Huidmonitoring

Huidmonitoring is a systematic process of observing the condition of the skin over time to detect changes, assess treatment response, and support early diagnosis of skin conditions. It can be performed by patients, caregivers, or clinicians and is used across dermatology, wound care, and chronic skin diseases.

The main goals are to identify new or evolving lesions, monitor known lesions, track inflammation, and document healing progress. It helps differentiate benign changes from conditions that require medical evaluation and supports timely decision making about treatment or follow-up.

Methods include regular visual inspection, standardized photography or video documentation, measurement of lesion size, color, texture, and border irregularities, and the use of dermoscopy or other imaging modalities in clinical settings. Digital tools often enable longitudinal tracking and alerting to significant changes.

Applications encompass early detection of skin cancer risk, particularly melanoma, monitoring mole changes, assessment of burns, ulcers, and wounds, evaluation of inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis or eczema, and monitoring side effects of treatments like phototherapy or topical medications. It also supports remote consultation through teledermatology.

Technologies and data handling involve smartphone cameras, cloud storage, and AI-assisted analysis to aid pattern recognition and change detection, while privacy, consent, and data security are important considerations. Data should be interpreted by qualified professionals within the broader clinical context.

Limitations include variability in imaging quality and lighting, user inconsistency, and the potential for misinterpretation in self-monitoring. Huidmonitoring is a complement to professional evaluation and is not a substitute for clinical examination or biopsy when indicated.