McKeown Medical
167 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4SQ
Pigmentation, redness, and texture issues all have different causes. Learn what’s happening beneath the skin, and why VISIA analysis helps diagnose it properly.
Date posted — 30.01.26
Patients often come to the clinic, describing frustrations like:
“My skin tone looks uneven.”
“I have red patches or broken veins.”
“My pores look large.”
“My skin just looks blotchy or tired.”
These concerns are incredibly common and often grouped under vague terms like “bad skin”, “sun damage”, or “sensitivity”. But in reality, pigmentation, redness, and texture are driven by different biological processes, each with its own causes and treatment pathways.
This is where modern skin imaging and diagnostics become essential. Without understanding the underlying problem, patients end up wasting money on products or treatments that simply aren’t designed for the issue they’re trying to fix.
Let’s break down what’s really happening beneath the surface.
Pigmentation refers to excess melanin in the skin, the pigment that gives skin its colour. Common forms include:
Sunspots/sun damage
Freckles (ephelides)
Melasma
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH)
The primary drivers include:
UV exposure
Triggers melanocytes to produce pigment as protection.
Hormonal changes
Common in melasma (pregnancy, OCP use).
Inflammation
Acne or injury can trigger pigment as it heals (PIH).
Genetics
Some skin types produce pigment readily.
Two patients may look similar to the naked eye, but have:
Epidermal pigment (more superficial)
Dermal pigment (deeper)
Mixed melasma (both)
Inflammatory PIH
UV-induced lentigines
They require different treatments. VISIA’s UV analysis helps distinguish surface vs subsurface pigment, something that’s almost impossible to diagnose accurately by eye alone.
Redness is driven by blood vessels, not pigment. Common forms include:
Flushing
Broken capillaries (telangiectasia)
Diffuse background redness
Rosacea
Post-inflammatory erythema (PIE)
Key drivers include:
Sun exposure
Genetic vascular sensitivity
Rosacea
Sebaceous activity
Inflammation
Heat, exercise, alcohol
Compromised barrier function
This is why patients often say:
“My skin gets red easily,” or
“I look flushed even when I’m calm,” or
“I have visible veins around my nose.”
Redness is often mistaken for:
Sensitivity
Allergy
Sunburn
Pigmentation
Acne
But vascular and pigment problems are entirely different, a key reason patients frequently waste money on the wrong products.
VISIA’s RBX® analysis isolates brown vs red channels, allowing accurate mapping of vascular vs pigment components.
Texture issues include:
Roughness
Fine lines
Acne scarring
Pore visibility
Surface irregularities
exture is influenced by:
Collagen degradation
Elastin loss
Oil production
Inflammation
Ageing-related thinning
Cellular turnover
As we age, collagen production slows, and the dermal scaffolding weakens, causing:
Larger-looking pores
Less reflective skin
Fine lines and creasing
Rough or uneven patches
Texture problems are structural, not pigment-based, so they require different approaches.
Skincare can improve:
Barrier function
Hydration
Inflammation
Pigment suppression
Antioxidant protection
But it cannot:
Close blood vessels
Break down accumulated pigment
Remodel collagen
Reverse UV injury in the dermis
This is why correct diagnosis is crucial, so patients don’t try to “treat redness with vitamin C” or “treat melasma with exfoliation”, etc.
The VISIA® Skin Analysis System offers objective data on:
Brown pigmentation
UV damage
Redness & vascularity
Texture & pores
Bacterial porphyrins
Wrinkles & collagen markers
True Skin Age
A VISIA scan reveals the dominant issue, so treatment plans are rational rather than speculative.
For example:
Patient thinks it’s “pigment” → VISIA shows vascular rosacea
Patient thinks it’s “dryness” → VISIA shows dermal UV damage
Patient thinks it’s “sensitivity” → VISIA shows inflammatory redness
Patient thinks it’s “large pores” → VISIA shows collagen degradation
This is where diagnosis saves time, money, and frustration.
Pigmentation, redness, and texture issues may all look similar at first glance, but they are driven by different biological mechanisms. Treating them effectively starts with understanding what’s actually happening beneath the skin.
Objective imaging, like VISIA, makes that possible, and empowers patients to pursue treatment pathways tailored to their skin’s real needs.
To book your VISIA skin assessment, call us on 0141 570 0309 or complete our simple online consultation.
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Here she is… the one we’ve all been waiting for!
Lorraine, our incredible Assistant Manager, was the very first patient to have The Quantum Lift.
She’s now approaching 12 weeks after her procedure - the point at which we really start to see the result mature - and she is absolutely over the moon with her new jawline.
It’s been especially exciting watching this result develop because Lorraine was patient number one and I think you’ll agree, she set the bar pretty high.
What do you think of her result?
This is not a facelift.
This patient is just one week after The Quantum Lift, immediately after having her tape removed - you can still see a little residual adhesive on her cheeks.
The Quantum Lift is our new minimally invasive approach to rejuvenating the lower face and neck. We first use precision liposuction to remove excess fat from beneath the chin and around the jowls, sculpting a cleaner jawline. We then use QuantumRF beneath the skin to contract and tighten the tissues of the lower face and neck.
What has impressed me most about QuantumRF is the degree of tissue contraction we can achieve. You can actually see the tissues tightening during the procedure itself, but that`s only the beginning. Most patients are through the main recovery within a week or two, while tightening and collagen remodelling continue for 3–6 months afterwards.
So, at only one week, this is still a very early result but she`s already delighted with the improvement.
No facelift. One week post-treatment. And plenty more improvement still to come.
What do you think?
Dr Rhona is back!
We’re delighted to share that Dr Rhona Cameron will be returning to clinic at the beginning of September following her maternity leave and her diary is now open for appointments!
We know many of you have been looking forward to seeing Rhona again, and we’re so pleased to welcome her back!
If you’d like to book an appointment with Dr Rhona, you can do so via our website or app, or contact the team on 0141 370 0509.
We’ve shown you lots of side profiles from the Quantum Lift, but what does it look like from the front?
This lovely patient is just four weeks after her procedure, and I think the front view really shows how much we can change while still keeping the face looking soft and natural.
As part of her Quantum Lift, we removed unwanted fat from beneath the chin and around the jowls. Rather than simply discarding that fat, we used some of it to restore volume to her chin and jawline, helping to replace some of the volume she had lost over time and bring back a little of the youthful softness to the lower face.
You’ll also notice a small amount of lumpiness beneath the chin. At four weeks, this is very common after liposuction in this area and is part of the healing process. She’s now using firmer massage to help soften this over the coming weeks, and we would expect the result to continue settling and refining.
Most importantly, she’s absolutely over the moon with the change, and we are too!
What do you think of the front view?
Once again, the combination treatment wins the day!
This patient came to us hating her neck and jowls, but she would not consider anything invasive. Treating the neck is always a challenge especially with non-invasive treatments only.
For this patient we first of all reduced the fat under the chin using CoolSculpting, then we did some hyaluronic acid under the mandible to define the jaw and finally we did some Sofwave to tighten the skin.
The patient is over the moon with her results. What do you think?
There is no single "best" facial rejuvenation treatment - only the treatment that`s right for the individual patient.
For patients with more advanced facial ageing, significant jowls and loose skin of the neck, a deep plane facelift remains the gold standard. In the right hands, it can achieve results that more significant than what we can do with less invasive treatments.
This is one of our recent patients following deep plane face and neck lift surgery, performed by the incredibly talented @bramhallplasticsurgery. It`s always a privilege to work alongside Russell and see the exceptional results he consistently achieves.
One of the things I`m most proud of at McKeown Medical is that we`re a genuinely multidisciplinary team. We don`t believe every patient needs fillers. We don`t believe every patient needs surgery either. We offer injectables, lasers, minimally invasive procedures like the Quantum Lift, and facelift surgery because different patients, at different stages of the ageing process, need different solutions.
Our job isn`t to sell you a procedure - its to help you choose the right one.
If you want to have a conversation about which option is right for you, you can send us some pics by PM.
#DeepPlaneFacelift #Facelift #NeckLift #FacialRejuvenation #PlasticSurgery #AestheticMedicine #NaturalResults #McKeownMedical #Glasgow #PlasticSurgeon
I genuinely think the Quantum Lift is changing what is possible for patients who want to improve their jawline and neck, but do not want to undergo facelift surgery.
I have used earlier generations of skin-tightening technology and, honestly, I was often underwhelmed by the results. This is different.
By combining precise power-assisted liposuction, targeted treatment of the neck muscle where needed, and QuantumRF skin tightening, we can address the three things that most commonly age the lower face and neck: muscle, fat and skin.
This patient is shown just 24 hours after treatment. There is still swelling to settle, but the early change in her jawline and neck contour is already clear.
I have also included clips from the procedure for anyone who likes seeing the technical side of what we do.
Would you consider a minimally invasive alternative to facelift surgery for your jawline or neck, or would you rather go straight to surgery?
And this is why we LOVE combination treatments in the clinic!
Different parts of the face age in different ways. And even different layers of the same part sometimes age differently, which is why we often need to combine treatments to achieve the best overall effect for each patient.
This lovely patient first underwent some laser resurfacing to her eyelid area to take away the lines and wrinkles and tighten the skin. Then we used some HA to blend the contour below the eye and cheek. Finally, we addressed the lower part of the face and neck with some Sofwave to tighten the skin and Sculptra to give her more connective tissue support.
She is over the moon with her improvement. What do you think?
The biggest mistake I see after weight loss? People choose a treatment before understanding what`s actually causing their loose skin.
Not all "loose skin" is the same, which is why the right treatment for one person can be completely wrong for another.
If you`ve lost weight and aren`t sure which option is right for you, the first step isn`t choosing a device. It`s getting the right diagnosis.
Looking for some advice? Send us a DM to get started.