Wood’s lamp

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Wood's lamp test - of the scalp

Overview

Risks

Results

Wood’s lamp

Alternative Names:

Black light test; Ultraviolet light test

What the risks are:

There are no risks, but avoid looking directly into the ultraviolet light, as you avoid looking into the sun.

Special considerations:

Do not wash before the test, because that may cause a false-negative result. A room that is not dark enough may also alter results. Other materials may also glow. For example, some deodorants, make-ups, soaps, and even lint may be visible with the Wood's lamp.

Not all infections can be detected with the light. Some species of fungi and bacteria do not contain fluorescent chemicals.

Review Date: 10/29/2004
Reviewed By: Jonathan Kantor, M.D., Department of Dermatology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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