Does your dermatologist use a dermatoscope?

Patients often ask me about the device I have in my hands while doing skin exams. This device is known as a dermatoscope and is invaluable in performing skin exams in order to thoroughly evaluate skin lesions.

Using my dermatoscope, I am able to look for subtle clues in shape, color, structure, and network patterns to determine if a suspicious skin lesion is a skin cancer. I have often discovered skin cancers that otherwise went unnoticed using the naked eye.

However, using a dermatoscope is no easy task. As part of my ACGME accredited dermatology residency at the University of Michigan, I was thoroughly trained and vetted in dermoscopy.

As board-certified dermatologists, we are extensively trained and vetted to identify skin cancers. In the last 6 months alone, I have identified and treated over 800 skin cancers!

Have you had your skin exam this year?