Dermascopy for Skin Exams

Does your dermatology provider hold this funny looking light while doing your skin exam?  Ever wonder what that little device does?  This instrument is called a dermatoscope.  By using polarized light, it allows dermatology providers to magnify a skin lesion to better assess the pigmentation, texture and size of a suspicious lesion much better than the naked eye alone. If the lesion looks suspicious under the dermatoscope, a skin biopsy will be done on the lesion to check for any malignancy.  Why is dermoscopy so important?  When used correctly by trained providers, it can increase the chances of detecting an early melanoma, an invasive type of skin cancer, as well as reducing the number of unnecessary biopsies.  This is just one way that the providers at Florida Skin Center are making sure your dermatology needs are taken care of with the highest standards.