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“Dermatoscopes have gotten so expensive.”
It’s a sentiment we not only hear in conversations with customers, but which we also read on social media, in conversations among dermatologists and other medical providers.
While that perception feels true on the surface, is it actually accurate?
The first thing we need to clarify is that dermatoscopes as a category are not inherently expensive. However, what has changed is that the market now includes more advanced, higher-end models with expanded features. This distinction matters.
A helpful analogy would be automobiles.
Saying “all cars now cost at least $100,000” wouldn’t be accurate. Plenty of safe and reliable vehicles exist at a much lower price. But if you start looking at luxury vehicles—with premium materials, advanced safety systems, and cutting-edge technology—then yes, prices climb quickly.
Straightforward, entry-level dermatoscopes—such as the DL100, Carbon, or DL1—are entirely capable of doing the job. They can provide clinicians with what’s needed to achieve the enhanced sensitivity and specificity that dermoscopy is known for. It isn’t necessary to purchase a flagship model in order to practice good dermoscopy.
Luxury vs. Necessity
Taking the car analogy further, consider how some modern vehicles now offer “night-vision” systems as an optional upgrade. Thermal cameras are mounted in the grille and display heat signatures on the dashboard, helping drivers spot pedestrians or animals beyond the reach of headlights.
Is “night vision” a nice feature to have? Yes.
Is it strictly necessary for driving? No.
Dermoscopy works the same way.
Importantly, the studies that established dermoscopy’s diagnostic value relied on surprisingly standard features:
- Polarized lighting
- 10× magnification
- High-quality optics
These features—found in every Dermlite dermatoscope model—are all you need to perform dermoscopy.
However, for clinicians who want additional capabilities—such as:
- Larger field of view
- Extended battery life
- Variable polarization
- Enhanced lighting options (e.g., variable brightness, UV lighting, PigmentBoost, etc.)
—those features are available, just the same as “night vision” systems are available in luxury vehicles. They’re not required, but they offer additional benefits that some users find attractive.
Dermatology Isn’t Alone
Many medical specialties depend on essential equipment whose use isn’t directly reimbursed, yet is assumed to be part of routine patient care.
Stethoscopes, for example, require no introduction, and fortunately their prices remain relatively modest. But consider ENT, where exam devices are non-negotiable.
A quality (yet professional-grade) otoscope can be purchased for around $100, with such a device being perfectly adequate for routine use. But if a clinician wants additional features—such as higher magnification, scratch-resistant optics, or an all-metal housing—those options exist only in higher-end devices like the Heine BETA 400 LED, which on its own approaches $900.
Add a dual-head configuration, an ophthalmoscope, and a desktop charging system—as commonly found in hospitals—and the cost quickly exceeds $1,500.
And, importantly, just like dermoscopy, the use of these “essential devices” by other specialists isn’t separately reimbursed, either. An ENT doesn’t get paid an extra fee specifically for using their otoscope, just as a cardiologist doesn't get a separate fee for listening with their stethoscope. It’s simply the "standard of care" to perform an appropriate physical exam which generates the office visit fee.
The Surprisingly Low Cost of Dermoscopy
When viewed over time, even the most costly dermatoscopes are remarkably inexpensive to operate.
DermLite dermatoscopes carry a 5-year warranty, although many are used well beyond that timeframe. But even using a conservative 5-year lifespan, the math is compelling.
Consider the most expensive model currently available—the DL5 at $1,895.
Assuming:
- 120 patients per week
- 48 working weeks per year
- 5 years of use
That breaks down to approximately six cents per exam.
To put that in perspective, your most critical diagnostic tool costs less per patient than the adhesive bandages you place over each patient’s biopsy site.*
*See our calculation breakdown here .
Why Its Value Exceeds Its Price
To be fair—we get it. A dermatoscope is a significant investment, even if its long-term cost is lower than the disposable bandages we use every day. After all, no one purchases five years’ worth of bandages at once.
That said, sometimes in both life and medicine, we tend to focus so narrowly on one aspect of a decision that we lose sight of the bigger picture.
In the end, dermatoscopes not only save patients from the stress, anxiety, scarring, and expense of unnecessary biopsies—they also save us from missing the skin cancers they've entrusted us to find.
The bottom line is that price shouldn’t be the deciding factor. Instead, simply focus on finding the dermatoscope whose features best fit your needs. With a long-term cost of just pennies per patient, it's an investment you can't afford not to make.