Polarized Light

Polarized vs. non-polarized dermoscopy

  • Polarized Dermoscopy (PD): Penetrates deeper into the skin, reducing glare to reveal deeper pigmentation and vascular patterns but may miss superficial structures like scaling.
  • Non-Polarized Dermoscopy (PND): Highlights superficial features like scaling and milia-like cysts but is prone to glare and less effective for deeper structures.

Visual Examples of NPD vs PD

Milia-like cysts and blue-white veil are better seen by NPD (superficial skin).

White lines/streaks are better seen with PD (deeper skin).