It all started with an itch.

For a long time, Dr. Yoav Smith – later, Director of the Genomic Data Analysis Unit at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Skinapp’s VP Technology – did not know what to make of a small patch of annoying discoloration near his ear. Only after a friend insisted he see a doctor did he find out it was melanoma and that urgent surgery would be necessary to prevent a potentially life-threatening development.

This led to Yoav’s focus in the early 1990’s, as a researcher in medical school, on developing a way to track and identify nevi. While the system he developed detected new malignant skin aberrations, it was expensive and available only to dermatologists.

Yet, we all have beauty marks, skin discolorations, or various kinds of lesions, some of which may be indications of skin cancer. The good news is that early detection saves lives. But the question is: How would the average person know what to look for?

Yoav and his fellow researchers at Hebrew University of Jerusalem decided to tackle this challenge.

They recognized that the latest technological advances in many fields allow us to do more on our own before contacting professional service providers. Bringing that capability to self-examination for skin cancer would be, for some, a life-changing development.

With that mission in mind, the researchers developed an innovative breakthrough method for independently and accurately identifying skin lesions. Using comparative data and a novel algorithm, the system applies artificial intelligence to make prevention easy.

Skinapp checker is the practical tool of the work of those Hebrew University researchers. It was designed to assess images of skin anomalies taken with any user’s built-in mobile phone camera and then recommend an appropriate course of action. Self-examination is quick, private and comfortable.

Our vision is to minimize the number of untreated skin diseases and reduce their impact by helping people get to the dermatologist on time – before severe melanoma or other cancers can develop. We believe that periodic use of Skinapp checker will significantly reduce the number of such cases and, in doing so, directly contribute to improved overall health for everyone.

We wish you good health, always.