Here's why you should bring pictures of your skin problems when you go to see your dermatologists: Photos can help a derm to observe the progression and better diagnose the condition.

Particularly with the advent of smartphones, recording your own skin conditions has been made even easier.

Skin conditions fluctuate

Often, skin conditions come and go, so providing visual references of your skin issue prior to your appointment helps in the dermatological assessment of your condition.

In particular, with skin conditions like hives that manifest as wheals, or swollen and itchy bumps, or swelling beneath the skin, patients don't always display these skin lesions during the appointment.

This is where pictures can be helpful in confirming a hives diagnosis.

Photographs are useful not only because lesions may disappear by the time a patient can get an appointment, but also because the skin conditions may change due to scratching or other self-administered treatments.

Patients usually take the photographs because they were worried they wouldn’t have any obvious symptoms to show when they come for their appointments. And dermatologists usually find these pictures helpful during diagnosis.

Photos and digital imaging are becoming increasingly used as ways to improve diagnoses and treatment in the healthcare sectors.

- Do take photographs of any skin condition that can change over time.

- Take the photos in a well-lit environment with a neutral background.

- Placing a ruler next to the lesion to show the size may be a good idea so that your dermatologist can visualise the size.

Skin photos taken with your smartphone is an easy tool to provide relevant infomation to your dermatologist and can offer diagnostic value when you document it clearly and well.