How to get confocal microscopy, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and 3D profilometry for skin?

AlexKChen · August 9, 2025, 7:02am

Visia is not perfect and misses some ridges…

====

Dermatology researchers measure furrow depth and other surface texture parameters using a few main techniques:

Silicone skin replicas + profilometry

A flexible, fast-curing silicone is pressed onto the skin to capture its exact microrelief.

The cured mold is scanned with a mechanical profilometer or optical profilometer to map ridge height and furrow depth.

Resolution: down to 0.1–1 μm vertical changes.

Common metric: Ra (average roughness), Rz (average maximum height of ridges + furrows).

In vivo confocal microscopy

Uses a laser scanning microscope directly on the skin.

Can measure microrelief depth, width, and density without molds.

Especially good for tracking hydration effects — hydrated skin has visibly shallower furrows.

3D optical skin topography (e.g., fringe projection, VISIA)

Projects a pattern of light and uses cameras to reconstruct the skin surface in 3D.

Non-contact and quick, but slightly less precise than profilometry for microrelief.

Often used in cosmetic product testing to monitor changes over weeks or months.

Typical furrow depth ranges with age

(forearm or cheek skin, average from multiple studies)

Teens–20s: ~20–40 μm

30s: ~35–50 μm

40s: ~45–60 μm

50s: ~55–75 μm

60s+: 65–90+ μm (can exceed 100 μm in heavily sun-damaged skin)

Key modifiable factors

Hydration: Well-hydrated skin can temporarily reduce furrow depth by ~10–20% within hours.

UV protection: Chronic sun exposure can accelerate deepening by ~15–20 years compared to protected skin.

Topical retinoids / collagen stimulators: Over months to years, can partially reduce furrow depth by restoring dermal matrix.

If you want, I can put together a side-by-side chart showing intrinsic aging vs photoaging in furrow depth change — it’s striking how much deeper furrows get mainly from sunlight rather than just time.

===

Deep research shows this below, but it’s not like the actual clinics are going to image the skin for end-users who don’t have skin disease…

Clinical Dermatology and Hospital Facilities

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) – Dermatology Department: MGH is a leader in dermatologic imaging. Dermatologists at MGH utilize reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) as a non-invasive tool to examine suspicious skin lesions in vivomassgeneralbrigham.org. For instance, the MGH High Risk Skin Cancer Clinic and Pigmented Lesion Clinic integrate RCM into patient evaluations to help diagnose melanoma and other skin cancers without immediate biopsymassgeneralbrigham.org. MGH dermatology also offers extensive laser and cosmetic services (Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Center) at 50 Staniford Street, Boston (Ph: 617-724-6960)massgeneral.org. While the cosmetic center focuses on treatments, patients benefit from cutting-edge imaging for treatment planning and outcome tracking. For appointments or inquiries, new dermatology patients at MGH can call 617-726-2914massgeneral.org.

Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Dana-Farber – Dermatology: Brigham & Women’s (BWH) dermatologists and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute collaborate in a Melanoma and Pigmented Lesion Clinic. They employ high-tech screening including total body photography with AI mole-mapping and dermoscopy for high-risk patientsbrighamandwomens.org brighamandwomens.org. While BWH’s public materials emphasize photography and AI analysis, in practice the dermatology team has access to advanced imaging like confocal microscopy for research and complex cases. The Laser and Skin Health Center at BWH (Chestnut Hill) offers state-of-the-art cosmetic dermatology and may use 3D facial imaging or high-resolution photography for cosmetic treatment planning (contact via BWH Dermatology at 617-732-9300)brighamandwomens.org brighamandwomens.org. BWH’s integration in the Mass General Brigham system means patients can be referred for specialized imaging (RCM or OCT) at partner hospitals like MGH if needed.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) – Dermatology and Laser Center: BIDMC operates a Cosmetic and Laser Center (with locations in Boston/Chestnut Hill and Needham) offering cosmetic dermatology treatmentsyelp.com. While primarily a treatment center, BIDMC dermatology experts can arrange noninvasive skin imaging for diagnostic purposes. In particular, BIDMC is equipped with confocal microscopes through its research core (see below) that can support clinical research or difficult diagnostic cases. The Cosmetic and Laser Center’s Chestnut Hill office (25 Boylston St.) can be reached at 617-754-0350 for consultationsbidmc.org. For general dermatology appointments at BIDMC, patients can contact the Dermatology department via the hospital’s main line.

Boston Medical Center (BMC) – BU Cosmetic & Laser Center: As the teaching hospital of Boston University, BMC hosts the Boston University Cosmetic & Laser Center. This center’s board-certified dermatologists use the latest imaging technologies to assess skin health and track cosmetic treatment results bmc.org bmc.org. Patients receive comprehensive skin evaluations – for example, high-resolution facial photography and UV analysis – to personalize treatment plans. The BU Cosmetic & Laser Center is located at 725 Albany Street, 8th Floor (Shapiro Center), Boston, MA 02118 (Ph: 617-414-2676)bmc.org. While confocal or OCT are not routine clinical offerings here, the center’s dermatologists can refer patients to BU researchers or other hospitals if advanced microscopic imaging of skin is required for a particular case.

Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) – Ophthalmology (OCT): In the ophthalmology realm, MEEI is renowned for co-developing optical coherence tomography and uses OCT as a standard clinical tool for eye imagingmasseyeandear.org. Every day, ophthalmologists at MEEI perform OCT scans of the retina to diagnose and manage conditions like macular degeneration and glaucoma. This highlights the broader biomedical use of OCT beyond dermatology. MEEI’s Retina Service (243 Charles Street, Boston) was involved in the early development of OCT and remains at the forefront of ocular OCT imagingmasseyeandear.org. Patients needing retinal OCT can access it through routine eye exams or specialized retina consultations at MEEI. (For appointments, call the MEEI Ophthalmology department; main line 617-573-3202, emergency 617-573-3431.)

Research Institutions and Imaging Core Facilities

Boston’s academic and research centers provide access to confocal microscopy, OCT, and profilometry – often available to collaborators or fee-for-service. Below are key facilities:

Wellman Center for Photomedicine at MGH: A world-leading photonics research center, Wellman is the birthplace of many biomedical imaging innovations, including the first confocal laser microscope for human skinwellman.massgeneral.org and advances in OCT. Wellman houses the Center for Biomedical OCT Research & Translation (CBORT), which focuses on cutting-edge OCT technology development and collaboration. CBORT explicitly aims to provide access to advanced OCT imaging for researchers and clinicians octresearch.org. Located at 40 Blossom Street (Barrett building), Wellman/CBORT invites collaboration – researchers can reach out to the center (Email: info@octresearch.org or via the Wellman Center contact) for potential projectsoctresearch.org. For example, the Tearney Lab and Bouma Lab at Wellman have prototype OCT systems (including endoscopic and dermatologic OCT) that can be used in research studies. If you are seeking OCT imaging for a collaborative project (e.g. skin imaging or other tissues), Wellman Center is a top contact.

MGH Cutaneous Biology Research Center (CBRC) – Confocal Microscopy Core: The CBRC at MGH offers a Confocal Microscopy Core Facility for high-resolution imaging of skin and biological samples. This core houses a state-of-the-art Nikon laser-scanning confocal microscope with high-speed scanners for live imagingmassgeneral.org. Investigators (academic or industry) can arrange access to confocal imaging through the core on a fee-for-service basis. According to MGH, the CBRC Confocal Core provides support for using the Nikon confocal system with both galvo and resonant scanning modesmassgeneral.org. Interested researchers can contact the CBRC (Phone: 617-726-4354)massgeneral.org or via the Mass General Research Institute website to inquire about scheduling imaging time. This is an ideal resource for collaborative skin research requiring cellular-level images (e.g. examining skin biopsies, live skin models, etc.).

BIDMC Confocal Imaging Core: At Beth Israel Deaconess, the research core facility offers comprehensive confocal and light microscopy services to both internal and external investigators. The Confocal Imaging Core provides confocal microscopy, immunofluorescence staining, and image analysis support for cells and tissue samplesbidmc.org. Notably, external researchers can access this core on a fee-for-service modelbidmc.org. The facility is equipped with two high-end Zeiss LSM 880 confocal microscopes (upright and inverted with Airyscan for super-resolution)bidmc.org. To get started, researchers should contact the Confocal Core Supervisor (Dr. Lay-Hong Ang, PhD, at 617-667-5373) to discuss project needsbidmc.org bidmc.org. The core is located at 330 Brookline Ave (Dana Building, Room 814), Bostonbidmc.org bidmc.org. This BIDMC facility is a great option for high-quality confocal imaging of skin specimens or any biological samples, with expert staff available for training or assisted work.

MIT Microscopy Core (MIT Koch Institute & Biology Dept): MIT hosts shared microscopy resources through the Koch Institute’s Swanson Biotechnology Center Imaging Core and the Department of Biology’s W.M. Keck Microscopy Facility. These cores provide a suite of advanced microscopes, including spinning-disk confocals, laser-scanning confocals, multi-photon microscopes, and 3D/structured illumination systemsbiology.mit.edu. For example, MIT’s core has capabilities for live-cell confocal imaging, intravital microscopy, fluorescence lifetime imaging (FRET/FRAP), and morebiology.mit.edu. While primarily for MIT researchers, external users can often arrange access via collaboration or service fees. The Koch Institute Microscopy Core is located at 500 Main St. (Cambridge) and the Biology Dept core at 77 Massachusetts Ave (Building 68) in Cambridgebiology.mit.edu. Contact: Jeff Kuhn (Koch Institute Microscopy core manager) at 617-253-4701biology.mit.edu. This is a valuable resource if you need confocal microscopy or even small-animal in vivo imaging for research projects.

Boston University Neurophotonics Center – OCT and Multiphoton Imaging: Boston University’s Neurophotonics Center (24 Cummington Mall, Boston) houses advanced optical imaging modalities. Researchers at BU have developed spectral-domain and swept-source OCT systems for biological imagingbu.edu. The center’s equipment includes custom multimodal OCT setups (including OCT angiography) for research use. In addition, the Neurophotonics Center provides access to multiphoton microscopes and laser speckle imagingbu.edu. While BU’s site is under maintenance, the center’s mission includes collaborative use of OCT technology. Interested parties (from academia or industry) can contact the Neurophotonics Center director via BU (email/phone on their website) to discuss accessing OCT imagingbu.edu. This is particularly relevant for neuroscience or dermatology researchers looking for cutting-edge OCT for skin or neural tissue imaging.

Harvard Center for Nanoscale Systems (CNS) – Optical Profilometry: For 3D surface profilometry (high-resolution topographic mapping), Harvard’s CNS in Cambridge provides state-of-the-art instruments. CNS is a shared-use core facility open to academic and industrial users cns1.rc.fas.harvard.edu. They offer both optical interferometric profilometry and stylus profilometry for 3D surface measurements. For example, CNS has a Bruker Optical Interferometric Profiler that measures surface height topography with sub-nanometer vertical resolutioncns1.rc.fas.harvard.edu. They also have a DektakXT contact profilometer for 2D/3D surface profiling at ~5 nm resolutioncns1.rc.fas.harvard.edu. These tools can be used to quantitatively evaluate skin surface texture, roughness, and volume changes (in research settings, e.g. assessing skin topography before/after treatments). External users can apply for facility access or work with CNS staff on a service basis. The CNS Imaging and Analysis facility is located at 11 Oxford St., Cambridge, and more information is available on the CNS websitecns1.rc.fas.harvard.edu. This is an ideal resource if you need precision 3D surface scans – for instance, measuring skin microrelief or material surface roughness with scientific-grade equipment.

MGH Cardiac OCT Research Laboratory: Although focused on cardiology, this MGH lab is a pioneer in intravascular OCT and welcomes collaborations. Led by Dr. Ik-Kyung Jang, the MGH Coronary OCT Lab has built an international registry of OCT images and developed protocols to image coronary arteries at microscopic resolutionmassgeneral.org massgeneral.org. Researchers interested in using OCT for biological tissues or translational research (even outside cardiology) can reach out to this group. They explicitly note that collaborators should contact the lab via coordinator Iris McNulty, RN (email: imcnulty@mgh.harvard.edu)massgeneral.org. While the lab’s primary use-case is imaging inside blood vessels, the team’s expertise in OCT could be applied to other biomedical imaging problems, potentially including high-resolution OCT of skin lesions or other organs. The lab is based at MGH’s Corrigan Minehan Heart Center (55 Fruit St., Boston)massgeneral.org.

Private Clinics and Cosmetic Imaging Services

Cosmetic Plastic Surgery Practices (3D Surface Imaging): Many Boston-area plastic surgeons and cosmetic dermatologists use 3D imaging systems to assess and simulate outcomes for patients. For example, Dr. Geoffrey Leber (Aesthetic Plastic Surgeon in Wellesley, MA) uses the VECTRA® 3D Imaging system at his Boston practicedoctorleber.com doctorleber.com. This system captures a high-resolution 3D photograph of the patient’s face or body from multiple angles and allows realistic simulation of surgical results. Patients can see a preview of potential changes (e.g. rhinoplasty, breast augmentation, facial contouring) in 3D before decidingdoctorleber.com doctorleber.com. Dr. Leber’s Wellesley office (422 Worcester St., Suite 303) can be contacted at (617) 444-9444 for Vectra 3D consultationsdoctorleber.com. Similarly, Dr. A. George Volpe (New England Plastic Surgical Assoc., with offices in Newton and Boston) employs Crisalix 3D virtual scanning for cosmetic surgery planning. Crisalix uses 3D photo-based scans to allow patients to visualize outcomes for breast, body, or facial procedurescrisalix.com. Dr. Volpe’s practice (170 Commonwealth Ave, Boston and 29 Crafts St, Newton) can be reached at 617-244-2600cosmeticsurgeryexperts.com cosmeticsurgeryexperts.com. These private clinics provide 3D surface profilometry in a cosmetic context – mainly for simulation and measurements of external anatomy (which indirectly assesses skin surface and contours).

Dermatology and Med Spa Skin Imaging Services: A number of dermatology-focused clinics and medical spas in Boston offer skin imaging for cosmetic evaluation. One notable example is the use of the VISIA® Skin Complexion Analysis system. Neem Medical Spa (with locations in Boston, Lynnfield, Winchester MA, and Salem NH) provides VISIA skin imaging as part of consultations. The VISIA system uses a specialized multi-spectral camera to capture high-resolution digital and 3D images of a patient’s face, evaluating skin health, damage, and aging patternsneemmedicalspa.com. It generates a detailed complexion report (wrinkle depth, pores, UV spots, etc.) and even predicts future aging, helping to tailor skin treatmentsneemmedicalspa.com neemmedicalspa.com. This is essentially a form of 3D facial profilometry and photographic analysis for cosmetic purposes. After the scan, the patient and provider review the results and design a personalized treatment planneemmedicalspa.com neemmedicalspa.com. Neem Medical Spa’s Boston location can be contacted at 781-531-8660 to schedule a VISIA analysisneemmedicalspa.com. Other dermatology centers (e.g. SkinHealth Centers in Boston/Wellesley, SkinCare Physicians in Chestnut Hill) also utilize VISIA or similar imaging systems for baseline complexion analysis and to track improvements over time. While these are not confocal or OCT, they provide 3D surface mapping and UV photography which are very useful for cosmetic skin assessments.

Cosmeceutical and Laser Treatment Testing: Some private dermatology groups in Boston engage in clinical research and offer imaging as part of that. For instance, SkinCare Physicians (Chestnut Hill, MA) has a program for cosmeceutical testing and often employs high-resolution photography and optical measurements to validate product effectsreachmd.com. They may use tools like 3D fringe projection (e.g. PRIMOS device) or high-magnification skin imaging to quantify changes in wrinkles or scar topography for clinical trials. If you are seeking to access such imaging, it often involves enrolling in a study or contracting the practice for a project. Contacting the research coordinator at large dermatology practices can open avenues to use their imaging devices for cosmetic product evaluation or skin analytics.

Collaborative Cosmetic Labs: Additionally, if you represent a company or research group needing imaging, Boston has independent testing labs and academic-industry collaboratives. For example, some Harvard-affiliated dermatologists (like those at MGH and BWH) have industry partnerships where they conduct trials using RCM or OCT to evaluate skin treatments. An example is a published study where confocal microscopy was used to assess a depigmenting topical agent’s effect on skinjcadonline.com – these kinds of studies are often done in Boston’s academic dermatology units. While not public clinics, they indicate that if you have a cosmetic/dermatologic research need, you can likely contract or collaborate with a Boston hospital’s dermatology department to utilize RCM imaging of skin or OCT for skin structure. The MGH Dermatology Laser & Cosmetic Research Program (contact via MGH Dermatology Research) or the SkinCare Physicians’ Clinical Studies division would be points of contact for such arrangements.

3D Optical Profilometer | Surface Finish Optimization for Advanced Manufacturing | Bruker