Skin treatment system

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a skin treatment system. A skin treatment system comprising a functional member (20) configured to perform a treatment action on the skin and to be moved over the skin (2) during operation of the system (1), and a measuring unit comprising a measuring member (41) configured to be moved over the skin together with the functional member and to indent the skin (2) in the process. The measuring member (41) is displaceable in the measuring unit (40), and the measuring unit (40) is configured to measure a value related to the degree to which the measuring member (41) is displaced through the skin (2), relative to a default position in the measuring unit (40). The measured value corresponds to a measure of the degree to which the measuring member (41) indents the skin. Based on the measurement result generated by the measuring unit (40), the operation of the system (1) can be automatically adapted to the type of body region being treated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a skin treatment system, comprising: a functional component configured to perform a treatment action on the skin and to be moved on the skin during system operation; and a controller configured to control the operation of the skin treatment system. Background Technology

[0002] An example of a skin treatment system mentioned in the first paragraph is a hair removal system configured to perform skin treatment in the form of removing hair from the skin and including a hair removal body as a functional component. According to conventional designs, the hair removal body is generally shaped as a cylinder with a circular perimeter, wherein the hair removal body is rotatable about a rotation axis extending along the longitudinal direction of the hair removal body. The hair removal body can remain in a curved configuration. Furthermore, the hair removal body is provided with at least one hair-capturing space, wherein the dimension of the at least one hair-capturing space in the longitudinal direction is variable along the perimeter of the hair removal body, or is variable by compression and extension of the hair removal body in the longitudinal direction during rotation of the hair removal body. Operation of a hair removal system for removing hair from the skin involves: driving the hair removal body to rotate; placing the hair removal body on the skin; and rotating the hair removal body on the skin such that as the dimension of the at least one hair-capturing space decreases, hair is captured within the at least one hair-capturing space, and as the hair removal body advances, the hair is pulled from the skin.

[0003] Another example of a skin treatment system is a shaving system, which is also configured to perform skin treatments in the form of removing hair from the skin. It is well known that the main difference between shaving and hair removal is that shaving removes hair by cutting it, while hair removal removes hair by pulling it out of the skin. Generally, in practical applications, skin treatment systems include a handheld device and the functional components are integrated into the handheld device.

[0004] In the field of skin treatments such as hair removal, it is important to take measures to minimize the undesirable side effects of treatments such as skin irritation.

[0005] US 6306148 B1 discloses a sensing device including a pivotable rotating arm for detecting the angle at which an epilator is placed against the skin. The detected angle is controlled by an actuating device to change the closing movement of a clamping element. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides a skin treatment system comprising: a functional component configured to perform a treatment action on the skin and to be moved on the skin during system operation; a controller configured to control the operation of the skin treatment system; and a measuring unit including a measuring component configured to be moved on the skin together with the functional component and to cause skin depression, wherein the measuring component is displaceable within the measuring unit, and wherein the measuring unit is configured to measure a degree-related value, i.e., the degree to which the measuring component is displaced relative to a default position in the measuring unit by the action of the skin, wherein the controller is further configured to receive the measured value from the measuring unit and to use the measured value as a determining factor in determining at least one operating parameter of the skin treatment system.

[0007] From the above definition, it can be deduced that, in addition to the functional components and the controller, the skin treatment system according to the invention also includes a measuring unit, wherein the measuring unit includes a measuring component that is displaceable within the measuring unit and used to indent the skin. During operation of the skin treatment system, the measuring unit measures a degree-related value, namely, the degree to which the measuring component is displaced relative to a default position within the measuring unit by the movement of the skin, which is a measurement of the degree to which the measuring component indents the skin. The input obtained from the measuring unit is used by the controller to determine at least one operating parameter of the skin treatment system. The functional components and the measuring unit can be integrated into a handheld device, in which case the controller can be a remote unit located outside the handheld device, which does not change the fact that the invention also covers other options. For the skin treatment system option including a handheld device, it is further noted that the functional components can be movable within the handheld device, and at least one operating parameter of the skin treatment system determined by the controller can include at least one control setting of the functional components related to the movement of the functional components in the handheld device in this case. For example, the treatment action on the skin can be one of hair removal by depilation and hair removal by shaving, wherein it should be noted that the invention is not limited in any way to a particular type of skin treatment.

[0008] According to the first practical example, at least one operating parameter of the skin treatment system determined by the controller includes at least one control setting of the functional component.

[0009] In the context of skin treatment systems, to achieve optimal skin treatment results while minimizing side effects such as skin irritation, it is desirable to indicate in real time which body area is being treated during system operation. This indication can then be applied to automatically adapt at least one control setting of the functional component to the actual situation, avoiding situations where the user is required to select a system operating mode related to the body area being or to be treated. For example, in practical cases where the skin treatment system includes a handheld device and the functional component is movable within the handheld device, it can be advantageous to set the movement speed of the functional component to a lower value when sensitive body areas such as the face or armpit are subjected to skin treatment actions, and to set the movement speed of the functional component to a higher value when less sensitive body areas such as the legs or arms are subjected to skin treatment actions.

[0010] According to a fundamental insight of the invention, different body regions involve different skin hardness, and the degree to which the measuring member is displaced relative to its default position in the measuring unit by the action of the skin is related to the skin hardness. In view of this, it is found that the measured values ​​represent the body regions subjected to skin treatment actions during operation of the skin treatment system, thus making the measured values ​​suitable for determining at least one control setting of a functional member. When the invention is put into practice, it is not necessary to perform separate actions to assess the actual type of body region or request instructions from the user, as the relevant measurement results are automatically obtained during the skin treatment action. This does not change the fact that the invention does not preclude the option of equipping the measuring unit with an accelerometer or another type of positioning sensing device besides the measuring member to improve the accuracy of the process for determining at least one control setting of a functional member based on assumptions about the body region on which the skin treatment action is performed. Having a positioning sensing device also provides the possibility of assessing whether the measuring member is correctly placed on the skin and providing appropriate feedback to the user in this regard.

[0011] According to a second practical example, the skin treatment system includes a user output interface such as a display device, and at least one operating parameter of the skin treatment system determined by the controller includes at least one control setting of the user output interface. Therefore, in addition to the possibility of automatically adapting the control method of functional components to the body area undergoing skin treatment, the present invention also has the possibility of providing relevant information to a person, such as a user of the skin treatment system, by controlling the user output interface as a device configured to transmit information to a person, as an alternative function, or as an additional function. Examples of relevant information include information about the identified body area, allowing the user to assess the accuracy of the information, and skin condition-related information such as skin firmness information.

[0012] Preferably, the measuring member is shaped and included in a material at the location of contact with the skin, such that the coefficient of friction between the measuring member and the skin is as low as possible. In this way, when the measuring member is dragged along the skin, the stretching of the skin is minimized, thus minimizing the effect of the dragging of the measuring member on skin tension, and the measurement results can be accurate.

[0013] Within the framework of this invention, various options are applicable when it comes to the configuration of the measuring unit. For example, it is practical to have the measuring member mounted in the measuring unit in an elastic manner, which can be achieved by a spring device, wherein the spring device may include a helical spring acting on the measuring member. The spring device is useful in setting the default position of the measuring member in the measuring unit. The sensitivity of the measuring unit can be determined by the defining spring constant of the spring device, and the threshold of the measuring unit can be determined by the preload of the spring device. If the force applied to the measuring member is too low to counteract the preload of the spring device, the measuring member will not move away from the default position. Preferably, the preload value of the spring device is selected such that the measuring member in the default position can be considered as indicating a situation where there is no contact with the skin and a measurement should be performed; that is, it is selected low enough that even skin with low hardness can push the measuring member from the default position.

[0014] Practically, the measuring unit also includes a reference member configured to move across and contact the skin along with the functional and measuring members, wherein the measuring and measuring members are movable relative to each other. The reference member may function to guide the measuring member; in this case, practically, the reference member comprises a hollow cylindrical element arranged to surround at least a portion of the measuring member. In any case, the reference member provides support on the skin while allowing the measuring member to cause skin indentation to a degree determined by predetermined structural features, which on one hand follow the manner in which the measuring member is mounted in the measuring unit, and on the other hand follow variable skin hardness.

[0015] The reference member can be fixed in the measuring unit, or it can be displaceable within the measuring unit. In the latter case, it is practical to have the reference member elastically mounted in the measuring unit, which can be achieved by a spring mechanism. Optionally, the spring mechanism by which the reference member is mounted in the measuring unit is arranged in series with the spring mechanism by which the measuring member is mounted in the measuring unit. The advantage of the latter case is that it minimizes the impact of user manipulation, because the displaceable arrangement of the reference member in the measuring unit allows the reference member to be pressed against the skin with a predetermined force.

[0016] When the reference component is fixed in the measuring unit, the default position of the measuring component in the measuring unit is relative to the position of the fixed component of the measuring unit. When the reference component is displaceable in the measuring unit, the default position of the measuring component in the measuring unit is relative to the position of the displaceable component of the measuring unit.

[0017] To enable the measuring unit to measure expected values ​​related to the displacement of the measuring member, it is practical to also include a sensor device configured to detect the position of the measuring member within the measuring unit. In fact, each position, different from the default position, represents the displacement of the measuring member. In practical embodiments, the sensor device may include a combination of a magnet and a Hall effect sensor, which does not change the fact that other embodiments of the sensor device are equally feasible, particularly those allowing measurements within the millimeter range. For example, the sensor device may be configured to detect the position of the measuring member within the measuring unit using at least one of LVDT (Linear Variable Differential Transformer) sensing, capacitive sensing, eddy current sensing, ultrasonic sensing, and optical sensing.

[0018] As described above, the present invention provides the possibility of automatically adjusting the operation of functional components of a skin treatment system. For example, in the case where the skin treatment system is a hair removal system, at least one control setting of the functional component determined by the controller can be a control setting that enables the hair removal body to obtain a specific rotational speed. Generally, in this case, a control method for operating the hair removal system can be implemented, according to which the rotational speed of the hair removal body is reduced when performing a hair removal action on a sensitive body area. According to another feasible option, at least one control setting of the functional component can be a control setting that determines the extent to which the hair removal body extends relative to a housing portion supporting the hair removal body. Generally, in this case, a control method for operating the hair removal system can be implemented, according to which the hair removal body further retracts relative to the housing portion when a measurement indicates a sensitive body area.

[0019] The above and other aspects of the invention will become apparent and explained with reference to the following detailed description of a hair removal system including a measuring unit, in which various possibilities regarding the configuration of the measuring unit and its components are addressed. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar parts are indicated by the same reference numerals, and wherein:

[0021] Figure 1 A front view of a handheld hair removal device, which is part of a hair removal system according to an embodiment of the present invention, is schematically shown.

[0022] Figure 2 The components of the hair removal system are schematically shown, namely the hair removal body, the housing part supporting the hair removal body, the measuring unit, the controller of the hair removal system, and the display device.

[0023] Figure 3 This illustrates a first possible configuration of the measurement unit; and

[0024] Figure 4 A second possible configuration of the measurement unit is shown. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The various features of the hair removal system 1 according to embodiments of the present invention will now be described. It should be noted that the hair removal system 1 is merely one example of a variety of skin treatment systems feasible within the framework of the present invention. (Refer to...) Figure 1 It should also be noted that the practical hair removal system 1 includes a handheld device 10, which includes a housing 11 for housing multiple components of the hair removal system 1. With the handheld device 10, the hair removal system 1 can be conveniently used on various body areas, including the face, armpits, arms, and legs.

[0026] Hair removal system 1 is configured for the purpose of performing hair removal operations on the skin. Accordingly, hair removal system 1 includes a hair removal body 20 designed to interact substantially with the skin from which hair is to be removed. To capture and hold the hair, hair removal body 20 has hair-holding members 21, with hair-capturing spaces 22 disposed between the members. In the illustrated example, hair removal body 20 is generally shaped as a cylinder with a circular periphery, wherein hair removal body 20 is rotatable about a rotation axis R extending along the longitudinal direction of hair removal body 20. The dimensions of the hair-capturing spaces 22 in the longitudinal direction may vary along the periphery of hair removal body 20. It should be understood that hair removal system 1 includes components such as a drive mechanism (not shown) and a power supply (not shown), the drive mechanism for driving hair removal body 20 to substantially perform rotational movement about the rotation axis R during operation of hair removal system 1; the power supply is such as a (rechargeable) battery when the handheld device 10 is wireless.

[0027] like Figure 2As shown, practically, the hair removal system 1 also includes a controller 30 configured to control the operation of the hair removal system 1. To allow the user to start and stop the hair removal system 1, and possibly also to select the operating mode of the hair removal system 1, a suitable user input interface 31, such as a button, can be provided on the housing 11 of the handheld device 10. After the hair removal system 1 is started, the hair removal body 20 is also driven to rotate. The skin 2 to be subjected to hair removal by means of the hair removal system 1 is schematically shown in the figure with dashed lines. Proper use of the hair removal system 1 involves: putting the hair removal system 1 into the start state, and manipulating the handheld device 10 in a manner that the hair removal body 20 rotates on the skin 2. During this process, hair is captured in the hair capture space 22 of the hair removal body 20 and pulled out from the skin 2 as the hair removal body 20 moves forward.

[0028] Figure 2 The hair removal system 1 also includes a measuring unit 40. The measuring unit 40 includes a probe-shaped measuring member 41 configured to move along with the hair removal body 20 on the skin 2 and to cause indentation in the skin 2 during this process. The measuring member 41 is displaceable within the measuring unit 40, meaning it is displaceable within the handheld device 10. (See below for further details.) Figure 3 and Figure 4 The construction details of the measuring unit 40 will be explained in more detail. The measuring unit 40 measures a degree-related value, namely, the degree to which the measuring member 41 is displaced relative to its default position by the movement of the skin 2. Given that one body area is more sensitive than another, the expectation is that at least one control setting of the hair removal body 20 can be automatically adjusted for the body area undergoing the hair removal action, based on this function of the measuring unit 40. It should also be noted in this respect that the degree to which the skin 2 becomes concave by means of the measuring member 41 indicates skin hardness, and skin hardness indicates the body area. Therefore, it is advantageous that during operation of the hair removal system 1, the measuring unit 40 outputs the measured value to the controller 30, and the controller 30 is used to determine at least one control setting of the hair removal body 20, wherein the controller 30 uses the measured value as a determining factor in the process. For example, if the measured value indicates a body area known to be sensitive, the controller 30 can provide an output designed to set the rotational speed of the hair removal body 20 at a relatively low value.

[0029] In addition, such as Figure 2 As shown, the hair removal system 1 may be equipped with a display device 32 as a user output interface. Practically, for example, the controller 30 is also configured to provide the display device 32 with output representing skin hardness and / or the identified body area and / or one or more other possible information, so that the user can be notified through the display device 32 and the user can check whether the hair removal system 1 is operating correctly.

[0030] The controller 30 can be configured in any suitable manner to determine appropriate outputs, such as at least one control setting of the hair removal body 20 or at least one control setting of the display device 32. For example, it is possible that the controller 30 is configured to check whether the measured value is higher or lower than a predetermined threshold to select the appropriate one of two possible control settings of at least one component of the hair removal system 1, or to determine the appropriate control setting by means of a lookup table. In either case, an important advantage of the invention lies in the fact that during the hair removal operation, measurements can be performed that allow the operation of the hair removal body 20 to adapt to the type of body area processed and / or controlled by the display device 32 to provide relevant information to the person; and / or affect the function of one or more other components of the hair removal system 1, thus eliminating the need for separate measurements.

[0031] The signal exchange between the controller 30 and the display device 32, and the signal exchange between the controller 30 and the measurement unit 40, are respectively handled by... Figure 2 The dashed lines in the figure indicate that the measuring unit 40 can be positioned at any location relative to the hair removal body 20. Based on this, the position of the measuring unit 40 can be obtained, in which the measuring unit 40 is able to properly perform measurements during the use of the handheld device 10 on the skin 2. It may be advantageous for the measuring unit 40, in particular the measuring member 41, to be located approximately at the center of the handheld device 10.

[0032] refer to Figure 3 The details of a first option for the configuration of the measuring unit 40 will now be explained. In addition to the measuring member 41, the measuring unit 40 also includes a reference member 42, which, similar to the measuring member 41, is also configured to move along with the hair removal body 20 on the skin 2 and contact the skin 2 in the process. In the first embodiment of the measuring unit 40, the reference member 42 is fixed within the measuring unit 40, meaning that the reference member 42 is fixed within the handheld device 10. In this respect, Figure 3 The diagram shows a reference member 42 fixedly connected to a portion 12 of the housing 11 of the handheld device 10. The reference member 42 includes a hollow cylindrical element 43 arranged to surround at least a portion of a measuring member 41, which is mounted within the reference member 42 by a spring device 44, which in the illustrated example comprises a helical spring. Furthermore, at the end of the measuring member 41 opposite the end configured to contact the skin 2, the measuring member 41 is equipped with a magnet 45, wherein the measuring unit 40 also includes a Hall effect sensor 46 located facing the magnet 45.

[0033] During operation of the hair removal system 1, the user moves the handheld device 10 across the skin 2. The hair removal body 20 is driven to rotate, thereby performing the hair removal action as intended. During this process, both the measuring member 41 and the reference member 42 are dragged along the skin 2. Preferably, both the measuring member 41 and the reference member 42 are designed such that the possible principal coefficients of friction between the measuring member 41 and the skin 2, and between the reference member 42 and the skin 2, are as low as possible. This can be achieved based on the shape of the respective ends of the measuring member 41 and the reference member 42, for example, a round shape, and based on the material at the respective end positions of the measuring member 41 and the reference member 42. Due to the low friction between the skin 2 and the measuring member 41 and the reference member 42, the stretching of the skin 2 caused by the dragging of the measuring member 41 and the reference member 42 along the skin 2 occurs only to a minimum. As a result, the tension of the skin 2 is minimized, allowing it to be safely assumed that the measurement results to be obtained by the measuring unit 40 originate directly from the indentation of the skin 2 in the longitudinal direction of the measuring member 41 caused by the measuring member 41, and are unaffected by the mechanical effects occurring in the direction along the skin 2 due to the dragging of the measuring member 41 and the reference member 42 along the skin 2. Otherwise, measurement results related to the increased skin stiffness due to the increased tension of the skin 2 would be obtained.

[0034] Measuring member 41 is mounted in measuring unit 40 such that the default position of measuring member 41 is the position that causes a depression in the skin 2. The spring constant of spring device 44 acting on measuring member 41 determines the sensitivity of measuring unit 40, and the pretension of spring device 44 determines the threshold of measuring unit 40, i.e., the point at which measuring member 41 can move out of the default position and a measurement result can be obtained. Preferably, the pretension of spring device 44 is large enough to prevent a measurement result from being generated without contact with skin 2. It should be understood that when skin 2 has high hardness, the depression in skin 2 caused by measuring member 41 will be smaller than when skin 2 has low hardness. This means that in the first case, measuring member 41 will be in a more contracted position within measuring unit 40 than in the latter case, and it also means that in the first case, magnet 45 will be closer to Hall effect sensor 46 than in the latter case. Hall effect sensor 46 outputs a signal representing the position of measuring member 41, and thus indicating the displacement of measuring member 41 relative to the default position, which is received by controller 30 and taken into account in determining at least one operating parameter of hair removal system 1.

[0035] Generally, the indentation depth of the skin 2 is a function of the (non-linear) hardness of the skin 2, the stiffness of the spring device 44, and the diameter and shape of the measuring member 41 at the contact point with the skin 2. Since the hardness of the skin 2 is the only variable factor, the indentation depth of the skin 2 effectively represents the hardness of the skin 2, and since this factor is a direct measurement of the indentation depth, the displacement of the measuring member 41 is appropriate.

[0036] refer to Figure 4 The details of a second option for the configuration of the measuring unit 40 will now be explained. The second embodiment of the measuring unit 40 is largely similar to the first embodiment; therefore, the description of the construction and functional features of the first embodiment of the measuring unit 40 is equally applicable to the second embodiment, except for the description concerning the fixing of the reference member 42 within the measuring unit 40. Indeed, in the second embodiment of the measuring unit 40, the reference member 42 is displaceable within the measuring unit 40, meaning that the reference member 42 is displaceable within the handheld device 10. The reference member 42 is mounted to the retainer 47 of the measuring unit 40 via a spring device 48, which in the illustrated example comprises a helical spring. Thus, in the second embodiment of the measuring unit 40, the reference member 42 is mounted within the measuring unit 40 via a spring device 48, and the measuring member 41 is mounted within the movablely arranged reference member 42 via a spring device 44, wherein it should be noted that in the illustrated example, the corresponding spring devices 44, 48 are arranged in series.

[0037] Similar to the spring device 44 that mounts the measuring member 41, the spring device 48 that mounts the reference member 42 has a defined spring constant and a defined preload. The spring mounting of the reference member 42 means that the measurement to be performed by the measuring unit 40 is more robust, i.e., less sensitive to user manipulation. In fact, based on the spring mounting of the reference member 42, it is possible to press the reference member 42 onto the skin 2 with a defined force, which is practically independent of the pressure applied by the user.

[0038] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the scope of this invention is not limited to the examples discussed above, but that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. This invention is intended to be understood to include all such modifications and variations, provided they fall within the scope of the claims or their equivalents. While the invention has been detailed and described in the drawings and specification, these descriptions should be considered illustrative or exemplary only, and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The drawings are schematic, in which details unnecessary for understanding the invention may have been omitted, and these details are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0039] In the course of practicing the disclosed claims, variations of the disclosed embodiments can be understood and implemented by those skilled in the art through studying the accompanying drawings, specification, and appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other steps or elements, and the indefinite articles "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. Any reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

[0040] Unless otherwise expressly stated, elements and aspects discussed in connection with or in connection with particular embodiments may be suitably combined with elements and aspects of other embodiments. Therefore, the fact that certain measures are described in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that combinations of these measures cannot be used to obtain an advantage.

[0041] Those skilled in the art will understand that the terms “comprising” and “including” as used herein encompass the term “consisting of”. Thus, the terms “comprising” or “including” in one embodiment may mean “consisting of”, but in another embodiment may mean “comprising / having / equipped with at least a defined class and optional one or more other classes”.

[0042] The significant aspects of the present invention are summarized below. A skin treatment system 1, such as a hair removal system, includes a functional component 20 configured to perform treatment actions on skin 2 and to be moved on skin 2 during operation of the system 1; and a measuring unit 40 including a measuring component 41 configured to be moved on skin 2 together with the functional component 20 and to cause indentation of skin 2 in the process. The measuring component 41 is displaceable within the measuring unit 40, and the measuring unit 40 is configured to measure a degree-related value, i.e., the degree to which the measuring component is displaced relative to a default position within the measuring unit 40 by the movement of skin 2. Based on the measurement results generated by the measuring unit 40, actions such as automatically adapting the operation of the skin treatment system 1 to the type of body area being treated and providing skin condition-related information to the user of the system 1 can be implemented.

Claims

1. A skin treatment system (1), comprising: The functional component (20) is configured to perform a processing action on the skin (2) and to be moved on the skin (2) during operation of the system (1); The controller (30) is configured to control the operation of the skin treatment system (1); as well as A measuring unit (40) includes a measuring member (41) configured to move along with the functional member (20) on the skin (2) and to cause the skin (2) to be concave in the process, wherein the measuring member (41) is displaceable in the measuring unit (40), and wherein the measuring unit (40) is configured to measure a value related to the degree to which the measuring member (41) is displaced by the movement of the skin (2) relative to a default position in the measuring unit (40); The controller (30) is also configured to receive the measured values ​​from the measuring unit (40) and to use the measured values ​​as a determining factor in determining at least one operating parameter of the skin treatment system (1). Its features are: The measured value corresponds to the degree to which the measuring member (41) causes the skin to become concave.

2. The skin treatment system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the at least one operating parameter of the skin treatment system (1) determined by the controller (30) includes: At least one control setting of the functional component (20).

3. The skin treatment system (1) according to claim 1 or 2 further includes a user output interface (32), wherein the at least one operating parameter of the skin treatment system (1) determined by the controller (30) includes: At least one control setting of the user output interface (32).

4. The skin treatment system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the measuring member (41) is mounted in the measuring unit (40) by means of a first spring device (44).

5. The skin treatment system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the measuring unit (40) further comprises a reference member (42) configured to move on the skin (2) together with the functional member (20) and the measuring member (41) and to contact the skin (2) in the process, wherein the measuring member (41) and the reference member (42) are movable relative to each other.

6. The skin treatment system (1) according to claim 5, wherein the reference member (42) is fixed in the measuring unit (40).

7. The skin treatment system (1) according to claim 5, wherein the reference member (42) is displaceable in the measuring unit (40).

8. The skin treatment system (1) according to claim 7, wherein the reference member (42) is mounted in the measuring unit (40) by means of a second spring device (48).

9. The skin treatment system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the reference member (42) is mounted in the measuring unit (40) by a second spring device (48), the measuring member (41) is mounted in the measuring unit (40) by a first spring device (44), and the second spring device (48) and the first spring device (44) are arranged in series in the measuring unit (40).

10. The skin treatment system (1) according to claim 5, wherein the reference member (42) comprises a hollow cylindrical element (43) arranged to surround at least a portion of the measuring member (41).

11. The skin treatment system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the measuring unit (40) further comprises a sensor device configured to detect the position of the measuring member (41) in the measuring unit (40).

12. The skin treatment system (1) according to claim 11, wherein the sensor device comprises a combination of a magnet (45) and a Hall effect sensor (46).

13. The skin treatment system (1) according to claim 11, wherein the sensor device is configured to detect the position of the measuring member (41) in the measuring unit (40) by at least one of linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) sensing, capacitive sensing, eddy current sensing, ultrasonic sensing and optical sensing.

14. The skin treatment system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the treatment action on the skin (2) is a hair removal action.

15. The skin treatment system (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least the functional component (20) and the measuring unit (40) are integrated in a handheld device (10), wherein the functional component (20) is movable within the handheld device (10), and wherein the at least one operating parameter of the skin treatment system (1) determined by the controller (30) includes: At least one control setting of the functional component (20) is associated with the movement of the functional component (20) in the handheld device (10).

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