🔷Spot Template
Spot Template is a measuring tool that helps you find the same test spot on the patient's scalp. You can buy it packaged or unwrapped as shown in the photo below.
A reliable baseline to follow-up comparison of hair condition is only possible if the same scalp location is used for both measurements. TrichoLAB Spot Template allows you to reproduce the location of trichoscopy images in the frontal, vertex, occipital and temporal regions with ±1-3 mm accuracy in relation to nasal point and both auricle tips. It can be used on long or clipped hair eliminating the need for tattooing.
Spot Template helps locate the test area. However, it is not always the exact same area, but it's very close to it. With the help of Virtual Tattoo, you can find the same place on the patient's scalp (with a difference of a few hair)
🔹Why is it important?
Small changes in camera position — even by 1–2 cm — can significantly affect the results, with differences reaching over 20%, as shown in the video below. For accurate treatment monitoring, it's essential to compare exactly the same area each time. The Spot Template, combined with Virtual Tattoo technology, makes this possible by guiding the camera to the precise position. This ensures reliable and consistent data across follow-ups.
🔹Spot Template Preparation
Please prepare the Spot Template before using it:
Bend the blue handles
Bend the sidebands on the nasal part and the entire nosal part
If you have an unwrapped Spot Template, be sure to unfold/flatten the part that is bent and is close to the top of the patient's head (so that the Spot Template has a rounded shape from the top)
VIDEO: Spot Template preparation and positioning (2min)
🔹Spot Template Procedure
Repeatedly placing Spot templates is simpler. Once the Spot Template is positioned on the head, the software tells you what corrections you should make.
VIDEO: Precise positioning of the Spot Template (3min)
🆕Instead of clicking buttons on the keyboard, now you can click buttons on Levia:
🔼Compare - press when you have captured values on both ears for the software to compare them
🔽Autofocus - press repeatedly to sharpen the image
▶️Scale up - press when you want the yellow measure to be higher
◀️ Scale down - press when you want the yellow measure to be lower
⏺️ Snapp - take the image
💡How it works: Point the camera at the desired ear height. Move the camera up or down ( do not change the tilt of the camera). Hold the camera at the height of the tip of the ear for a few seconds (picture below) until the bar turns from white to blue. Then the given height has been saved. Measure the height on the other ear in the same way.
After measuring both sides, click SPACE on your keyboard or press UPPER arrow on Levia. Then software compares measured values. If the values are different, the software will tell you what corrections to make. Then repeat measuring till the values are the same.
If your positioning is good (same height on both sides) you will see a screen with a comparison of the left and the right side. Then accept it and follow the procedure.
🔷Virtaul Tattoo
Spot Template combined with Virtual Tattoo, is a kind of answer to the reluctance to tattoo the scalp. The technology makes it possible, on a follow-up examination, to find the spot from the baseline.
When taking a picture with Virtuall Tattoo, you need to hover the red and blue targets (circles) over the red and blue dots (Virtual Tattoo), respectively. Images with Virtual Tattoo should be taken automatically - after holding the camera in the right place and waiting until the green circles fill to the end - then the picture will take by itself.
What if I can't find Virtual Tattoo on follow-up?
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For Virtual Tattoo to work, the micro image on the baseline must be good: parting line in the middle, focused and as little crossing hair as possible.
If the above is not the case, then you need to "search" for Virtual Tattoo. How to do it? Watch the video ⬇️
VIDEO: Virtual Tattoo on follow up examination (1min)
💡 Hint
If you’re having trouble finding the correct spot, you can open the previous examination to check how the Spot Template was positioned. To do this, select the appropriate examination. On the left side of the screen, you have squares - each represents one examination. By clicking on an earlier one, you will have a preview of the previous study.
This way you can compare the positioning of the spot templates on the nasal part - which will help you determine whether to look for Virtuall Tattoo closer to the nose or the occiput ⬇️⬆️ and how the dots were positioned relative to the nose - whether to start looking for them to the right or to the left?⬅️➡️
