If you have ever found yourself worried about a mole that appears suspicious, there are certain actions you can take to keep yourself from stressing out. The first action you can take involves contacting a Venice walk-in clinic like UrgentMED, visiting a healthcare professional to discuss your mole and possibly get a skin biopsy. The second action you can take involves learning more about skin biopsies so that you can see they are not as scary as you may imagine.

Purpose of a Skin Biopsy at a Venice Walk-In Clinic

A skin biopsy is a medical procedure where a doctor cuts and removes a small skin sample to test. This sample helps the doctor diagnose the patient for certain skin disorders. For instance, these can include psoriasis, skin cancer, and fungal skin infections. A skin biopsy can be performed in three ways:

• An excisional biopsy, where a small knife called a scalpel removes a small sample of the skin.
• A punch biopsy, where a special circular tool removes the small skin sample.
• A shave biopsy, where a razor blade removes the small skin sample.

The location and size of the abnormal skin area determines which type of biopsy is performed on the patient. All of these skin biopsies can be performed at the Venice walk-in clinic, UrgentMED.

Skin Biopsy Procedure

Although the procedure may sound like an intense surgery, the skin biopsy procedure is not life-threatening and is actually quite painless. During the procedure, a healthcare provider cleans the site and administers a local anesthetic to the patient. Then they extract the skin sample, which is very quick. Depending on the type of biopsy the patient is getting or the size of the abnormal skin area, the patient may need some stitches after the sample has been taken from the area. This happens most often with a punch biopsy. In any case, a healthcare provider from the Venice walk-in clinic might apply topical medicine to the sample area to stop the bleeding or cover the sample area with a bandage.

When to Request a Skin Biopsy

Specific skin symptoms are good indicators that a person should request a skin biopsy from a healthcare provider. These symptoms include scaly or rough skin; open sores; a mole or other growth abnormal in shape, size, or color; or a persistent rash. A person experiencing these symptoms does not need to stress or worry about the skin biopsy procedure. Once the procedure is over, the person may experience bleeding, bruising, or soreness around the sample area. If these symptoms continue for more than a few days after the skin biopsy, contact a healthcare provider from the Venice walk-in clinic.

Visit a Venice Walk-In Clinic Today

If you have experienced abnormal skin symptoms and would like to request a skin biopsy, urgent care centers like the Venice walk-in clinic can help you. Contact UrgentMED to find a location near you.