskin app is free to download from the Apple Store and Google Play, and it’s simple to set up an account.

After downloading the app to your smartphone, you simply follow the on-screen instructions. Be sure to use an email address that you can access later. You will be asked if you’d like to start with a 30-day free trial of Miiskin Premium or proceed without. You’ll then have the opportunity to view a tour of the site. It’s that simple. 

Once you have the app, you can take photos by touching anywhere on the screen. The app will guide you to take consistent, quality photos. The images are stored separately from your normal photo gallery for privacy protection. With the Basic version of the app, you can track three existing moles or marks and make a side-by-side comparison. It also allows you to set reminders so you remember to continually check your marks and follow-up with your healthcare provider. 

“I have a busy lifestyle and would definitely forget to check my skin, so I opted for the push notifications, and the app reminds me every 28 days that I need to take photos of my moles,”

– says Emma Hawke,
a 36-year-old mother of two who was diagnosed a few years ago with grade 1b melanoma.

The benefits of Miiskin premium

• Unlimited tracking of existing moles and marks
• Individual mole and wide-area skin photos
• Web Compare and Skin Mapping
• Automatic Skin Imaging
• Mole Sizing

With Miiskin Premium, you can keep track of an unlimited number of individual marks and wide-area skin photos. Premium also provides access to two unique Miiskin features: Skin Mapping and Automatic Skin Imaging.

Skin Mapping is based on the science of mole-mapping methods used by dermatologists. It helps you identify both changes to existing moles and new marks. The app make it easier to keep track of areas such as your back, which can be tough to see. Miiskin then identifies and highlights moles and marks for you.  You can edit the marks highlighted by the app, make manual additions, and then save them for future comparisons. Subsequent photos can then be compared side by side to the “map” in our Web Compare portal online.

The Automatic Skin Imaging feature enables you to take full-body images (front and back) on your own with assistance and guidance from the app. You simply place your phone on a table and get in front of the camera to allow the app to voice guide you through taking full-body skin photos on your own in complete privacy. The photos are then securely backed up and separated from your phone’s photo gallery. You can use Web Compare to make a side-by-side comparison on tablets and computers.

“Going to skin clinics regularly for a check-up is unrealistic for me as it would take so much time and money for me to travel there. The app isn’t a substitute for visiting a doctor; it just means that I can keep my own records of any new changes to my skin and seek medical advice if I spot anything worrying.”

– Ian Warrener, of Kununurra, Western Australia
Ian had two cancerous moles removed from his legs and now uses Miiskin to help monitor his skin for changes and new marks

With the Mole Sizing feature, you can measure the absolute size of your moles and other skin lesions. This feature is currently available only for iPhone users, but Mole Sizing support for Android will follow shortly.

With Mole Sizing, you can easily measure the size of your moles. Include a coin next to the mole and Mole Sizing will automatically detect the coin and calculate the size of the mole. The dimension of the mole will then digitally be documented in the app, making it easy to compare with follow-up photos to see if the size has changed.

The Face Tracking feature allows you to take multi-angle images of your face to easily monitor and track the progress of your acne and other skin conditions treatments, and to easily document the results of your skincare routine by taking progress photos and making notes to see what works best for you.

Miiskin is safe and secure

• Photos are backed up separately from the phone gallery 
• Photos can be transferred to a new phone
• Photos are PIN protected

A key component of Miiskin is data security. You can safely transfer photos when you get a new phone and protect your photos with a PIN code. Miiskin is U.S. HIPAA compliant, which means Miiskin can store clinical health information, such as your pictures, to help you monitor changes. In the United States, the photos you take with the app can be used in telehealth consultations with your healthcare provider. You can also choose to show your doctor your photos in a face-to-face clinical consultation. Your doctor will choose whether to take them into consideration. In the United States, dermatologists also have access to the Miiskin Pro platform to directly access images their patients share with them through the app.

Request virtual care via the app

While Miiskin can be a valuable monitoring tool, always remember that it does not diagnose skin cancer and isn’t a substitute for a visit to your doctor. Always contact your doctor or get a consultation with an online dermatologist if you notice any changes in a mole or if it appears different from others.

Depending on your country of residence you may be able to request virtual care via the Miiskin app. Unfortunately we only have independent dermatologists in some English-speaking countries at the moment.

For providers

The Miiskin skin health solution is available In the United States and other English-speaking countries for clinics, health systems and pharmaceutical companies. It can help improve medical decision making with patient longitudinal images, increase in-clinic patient consultations through  digital engagement and increase overall patient satisfaction and loyalty.

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