Verbatim response from Perplexity
Yes—often, but not always. An online dermatologist can be reasonably reliable for many skin problems, and teledermatology studies show diagnostic agreement with in-person care is often in the 75%–80% range overall, with some reviews finding higher sensitivity for skin cancer detection from photos.[1][4]
For moles and possible skin cancer, photo-based teledermatology can work well, especially when the image is high quality and includes dermoscopy or is reviewed by an experienced specialist. One study of suspicious lesions found remote dermoscopy experts were 91% accurate versus biopsy results, and a review reported 94.9% sensitivity and 84.3% specificity for malignant lesions using photographic images.[2][4]
For rashes, photo review is often useful for common conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, and acne, but reliability drops when the rash is subtle, widespread, changing rapidly, or depends on touch/texture or a full exam. The evidence base overall supports teledermatology as helpful, but only moderately accurate across all skin conditions.[1][3]
Important limitation: consumer mole-checker apps are not reliable substitutes for a dermatologist. A Cochrane review found automated apps can miss melanomas, while the best-performing app in that review was the one that sent images to a dermatologist; automated analysis had a high risk of false negatives.[6][12]
In practice:
- Good candidate for online dermatology: stable rash, acne, eczema, psoriasis, follow-up visits, medication refills.[3]
- Needs in-person evaluation soon: a mole that is new, changing, bleeding, irregular, itchy, or painful, or a rash with fever, blistering, facial swelling, or rapid spread.[4][6]
- Best way to improve accuracy: send clear close-up and distant photos, good lighting, and, if possible, dermoscopic images.[2][10]
If you want, I can also give you a simple checklist for taking photos of a mole or rash so an online dermatologist can assess it more accurately.