What should you know about dermoscopy in dermatology?

The device can make pigment networks, blood vessels, scale, crust, and borders easier to evaluate. It may help the clinician compare a concerning mark with nearby benign-looking marks, assess a rash, or inspect a scalp or nail change. Dermoscopy improves the visual information available during an examination, but it is not a standalone diagnosis. The result must be combined with the lesion’s history, symptoms, location, and change over time.

Before the appointment, note when the concern began and record any episodes of growth, colour change, itching, tenderness, crusting, or bleeding. Bring details of relevant skin conditions, medicines, sun exposure, and family history when known. Leave the area accessible and avoid covering it with makeup if the examination is for a facial or body lesion. The clinician may take a reference image and explain whether observation, treatment, or tissue sampling is the next step.

Book a dermatology review when a mole or other mark changes in appearance, develops an irregular edge, becomes persistently symptomatic, or bleeds without a clear injury. A new unexplained lesion, a sore that does not heal, or a rapidly changing patch also deserves examination. These signs can have several explanations, so they call for assessment rather than a conclusion based on appearance alone.

Ask what the magnified pattern suggests, whether you need a baseline photograph, and how soon the area should be checked again. If sampling or removal is proposed, ask what information it will provide and what care is needed afterward.