WSVN — You won't catch Darlene Tomlinson outside without sunscreen and long sleeves on.Darlene Tomlinson: "Since I was a little girl I realized the sun was not my friend."After years of playing in the Florida sun, the 55 year old's body is now heavily marked with scars. Darlene Tomlinson: "I've had a lot of moles removed over the years, so my back looks like a road map."If you've ever had a skin check, you know when a dermatologist spots a suspicious mole they usually remove it for testing, but now they have a new device called MelaFind, which can help give them more info on what to take off or what to leave alone.Dr. Mark Nestor: "It is wonderful because it can aid us in determining what is appropriate to biopsy."Moles that are worrisome to doctors are first marked and then photos are taken. Those pictures are then loaded into the MelaFind, which is able to look beyond the surface and into the deep layers of the skin. Dr. Mark Nestor: "It uses imaging technology and computer to analyze a number of different aspects of the lesion, the coloration and the degree of disorganization."In less than a minute, it shows a 3D image of the mole and rates it as a high or low concern.Dr. Mark Nestor: "It's a low enough reading. I feel comfortable to leave them alone and watch them."The MelaFind did spot some possible trouble for Darlene, but it also saved her from some unnecessary cutting. Darlene Tomlinson: "Today I had five looked at it, and I only had to have two of them removed. I feel good. I'm comfortable that the two that should be in the bottle and are. And that the other three on my body are regular moles, and I can wait til my next check up."Alexis Rivera: "Right now, MelaFind is not covered by insurance and it costs about $150 to look at five moles."FOR MORE INFORMATIONDr. Mark Nestor2925 Aventura Blvd Suite 205 www.marknestormd.com
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