What Happens During a Skin Biopsy? Step-by-Step Guide

Hearing “we need to biopsy that” tends to trigger more anxiety than the procedure itself deserves. So what happens during a skin biopsy, exactly? It’s one of the quickest, most routine procedures in dermatology, most types take less than 15 minutes, use only local anesthesia, and are done right in the office on the same day your dermatologist spots something worth checking. Knowing exactly what happens during a skin biopsy before, during, and after tends to remove most of the dread.Why Your Dermatologist Ordered OneA biopsy is the only way to confirm what a lesion actually is. Visual exams and tools like a dermatoscope can raise suspicion, but only a pathologist looking at your tissue under a microscope can tell the difference between a harmless growth and something like basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or melanoma. If you’re unclear on how your dermatologist decided your spot needed a closer look in the first place, our guide on the types of skin cancer covers what each one tends to look like before it reaches biopsy stage.The Four Types of Skin BiopsyYour dermatologist picks the type based on the size, depth, and location of the lesion, and how deep a sample they ne...