What happens after skin biopsy?

The biopsy site may be tender, bruised or mildly swollen. A dressing, glue or stitches may protect it, depending on how the sample was taken and where it is located. The tissue is examined in a laboratory, and the report may describe an inflammatory, benign, precancerous or cancerous change. The wording guides your dermatologist but needs to be interpreted alongside the examination.

Follow the written instructions for cleaning, dressings and ointment, and keep the area protected from rubbing. Do not pick a scab or remove stitches yourself. Ask when you may swim, exercise or return for stitch removal. Keep the result appointment even if the wound looks healed, because the report may determine whether observation, another biopsy or treatment is appropriate.

Contact the clinic for bleeding that does not stop with firm pressure, increasing redness, warmth, pus, worsening pain, fever or a wound that opens. Seek urgent help for severe swelling, faintness, breathing difficulty or signs of a serious allergic reaction.

Ask when the report is expected, how to dress the wound, whether stitches need removal, what the diagnosis means, and whether a further procedure is recommended.