One would hope that in the intervening years between teenage acne and middle-age wrinkles, the skin would enjoy a blissful, unblemished and unlined respite. Nearing my 30th birthday, however, I have discovered that in fact, the opposite is true: I have not yet outgrown the occasional pimple, and I fear that I’m already starting to notice the first indications of fine lines.

Facing a skin battle on multiple fronts, I was excited to learn that Skinklinic, an Upper East Side dermatology center-cum-spa, had acquired a machine that could assess my skin for six different factors: spots, pore size, porphyrins (evidence of bacteria lodged in pores), wrinkles, evenness, and UV damage. The device, called the Visia Complexion Analysis System (Skinklinic refers to it as the skinscan) has begun to appear at a handful of dermatologists’ offices and spas around the country over the course of the past year or so. It works by taking digital images of various layers of the skin, going beneath what can be seen by the naked eye. Visia software maps and measures both surface and subsurface skin conditions.

Skinklinic invited me to come in and try the device for myself. My “skinscan” was performed by Skinklinic’s director of client relations, Sumita Gluhm. “You have great skin,” she said, as she instructed me insert my face into the machine’s imaging booth. A giant image of my face, seemingly magnified hundreds of times to show every pore in excruciating detail, emerged on her computer monitor.

It appeared Ms. Gluhm had been only partly right in telling me I had great skin. The device showed that I had only three tiny wrinkles (“I really can’t see these on your face,” Ms. Gluhm said, and truthfully I couldn’t either) and few porphyrins, but I had 389 enlarged pores on the portion of my face selected for analysis and 170 UV spots, an indication of possible sun damage. A woman featured in a sample skinscan report pinned up on the examining room’s wall had considerably lower numbers, as did Skinklinic’s 56-year-old CEO, Kathy Dwyer, whose skinscan report is displayed in the reception area. Ms. Gluhm printed out a copy of my report for me, which included notes on treatments I could receive at Skinklinic, such as glycolic treatments or microdermabrasion, to help remedy some of these problems.

I discussed the procedure afterward with Ms. Dwyer, who was a high-ranking executive at hair and skincare companies such as Revlon and Clairol before founding Skinklinic in 2001. I told her that I was glad to learn the results of my skinscan, but had been unpleasantly surprised by my level of UV damage (I wear sunblock religiously). “Did it make you think about getting a treatment?” Ms. Dwyer asked with a smile.

For a moment, it did. Patients at Skinklinic have consultations and treatments with nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, and dermatologists in a soothing, spa like environment. A series of treatments, perhaps combined with a regimen of the clinic’s attractively packaged skin products, might do something to ward off the impending dermatological doom predicted by my skinscan. Ultimately, however, I decided I’d take my chances and keep wearing sunscreen, perhaps acquiring a sun hat for the summer. If I opted for a series of glycolic or microdermabrasion treatments, I’d need to come in once or twice a month for four to six months, paying $150 each visit. I wasn’t ready to make that kind of financial or time commitment. Maybe I’ll revisit the issue during the summer I turn 40.

Skinklinic, 800B Fifth Ave., 212-521-3100, www.skinklinic.com.