Skin Health Part 3: How to Add Skin Health Endpoints to Your Study on Alethios

This is the final post in our three-part series on skin health as a research tool. Part 1 argued that skin is a rich, underused source of health data; Part 2 walked through how that data actually gets measured, from in-office instruments like corneometry and dermoscopy to AI-powered digital biomarkers and skin microbiome sequencing. This post closes the loop: how to bring those same measurement approaches into your own study as a skin health endpoint. Adding skin health data to your study takes the same few clicks as any other endpoint in Study Planner.

Image and Video Submission

Participants can submit photos or short videos directly from their phone, letting researchers track visible changes over time. Skin health is often apparent just by looking, and having a record of how that appearance changes over time is valuable data in itself. For further detail, images and videos can be reviewed and scored by a PI or dermatologist.

Digital, AI-Powered Biomarkers

Alethios integrates dermatology-validated, AI-powered biomarkers powered by Haut.ai, which quantifies 48 validated biomarkers spanning pigmentation, wrinkles, texture, acne, redness, and pore appearance, giving researchers consistent, objective scoring across a study population without requiring an in-person visit (Haut.AI clinical studies software, Personal Care Insights).

"Skin endpoints such as structural aging signs and pigmentation have been difficult to measure reproducibly. Two graders can score the same skin differently, and so can the same grader on two different days, and that variability can obscure a real product effect. Our models hold ICC 0.97 to 0.98 across five facial endpoints in validation, whether the image comes from a clinical camera or a participant's own phone at home. Working with the Alethios team, we have made that measurement available inside their research platform. It does not replace the expertise around the study; it gives that expertise something reproducible to build on."

— Anastasia Georgievskaya, CEO & Co-Founder, Haut.AI.

Researchers who want a dermatologist's read directly in the study, not just as a validation benchmark, can also enlist a board-certified dermatologist to score submitted images independently, either alongside the AI platform or in its place.

"We’ve had a great experience working with Alethios. Their platform has enabled us to incorporate innovative digital endpoints that objectively assess changes in skin health. Their team has also been incredibly helpful—connecting us with an expert to evaluate standardized photos alongside the digital measurements and helping us determine the best ways to assess both our skin and hair outcomes. It’s been a very collaborative process, and we’re excited to see what the final data show."

— Cassie Evans, Helaina

How to add Skin Health Selfie endpoints to your study:

Go to Study Planner in the Alethios platform.

Skin Microbiome

For studies asking a deeper biological question, Alethios can incorporate skin microbiome testing, with test kits sent directly to participants, to understand what's happening beneath the surface, not just what's visible. In its most basic form, a participant swabs the skin site called for in the protocol, then mails the sample back to a lab. Skin microbiome testing through Alethios uses a simple collection process with no clinic visits required.

Surveys and Validated Questionnaires

Alethios also integrates validated self-report questionnaires to capture how participants feel about their skin—and in their skin—beyond what a photo or biomarker panel alone can show.

These measures document participants’ experiences of symptoms, such as itching, dryness, or discomfort, and how their skin affects daily life, confidence, and overall quality of life. Product perception surveys can add another layer, capturing satisfaction, ease of use, and perceived improvements. Together, these insights help researchers understand whether measurable changes translate into benefits participants notice and value.

Wearables and Continuous Monitoring

For studies that need more than a single snapshot, Alethios can integrate wearable sensors that track skin-relevant metrics like hydration and temperature continuously—the kind of always-on data covered in Part 2— layered directly into your study's data stream alongside photos, biomarkers, and survey responses.

What Studies This Is Most Useful For

Comprehensive skin health data collection through Alethios is especially valuable for longevity research, supplement and nutraceutical studies, general skin health research, and skincare brands looking to validate efficacy claims with real, dermatology-validated evidence. It's equally suited to dermatology trials using digital platforms that offer standardized, AI-powered image scoring across clinic, hybrid, and at-home settings so severity can be tracked consistently between visits (Haut.AI clinical studies software launch, PR Newswire), and menopause and hormone-related skin research, an area of growing clinical and commercial interest as collagen and barrier changes tied to declining estrogen draw more study (menopausal skin changes review, Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology).

Skin data doesn't have to live outside your study just because it's visual, microbial, or continuous. Whether you're validating a skincare claim, tracking a longevity intervention, or studying hormone-driven skin changes, Study Planner lets you add these endpoints to your protocol in minutes. To see how skin health endpoints fit into your next study, book a demo.