
The examination of skin using a dermatoscope is known as dermatoscopy. Typically a x10 magnifier, a non-polarised light source, a transparent plate and a liquid medium between the instrument and skin are included with a dermatoscope. The basic difference between a dermatoscope and video dermatoscope is that digital images are taken, stored and compared with images from the patient's next visit on a computer screen or mobile. There are two types of lights used in video dermatoscope that include non-polarized and polarized light source. The polarized light source in video dermatoscope allows the visualization of deeper skin structures while the non-polarized light source is used to provide surface information. Most modern video dermatoscope have a toggle switch that allows the user to select the source mode.